For Ward 98 councillor Beverley Jacobs, 2025 will be remembered as a year defined by hardship, but also by the unwavering spirit of a community that refused to give up.
While Johannesburg battled mounting service delivery failures, rising crime, and unemployment, Ward 98 felt the weight of poor governance more intensely than most. Yet within the pressure, frustration, and uncertainty, Jacobs witnessed something remarkable: A community choosing resilience over despair.
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Throughout the year, she stood on the frontlines of these challenges, advocating for residents as infrastructure crumbled around them. Repeated sewage spills polluted streets and public spaces, power outages stretched for days, and road networks continued to deteriorate despite ongoing pleas for intervention.
She said that, with the city’s decision to prioritise G20, Ward 98 continued to face potholes, collapsing infrastructure, and an overwhelmed service environment long after the fanfare and mannequins were removed, but even in the midst of municipal decline, the councillor found hope.
She explained that her greatest highlight of the year was seeing ordinary men and women step up where government fell short.
Security companies, community policing forum structures, resident associations, and countless volunteers worked tirelessly to keep communities safe, clean, and functional. “In the midst of pressure, frustration, and municipal decline, people were still willing to stand up and make a difference.
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“That is the true spirit of Ward 98.”
She added that the residents are her local heroes. “There are so many who give their time, energy, and personal resources to build a safer, cleaner, more functional community.
“Their dedication is a reflection of what Johannesburg can still become.”
As the year draws to a close, her Christmas wish is simple and resolute: That residents use their voices in the upcoming local government elections to demand accountability, honesty, and true leadership. “Only through strong, honest, and accountable leadership can we restore good governance, and where there is good governance, there is better service delivery, reduced corruption, and, ultimately, a thriving and happy community.”
As the festive season begins, Jacobs offers a message of gratitude and hope.
She thanks residents for their patience, resilience, and unwavering belief that their ward – and their city – can rise again. With renewed determination and the same community spirit that defined 2025, she urged Ward 98 residents to continue working together.
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