Next week’s local government elections will see voters cast their ballots for the candidates they want to represent their wards and lead their municipalities and districts.

As part of the Roodepoort Record’s commitment to voter education, the publication invited candidates from all political parties to share their views via its social media platforms.

The Freedom Front Plus responded to the invitation, with its candidates highlighting the need for drastic improvements in service delivery.

The Record sent each candidate who responded a set of questions to answer. Here are some of their responses:

• Caleb Finn – Candidate for Ward 70

Q: What are the three biggest challenges currently facing your ward, and how will you address them?
A: The three biggest issues facing Ward 70 include:

• Crime (including large-scale illegal mining): Plans to combat this include further engagements with senior Law Enforcement officials, partnering with the CPF and neighbourhood watches and dealing with environmental issues that contribute to crime, such as a lack of functional streetlights, overgrown public open spaces and illegal dumping.

• Unemployment: A ward councillor cannot directly create employment, but I will work with the city to create a positive environment where businesses wish to invest and employ more people. Partnerships will also be forged with local industries to make available any employment opportunities to residents of Ward 70.

• Urban Decay and a lack of By-Law Enforcement: There are multiple parts of Ward 70 experiencing urban decay and a severe lack of by-law enforcement; pressure will be placed on JMPD and other responsible departments to enforce by-laws and ensure that action is taken to uplift the area. Service delivery will also be prioritised, with a request to the Region C Citizen Relations & Urban Management department to take charge of a Task Team to ensure that services are delivered in the ward.

Q: What is your plan to address infrastructure problems such as potholes, sewage spills, streetlights and illegal dumping?
A: Service delivery is currently a huge problem due to the massive internal issues facing the City of Johannesburg. I am hopeful that a DA government can usher in a new era of improved service delivery to the residents of the city and the ward in particular.

Irrespective of who wins the elections, I will be on the ground every day fighting for improved services.

Q: How will you ensure municipal funds allocated to the ward are spent transparently and effectively?
A: I will do my best to provide oversight over the budgets available for the ward and ensure that the relevant checks and balances are implemented appropriately.

Q: If elected, how will residents be able to hold you accountable and measure your progress over the next five years?
A: I will ensure that my open-door policy remains in place to allow residents to engage with me and hold me accountable. I will remain accessible and ensure that regular and consistent communication takes place. This will include various engagements, including community meetings, WhatsApp communications, as well as other social media platforms.

• Genevieve Sherman – Candidate for Ward 71

Q: What are the three biggest challenges currently facing your ward, and how will you address them?

A: For me, the three biggest challenges are basic service delivery, infrastructure and safety.

Ward 71 has a lot of potential, but residents have been frustrated for years by issues such as electricity interruptions, water problems, potholes, sewer problems, illegal dumping and neglected areas.

These are not new concerns. Davidsonville residents have previously raised serious concerns about electricity, water and roads.

My approach would be to listen to residents, identify the biggest problem areas in each part of the ward and make sure these issues are properly logged, followed up and escalated. I also want to keep residents informed about what is being done and what still needs attention.

I don’t believe in making promises that I cannot keep. I believe in doing the work, following through and holding the relevant departments accountable.

Q: What is your plan to address infrastructure problems such as potholes, sewage spills, streetlights and illegal dumping?

A: This is one area where I would like to introduce a much more structured approach.

I would like to have a Ward 71 priority list where major infrastructure problems are identified, reported and monitored.

For example, if we have a pothole that remains unresolved for months, I don’t believe we should simply keep reporting it over and over. We need to escalate it and ask what is preventing the repair.

The same applies to sewer spills, broken streetlights, illegal dumping and damaged infrastructure.

I want to move from “we reported it” to “what happened after we reported it?”

That follow-through is extremely important to me.

Q: How will you ensure municipal funds allocated to the ward are spent transparently and effectively?

A: I believe residents have a right to know what has been budgeted, what has been promised and what has actually been delivered.

As a councillor, I would use the IDP and budget processes to put Ward 71’s priorities forward and then monitor implementation.

Where projects are delayed, or commitments are not being met, I would raise those issues through the appropriate council and oversight structures.

