With the 2026 Local Government Elections on November 4, ActionSA candidate Bejay Tulsee says basic service delivery, community safety and municipal accountability form the core of his local priorities.

Tulsee, who describes himself as a long-standing Ward 89 resident, has proposed a system to track service delivery complaints, monitor municipal responses and keep residents informed about progress if he is elected.

In his responses to the Roodepoort Northsider candidate questionnaire, he identifies reliable basic services and infrastructure, community safety and accountable local governance as the three main priorities for the ward.

“Ward 89 deserves practical results, not promises without follow-through,” he says.

Tracking service delivery problems

Tulsee says roads, stormwater infrastructure, streetlights, sewer networks and other municipal assets require consistent maintenance and follow-up when problems are reported.

He proposes recording service delivery complaints, prioritising them according to urgency and public risk, and engaging the responsible municipal departments until corrective action had been taken.

For water and electricity outages, he says he would encourage residents to use official reporting channels and seek updates on restoration times. Missed refuse collections would be monitored, while road maintenance would be prioritised according to road conditions, drainage problems and safety risks.

Tulsee also proposes a consolidated infrastructure register to track potholes, sewage spills, faulty streetlights and illegal dumping. Each entry would record details such as the date reported, responsible authority, priority, progress and outcome.

“The objective is not merely to announce that a problem has been reported. It is to pursue a response, verify whether corrective action has occurred, and communicate honestly when delays are encountered.”

He acknowledges that a ward councillor could not guarantee the immediate repair of every fault, but said he would press the relevant authorities for accountability.

Tulsee also calls for the reactivation of a dump site in Ward 89 that he said had been closed indefinitely, arguing that this would make waste disposal more convenient for residents.

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Community safety

Crime prevention is another priority identified by Tulsee, who says it requires co-operation between residents, police, community policing forums, neighbourhood watches, private security organisations and municipal departments.

He proposes regular engagements with safety stakeholders to discuss reported concerns and identify practical interventions. He also highlights environmental problems that could affect public safety, including broken streetlights, overgrown public spaces and damaged infrastructure. These issues, he says, should be reported to the appropriate departments and followed up.

Tulsee says he was concerned about what he described as an increase in various forms of criminal activity reflected in local police station statistics. The figures were not included in his questionnaire.

“Crime prevention is a shared responsibility,” he says, adding that a ward councillor could help co-ordinate community concerns and advocate for safer public spaces but could not replace the police or promise to eliminate crime.

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Residents’ voices and public spending

Tulsee says residents should be involved in decisions affecting their communities and receive feedback on concerns raised with the municipality. He proposes regular ward meetings, accessible digital communication, community notices and greater use of the ward committee to identify local priorities and bring them into municipal planning and public participation processes.

He also says engagement should include tenants, ratepayers, businesses, young people, older residents and people with disabilities.

“There should be nothing secret or confidential, as I strongly believe that the residents and citizens have the right to know all.”

On municipal finances, Tulsee says he would participate in budget and Integrated Development Plan processes, scrutinise project and performance reports, and raise concerns through the appropriate council oversight structures.

He calls for greater transparency around ward-related projects, including their approved budgets, implementation timetables and progress. He also supports ring-fencing funding for essential ward-related issues, although the allocation and management of municipal funds remain subject to the City’s formal budget and governance processes.

Tulsee says residents should be able to distinguish between a project being requested, approved, funded, implemented and completed. He adds that suspected irregular expenditure or poor performance should be referred through the appropriate oversight, audit or investigative channels.

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Supporting businesses and vulnerable residents

Tulsee says local economic development should include helping small businesses access information about municipal requirements, business support programmes and procurement opportunities.

For informal traders, he proposes engagement on suitable trading locations, lawful permitting processes and access to basic facilities, while considering public safety, pedestrian access and environmental health.

He also wants to support initiatives connecting residents with skills training, apprenticeships, work-readiness programmes and legitimate employment opportunities.

He acknowledges that a ward councillor could not independently create municipal jobs or guarantee employment, but says the position could help connect residents and businesses with available opportunities.

For young people, his proposed priorities include career guidance, digital skills, entrepreneurship support and training. He also identifies enterprise development, financial literacy and skills training as areas of support for women.

Tulsee says older residents, people with disabilities and other vulnerable residents should receive accessible information about available social services and appropriate referrals.

He raised particular concern about senior citizens living in private and retirement homes in Ward 89, saying little was being communicated to them or provided for them.

“A community is stronger when young people can access opportunities, women can participate fully in economic and community life, and vulnerable residents can obtain appropriate support.”

Regarding informal structures and possible unlawful land occupation, Tulsee says he was not aware of established informal settlements in the ward, but referred to instances of occupation of parks, koppies and bushy areas. He says he had previously pursued applicable legislative processes to address these situations.

He adds that any future interventions should follow the law, involve the responsible authorities and treat affected people with respect.

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Measuring progress

Tulsee says accountability should continue throughout a councillor’s term rather than being limited to election campaigns.

If elected, he proposes establishing a Community Consultative Forum and publishing a ward accountability plan outlining community priorities, intended actions, responsible municipal departments and timeframes for progress updates.

According to him, residents would be able to track whether complaints had been acknowledged, referred to the relevant department, acted upon or escalated when unresolved.

He also proposes annual reviews of progress, including achievements, delays, constraints and next steps.

“Residents should never have to rely solely on campaign promises to judge their representative. They should have accessible information and a consistent way to evaluate performance throughout the term of office.”

According to the biographical information supplied for his candidacy, Tulsee has more than 35 years of experience across South Africa’s public sector, including work in municipal administration and senior roles in education, health and public service oversight.

He has also worked in engineering consultancy and lectured part-time in public administration. He says this experience has informed his emphasis on ethical leadership, responsible management of public resources and effective service delivery.