Ward 98 councillor calls for active citizenship
Ward 98 councillor Beverley Jacobs has opened 2026 by urging residents to stay engaged, report issues, and take action to help drive real change in Johannesburg.
Ward 98 councillor Beverley Jacobs welcomed residents into the new year with a call for unity, participation, and determination as Johannesburg enters what she describes as a pivotal period.
She said the holiday break offered a chance for rest and renewal, but 2026 now demands focus and action from both leaders and residents.
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Jacobs said her vision for the year centres on building a ward and a city that work for everyone. This includes safer neighbourhoods, responsive service delivery, and a local government that puts people first.
She added that the only way to achieve this is through honesty about the challenges the city faces, including failures by political leaders who, in her view, have let residents down for too long.
She warned that many of Johannesburg’s ongoing problems worsen when communities lose hope or stop reporting service issues. According to Jacobs, apathy protects those responsible for poor governance, while active citizenship helps shift the balance of power.
She urged residents to keep logging service requests, even when progress feels slow, and to continue attending community engagements.
Jacobs believes that real change in Johannesburg will only happen when residents stay involved, participate in key decisions, and use their voices to hold leaders accountable.
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Without active engagement, she said, residents will continue to face infrastructure failures such as broken streetlights, water outages, and unreliable service delivery.
Looking ahead, she said she hopes 2026 will be a year marked by courage, unity, and a shared commitment to improving Ward 98. Jacobs encouraged residents to stand together to ensure Johannesburg becomes a functional and inclusive city.
She closed her message with a call for a productive and purpose-driven year, urging the community to help build a legacy of improvement and pride for Ward 98 and the city as a whole.
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