I also want to report back to residents honestly. If something has been achieved, I will tell them. If something has not been achieved, I will tell them that too and explain what is being done about it.

The city’s council has an oversight role over the administration and municipal performance, which is an important part of a councillor’s responsibility.

Q: If elected, how will residents be able to hold you accountable and measure your progress over the next five years?

A: I want residents to hold me accountable. I would establish clear priorities for Ward 71 and regularly report back on them. I would hold regular community engagements and provide feedback on the major issues affecting the ward. Through various mediums, of which I believe RAs are a most important tool.

• Mathys (Kobie) Hughes – Candidate for Ward 83

Q: What are the three biggest challenges currently facing your ward, and how will you address them?

A: Our three biggest challenges are water, roads and electricity. Water infrastructure is ageing, and I will advocate in council and through the IDP for a long-term solution, including a complete pipe replacement programme across Wilropark, Roodekrans and Helderkruin.

I will push for proper road reinstatements and maintenance, while ensuring electricity, streetlight and traffic-light faults are reported and escalated immediately. Maintenance must become a priority.

Q: What is your plan to address infrastructure problems such as potholes, sewage spills, streetlights and illegal dumping?

A: I will ensure problems are logged, monitored and escalated until they are resolved, rather than simply reported and forgotten. I will work directly with the relevant municipal entities, keep residents informed and raise persistent failures through the appropriate Council channels.

Q: How will you ensure municipal funds allocated to the ward are spent transparently and effectively?

I will demand transparency, accountability and value for money. Residents must know what is being planned and delivered in their community, and I will monitor municipal projects and raise concerns where work is delayed, incomplete or not delivered to the required standard.

Q: If elected, how will residents be able to hold you accountable and measure your progress over the next five years?

A: I will remain accessible and visible in the ward. Residents will have regular communication channels to raise issues, and I will provide updates on matters being escalated and projects being pursued.

My commitment is simple: if residents raise a problem with me, I will not just log it and walk away – I will follow it up and keep pushing until we get an answer.

• Eddie Krog – Candidate for Ward 84

Q: What are the three biggest challenges facing Ward 84?

A: For me, the three biggest issues are service delivery, safety and infrastructure. Residents are tired of reporting the same problems over and over again.

My approach will be simple: listen, follow up and communicate. I won’t promise that I can personally fix every problem, because I can’t. But I can make sure that problems are properly escalated when necessary and that residents know what is happening. I want residents to know that when they raise a problem, somebody is actually following it up.

Q: What will you do about potholes, sewage, streetlights and illegal dumping?

A: I want to create a culture of reporting and follow-up. A pothole or sewage problem shouldn’t simply be reported once and forgotten. If we have the same problem repeatedly, I want to know why it keeps happening. The city is currently undertaking road-maintenance work in Region C, including pothole repairs, signage, traffic signals and culverts. The city has also asked residents to continue reporting infrastructure problems.

So, my message to residents is: Report it. Get a reference number. And if it isn’t resolved, bring it to me so I can follow up.

Q: How will you ensure municipal money is spent properly?

A: Through oversight and transparency. I don’t personally control the City’s budget, but councillors have an oversight role, while Council approves the City’s budget and policies. I want residents to know what projects are planned for their communities and whether those projects are actually being delivered. And if something isn’t happening, I want to be able to explain why. Accountability means asking difficult questions – including when those questions are uncomfortable.

Q: How will residents hold you accountable?

A: This is the question I take most seriously. The city describes ward councillors as representatives of residents and says councillors have an oversight and community-participation role. I don’t want to be judged by the number of promises I make. I want to be judged by whether I do the work.

“I’m not going to promise residents the impossible. I can’t personally fix every pothole, stop every crime or solve every service-delivery problem. What I can promise is that I will listen, I will be accessible, I will follow up, and I will hold the city accountable. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find it. If something is delayed, I’ll tell you. And if something is outside my authority, I’ll be honest about that. Being a councillor is not about making big promises. It’s about being present, doing the work and being accountable to the people of Ward 84.

• Zone Hughes – Candidate for Ward 85

Q: What are the three biggest challenges currently facing your ward, and how will you address them?

