Freedom Front Plus candidate Peter Phillipson says service delivery, infrastructure, security and municipal billing will be among his priorities if elected as ward councillor.

Peter Phillipson, who is contesting Wards 23 and 10 for the Freedom Front Plus, says his experience assisting residents with municipal service-delivery challenges and billing disputes over the past decade has motivated him to stand for election.

He says his priorities include repairing broken streetlights, addressing non-functional traffic lights, improving parks and pursuing solutions to sewerage problems affecting Ward 23.

In his responses to the Kempton Express election questionnaire, Phillipson also outlined how he would communicate with residents and measure his performance if elected.

Meet the candidate

1. Who are you, and what experience or community involvement would you bring to the role?

Phillipson says he has spent the past 10 years helping residents address service-delivery challenges and municipal billing issues. He has also represented community interests during major construction projects, where he says he worked to ensure residents’ concerns were heard and their rights protected.

2. Why have you decided to stand for election in these wards?

Phillipson says he believes residents deserve a representative who lives in the community and understands the challenges they face. He says he wants to ensure local concerns are considered in decisions affecting residents.

3. What are the three biggest challenges facing the wards?

He identifies security concerns, failing infrastructure and ongoing municipal billing issues as the main challenges. He says residents need safer neighbourhoods, properly maintained roads and essential services, as well as accurate municipal accounts.

His plans for the wards

4. What would be your top priorities during your first year in office?

Phillipson says he would prioritise repairing broken streetlights, addressing non-functional traffic lights through the relevant provincial authorities, and working with the City of Ekurhuleni’s Parks Department to improve cleanliness and maintenance. He also plans to establish a process to assist residents with municipal billing disputes.

5. What specific steps would you take to address service-delivery challenges?

Phillipson raises concerns about what he describes as the failed R300-million sewerage project in Ward 23. He says the flooding of a protected bird sanctuary with raw sewage threatens the environment and wildlife, and calls for accountability and sustainable solutions.

6. How would you improve communication between residents, the ward councillor and the municipality?

He proposes using community meetings, WhatsApp, social media, ward walkabouts and direct communication to keep residents informed. Phillipson says residents should receive honest feedback, including when issues cannot be resolved immediately.

7. How would you ensure residents’ concerns are followed up?

Phillipson says he would document every reported issue to create a record of the complaint and its progress. He says this would help track outstanding matters, hold the relevant municipal departments accountable and provide residents with regular updates until the issue is resolved or appropriately addressed.

Accountability and community representation

8. What issue do you believe has not received enough attention?

Phillipson points to non-functional traffic lights on two provincial roads running through the wards. He says the problem has persisted for years and creates safety risks and traffic disruption. He proposes engaging the relevant provincial authorities through established structures to push for repairs.

9. How would you measure your performance as a ward councillor?

He says residents should assess his performance according to his accessibility, the progress made on reported issues, the feedback provided and his commitment to ensuring residents feel heard and represented.

10. Why should residents consider voting for you?

Phillipson says he has lived in the ward for 10 years and experiences many of the same challenges as other residents. He says he would bring local knowledge, commitment and a willingness to work alongside the community to pursue solutions.