Tshwane councillors’ highlights of the year
While Tshwane continued to face some challenges, ward councillors have shared their highlights of the year as well as plans for the next year.
The year 2021 has come with challenges from two substations burning down in the east of Pretoria, to loadshedding as well as infrastructure failing. Covid-19 has spared us no grief either, with the country recording a total of 90 172 fatalities to date. While Tshwane continued to face some challenges, ward councillors have shared their highlights of the year as well as plans for the next year. 
– Leanne de Jager, ward 92 I will be using the festive season to visit my stepmother in Jeffrey’s Bay as my late father retired there, this gives me a chance to catch my breath and regroup. My highlights for 2021 is realisation of the Adopt-a-Spot policy and creation of Moja Gabedi green space by University of Pretoria in Hatfield. The plans to roll this out in Springbok park have already been approved, and Venning park and others to improve green spaces for citizens of Tshwane.” The challenges faced in 2021 are the impact of lockdown financially on members of community and the necessity of creating an environment for job creation to flourish to address the situation. Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand to hand (Dr Seuss). From my family to yours a blessed and safe festive season. 
– Shaun Wilkinson, ward 59 May the true spirit of Christmas shine in your heart and light your path during this festive season. It’s been another tough Covid year with lockdowns and social distancing the order of the day, but there have also been lots of great memories created. Memories of newborns and birthdays, marriages, celebrations, anniversaries and so much we have to be grateful for. The local government elections were held and many new councillors and new parties are now in council representing the residents of Tshwane. I pray it will be a great year ahead and a fantastic term over the next few years. God Bless the leaders. My main focus areas going forward will be the Sunn projects in Sunnyside, community safety issues in my ward and my personal vision for a boost to Tshwane tourism in the Groenkloof precinct to assist the city with its economic recovery, growth and development efforts. May this festive season find you among those you love, sharing in the twin glories of generosity and gratitude. Merry Christmas! 
– Francois Bekker, ward 83 We lived through the second pandemic year. And there is still no end in sight to this saga. It poses challenges to all of us. To add insult to injury, loadshedding complicates our lives even further. I think it is fair to say that we are all turning into skillful survivors. We also, in the shortest span of time ever, held a local election. And so it is an enormous privilege to have been elected for a third term to serve the residents of ward 83. That I will do to the very best of my ability. My biggest disappointment for 2021 is the fact that the Wolwespruit [informal settlement] issue has still not been resolved. We were so close to introducing a viable solution. But watch this space, I am not giving up, maybe 2022 is the year that this issue will finally be resolved. Now is the time to reflect on where we are and where we want to go – specifically our personal as well as professional goals. But most importantly is to spend quality time over the festive season with our loved ones. Enjoy responsibly and be safe! 
– Siobhan Muller, ward 82 The plans I have for my ward is to ensure development is done within the norms and standards of town planning best practices, to ensure the upgrade of the roads, sidewalks and infrastructure as there is new development so that the whole of the community benefits. With the BRT line 2 B now running, the plan is to ensure the project is to the benefit of the community and particularly my ward. Enjoy the Christmas season with your family, stay safe and always remember what we are supposed to be celebrating – the birth of Christ. The worst moments in 2021 was the constant up and downs of Covid-19, losing many friends and colleagues as well as residents. The emotional impact was terrible. The best was to see the caring and support people give each other when disaster strikes. This entire year has brought out the best and the worst in many. I prefer to look at the best that it brought out. Then the number of storms we have had – what a nightmare – between loadshedding and storms, the electricity infrastructure has taken a battering. And along with that, we also have the trips, cable faults, damage to personal and the city infrastructure with the on and off power was really bad. So as power came on after loadshedding, there would be trips and areas would go down. A huge thank you to our teams that had to deal with these issues day after day. I think the challenge of loss of people you know added to the economic impact of decisions taken was a huge challenge. More people sleeping on the streets, less work, closing of businesses, more poverty – this was seen in every area of our city including ward 82. The hope is to continue the recovery under mayor Randall Williams and hope that all will work together to serve our communities to the betterment of all. Hope that 2022 is a better year, a good year. My ward is well developed, so currently the big drive is the Adopt-a Spot programme where municipal areas can be “adopted” by communities or entities, to enhance and better them for all. I am seeing more and more communities taking this up and creating lovely areas where there was little or nothing. So 2022 will be Adopt-a-Spot year, as well as the hope that the planned projects which were submitted for the specific wards will find the funding needed. Simple things like pathways in a park, or the paving of a well-used area so the area looks better. Also to get those potholes filled and streetlights working – the same as always. These are ongoing issues as roads deteriorate and lights trip or bulbs go.
Daryl Johnston ward 47
“I would like to take this opportunity to wish the residents of ward 47 a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
“Enjoy this special time with family and friends. But please keep social distancing as we continue dealing with the Covid pandemic in its various forms.
“My highlight of the year in ward 47 was the overwhelming result in the local government elections. It is both an honour and a privilege that residents have once again placed their trust in me to represent them for the next five years.
“The New Year provides the opportunity to build on the foundation I have already established. The priority will be in resolving the illegal settlements in both Wolwespruit and Garstkloof landfill.
“We should also see the refurbishment project for Boeing/Goedehoop Road finally come to life.
“2022 hold with it new hope for better times. I look forward to working with the community in improving ward 47 throughout the New Year.
“May the residents of ward 47 enjoy a peaceful and prosperous new year with loved ones.”
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