A: The three biggest challenges in Ward 85 are inadequate electricity capacity and failing and ageing infrastructure; major water capacity and infrastructure issues, including poor communication and slow action from city entities as a whole; roads falling apart; streetlights not working; and maintenance of all nature reserves and greenbelts within Ward 85.

Q: What is your plan to address infrastructure problems such as potholes, sewage spills, streetlights and illegal dumping?

A: I have already, and will continue, fighting for better infrastructure throughout our ward. Petitions about potholes, failing water infrastructure, and inadequate electricity supply have been handed to the relevant authorities. I will keep escalating problems, speaking out and following up until potholes are repaired and residents have reliable water and power supply. Where issues persist, I will continue taking matters up in council.

Q: How will you ensure municipal funds allocated to the ward are spent transparently and effectively?

A: There is no ward-specific budget in the City of Johannesburg, but where funding is allocated to Ward 85 projects, I will ensure proper oversight by reviewing council reports, asking difficult questions and conducting site inspections. I will ensure projects are completed effectively and report back to residents on progress.

Q: If elected, how will residents be able to hold you accountable and measure your progress over the next five years?

A: I am human and will make mistakes, but residents must be able to hold me accountable when I do. I will continue to provide regular updates on issues raised, the steps taken to resolve them, and quarterly ward newsletters outlining progress, outstanding issues and what still needs to be done.

• Gregory Hart – Candidate for Ward 86

Q: What are the three biggest challenges currently facing your ward, and how will you address them?

A: The three biggest challenges facing Ward 86 are unreliable water supply, ageing electricity infrastructure and sewer system failures. I will work with the relevant City departments to improve response times, ensure these issues are properly prioritised in maintenance and budgets, and push for long-term infrastructure improvements rather than simply reacting to failures.

Q: What is your plan to address infrastructure problems such as potholes, sewage spills, streetlights and illegal dumping?

A: I will focus on proactive maintenance and faster responses rather than waiting for infrastructure to fail. I will track reported issues, push city departments for clear turnaround times, and campaign for the maintenance, upgrades and infrastructure projects Ward 86 needs to be properly funded and implemented.

Many of these solutions ultimately depend on effective metro-level planning, budgeting and implementation, which is why effective Johannesburg government support is essential if we are to achieve lasting improvements.

Q: How will you ensure municipal funds allocated to the ward are spent transparently and effectively?

A: I will regularly check that projects and services allocated to Ward 86 are properly reflected in the municipal budget and that the allocated funds are actually spent as intended. I will track progress, hold the relevant departments accountable for delivery, and report back to residents on what has been budgeted, what has been delivered and what remains outstanding.

Q: If elected, how will residents be able to hold you accountable and measure your progress over the next five years?

A: Residents will be able to measure my performance through the service-delivery escalation system and regular reporting. I will use the statistics from reported issues to identify recurring problems, target those areas for lasting solutions, track whether repeat incidents are reduced, and report back to residents on progress, outstanding issues and what has been delivered.

Zander Shawe – Candidate for Ward 89

Q: What are the three biggest challenges currently facing your ward, and how will you address them?

A: The three biggest challenges are reliable basic services, ageing and poorly maintained infrastructure, and community safety.

As ward councillor, my role is not to personally manage municipal departments, but to represent residents, drive issues with the responsible departments and entities, exercise oversight and hold the administration accountable.

Q: What is your plan to address infrastructure problems such as potholes, sewage spills, streetlights and illegal dumping?

My approach is simple: Report, track, escalate and verify. A councillor cannot personally instruct municipal employees to repair a pothole or sewage line. The responsible department or entity must perform the work.

I will continue identifying recurring problems and using council, departmental engagements and oversight structures to push for longer-term solutions. A job should not simply be considered successful because it has been marked as completed. Where possible, the outcome should be checked to ensure that the problem has actually been resolved.

Q: How will you ensure municipal funds allocated to the ward are spent transparently and effectively?

A: As a ward councillor, I cannot personally control municipal expenditure. However, I can participate in the council’s budget and oversight processes and hold the administration accountable for how public money is used.

My experience in MPAC has strengthened my focus on irregular, unauthorised and fruitless expenditure, proper record-keeping, consequence management and value for money. I will scrutinise municipal performance and expenditure through the structures available to me and ask whether the money being spent is achieving the intended outcome.

