Amelia Bester has served as a councillor in Ward 89 since 2016 and with the end of her term drawing closer, she looks to widen her horizons outside of public office. With the municipal elections mere weeks away, the outgoing ward councillor reflected on her time in office.
“I am grateful for the opportunity and learning that came with serving in our community. Six and a half years is a significant portion of one’s lifetime. I would have liked to have finalised a few more matters but the extended lockdown and subsequent electioneering have been a dampener on the momentum created.”
Bester said being a ward councillor and working with residents associations enriched her life, and she believed she was able to foster meaningful friendships. She said, “It was a great comfort to be able to rely on a number of key officials for assistance with service delivery queries, and I am privileged to have enjoyed the respect of colleagues in the opposition benches. A two-year-long internal disciplinary process and relentless faction fights took a toll on my psyche and body, leaving me with the conclusion that politics is generally not a centre of excellence.”
The role itself may seem like one thing on the outside but it is possibly quite different once you take it on. This applies to numerous professions. Bester said she thought the job was part of legislature where she would spend time identifying problems, crafting solutions and monitoring the implementation. “Although we conducted oversight of the City’s departments and entities, very few of the recommendations were implemented. The administration really does not face any consequences for non-performance, and output does not justify expense on salaries paid,” she shared. “On the political side I assumed that each party would work as a team, backing one another and promoting fit-for-purpose individuals from within the group to achieve the best governance outcomes in the shortest period of time. It is here where I am probably most disappointed.”
Bester, who volunteered for a year and a half before she took office, said she had her share of challenges in the role. “Prejudice on the basis of being a young, attractive, learned woman with a backbone; it was tough to remain diplomatic in the face of public abuse on online platforms. A number of residents take to Facebook, Twitter or WhatsApp to vent their frustrations without understanding the role or mandate of the public representative. After becoming increasingly disillusioned I had to search deep inside myself to shelter residents from ‘my truth’ in order to keep hope alive.”
She explained that residents in her ward have benefited from upgrades in infrastructure. “These range from power substations and street lights to roads and road signage, the recycling hub and water pipes. Seeing the illegal advertising case through to the point of a conviction sets a precedent in Johannesburg, and I thank my witnesses from JMPD and BCI Security for their
continued support over the two-year period we spent in court. I am proud of the residents associations which have adopted public open spaces to secure and maintain, and helping with the fire hydrant project.”
The outgoing ward councillor revealed that she only ever wanted to serve a single term. She is now looking forward to permanent employment with labour rights and additional benefits. “I have the need to progress in an organisation that values my contributions, invests in my development and respects my dignity.”
