WITH a deep understanding of the communities in Ward 21, Ndumiso Ndlela believes that this will be his greatest strength in making a change.

The ward, which was controlled by the ANC for many years, will now be represented by an MK Party councillor. The DA finished second, while the ANC dropped to third.

Ndlela said he grew up in New Germany and is familiar with the challenges facing residents in both New Germany and Clermont.

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Having lived in the area, the councillor said he understands that each community has its own unique needs and that addressing these concerns will require focused attention and engagement with residents.

“It was the masses in my community who decided I should stand as a councillor. I was previously running my own business, which I established in 2008. My company focused on agricultural skills training, construction and events management,” he said.

He described his election as an emotional and exciting experience, adding: “I was very excited and overwhelmed by joy.”

Among the major challenges he has identified in Ward 21 are unemployment, crime and community safety, poor road maintenance, faulty streetlights, overgrown vegetation, neglected streams and a lack of recreational facilities.

Different communities, different challenges

Ndlela explained that Ward 21 comprises three main sections; New Germany, Solomon Mahlangu and some part of Clermont, stressing that each section has different infrastructure and service delivery challenges that need to be addressed.

“In the New Germany area, priorities include improving community safety, clearing overgrown vegetation, cleaning streams, maintaining streetlights and addressing road maintenance. The Clermont area faces significant drainage challenges, with ageing stormwater infrastructure contributing to flooding during periods of heavy rain.

“The old drainage systems become blocked, and people’s houses become flooded with water,” he explained.

He said the ageing stormwater infrastructure would need particular attention to prevent further flooding and damage to residents’ properties.

“Crime is another major concern across the ward; we need to address criminal activity and the problems associated with vacant and abandoned houses.”

Another goal close to his heart is improving recreational facilities which will play an important role in providing young people with positive activities while also creating spaces where older residents can enjoy recreational programmes.

He said one of the facilities he hopes to see revived is the abandoned New Germany Sports Club, which he believes has the potential to once again serve the community.

“In Clermont, we have got two soccer fields which fall under Ward 21. So we’re going to need to revamp that and make those sporting facilities active,” he said.

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