Residents deserve transparency about major projects affecting their communities and accountability when public money is not used effectively.

Q: If elected, how will residents be able to hold you accountable and measure your progress over the next five years?

Accountability must be practical and measurable. Residents will be able to contact me, report problems and receive feedback on the issues affecting them. I will provide regular updates on major ward priorities, municipal projects, unresolved problems and escalations. A councillor cannot guarantee that every municipal problem will be solved immediately. What I can commit to is being accessible, representing residents properly, driving issues, exercising oversight, holding the administration accountable and reporting honestly to the community.

• Elmari Atterbury – Candidate for Ward 97

Q: What are the three biggest challenges currently facing your ward, and how will you address them?

A: The three biggest challenges in Ward 97 are inadequate electricity capacity and ageing infrastructure; poor communication and slow action from city entities, especially the JRA; and the greenbelt. During storms, the greenbelt is a major flooding concern, and residents are also worried that thieves use it as an escape route.

Q: What is your plan to address infrastructure problems such as potholes, sewage spills, streetlights and illegal dumping?

A: I am already fighting for better infrastructure in the ward. Petitions about potholes and inadequate electricity supply have been handed to the relevant authorities. I will keep escalating problems, speaking out and following up until potholes are repaired, sewage spills are resolved, and by-laws are enforced.

Q: How will you ensure municipal funds allocated to the ward are spent transparently and effectively?

A: I will read the reports, ask the difficult questions and conduct site inspections. I will report back to the community on what I find and what action is being taken, as I have been doing.

Q: If elected, how will residents be able to hold you accountable and measure your progress over the next five years?

A: I am human. I will make mistakes, and I may sometimes need a reminder about a promise I have made. Residents can call me and hold me to my word, respectfully. I invite you to take this journey with me because, as I always say, I am not an island. It will take all of us to build the Ward 97 we hope for and deserve to live in.

A: Chalice Moodley – Candidate for Ward 126

Q: What are the three biggest challenges currently facing your ward, and how will you address them?

A: The three biggest challenges are unreliable basic services, ageing infrastructure, and safety and by-law enforcement. Residents are tired of repeated water and power outages, potholes, sewage spills, broken streetlights and illegal dumping. There is no quick fix, but there must be better reporting, escalation and follow-through.

I will build strong working relationships with residents, community organisations and municipal entities, while keeping a proper record of recurring and unresolved issues. My commitment is to be present, accessible and persistent in pushing for the attention Ward 126 deserves.

Q: What is your plan to address infrastructure problems such as potholes, sewage spills, streetlights and illegal dumping?

A: I will keep a clear record of infrastructure problems across the ward, including locations, reference numbers, escalation dates and progress. Urgent health and safety matters such as sewage spills, dangerous potholes and exposed electrical infrastructure must receive priority attention. I will conduct regular inspections and work with residents to identify recurring problem areas.

Illegal dumping also needs a combined approach: reliable refuse services, clean-ups, community awareness and consequences for repeat offenders. Most importantly, reported issues cannot simply disappear into the system without follow-up.

Q: How will you ensure municipal funds allocated to the ward are spent transparently and effectively?

A: A ward councillor does not control municipal funds, authorise spending, award tenders or appoint contractors. Council approves the City’s budget, the Executive Mayor and MMCs provide political oversight, and the administration is responsible for implementing the approved budget.

My role is to make sure Ward 126’s needs are strongly represented during the budget and IDP processes, monitor approved projects and ask questions when work is delayed, poorly completed or not delivered. I will share available project information with residents and push for answers where there are concerns about waste, poor workmanship or irregularities.

Q: If elected, how will residents be able to hold you accountable and measure your progress over the next five years?

A: Residents should not have to wait five years, or until the next election, to hear from their councillor. I will remain accessible through community meetings, WhatsApp, social media and engagements across the ward. I will provide updates on service-delivery matters, infrastructure projects, recurring problems and community initiatives.

I will not promise that every issue will be solved overnight or pretend that everything falls within my control. What I can promise is that I will show up, follow through, give honest feedback and continue pushing for progress. Residents must feel comfortable asking questions, challenging me and holding me accountable.