The Roodepoort Record asked potential ward councillors a standard set of questions in the run-up to the 2026 Local Government Elections.

Below are the responses from the Ward 84 candidate from the Afrika Mayibuye Movement.

Serame Mavuso – Ward 84 candidate

Q: What are the three biggest challenges currently facing your ward, and how will you address them?
A: In Ward 84, our biggest challenges are poor basic infrastructure and service delivery, unemployment and poverty and crime and community safety. My approach will be to establish clear ward priorities through regular community meetings and ward consultations, document service-delivery failures, and ensure that these priorities are properly reflected in the municipality’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and budget. I will also work with community structures, businesses and other spheres of government to push for development projects that the ward urgently needs.

Q: What is your plan to address infrastructure problems such as potholes, sewage spills, streetlights and illegal dumping?
A: I would establish a ward infrastructure priority register identifying the location, nature and urgency of each problem. Emergency problems such as major sewage spills and dangerous roads must be escalated immediately, while longer-term infrastructure projects must be included in municipal planning and budgeting. I will regularly monitor reported problems and provide residents with feedback rather than simply forwarding complaints and forgetting about them.

• Also read: #LocalElections2026: Meet your FF Plus ward councillor candidates

Q: How will you ensure municipal funds allocated to the ward are spent transparently and effectively?
A: Transparency and accountability are essential. I will insist on proper community participation in ward priorities, monitor the implementation of approved projects and provide regular feedback to residents about progress. I will also encourage residents to participate in municipal budget and IDP processes. Ward committees have an important role in community participation in IDP and budget processes. I will not make promises about funds that a ward councillor does not personally control. My responsibility will be to represent the ward, scrutinise implementation, raise concerns and hold the relevant municipal structures accountable.

Q: If elected, how will residents be able to hold you accountable and measure your progress over the next five years?
A: I will make accountability one of the foundations of my work as councillor. I will provide regular ward report-backs, maintain an accessible system for receiving community complaints and publish progress on major ward priorities. At the beginning of my term, I would work with residents to establish measurable priorities – for example, improving roads, addressing water and sanitation problems, improving lighting and public safety, supporting local economic development and improving communication with the municipality. Residents should be able to ask a simple question: What did the councillor promise, what has been done, what has not been done, and why? I believe a councillor should be judged by work, transparency and measurable results – not promises alone.