Who are the Ward 90 councillor candidates for 2026?

With the 2026 local government elections approaching, Ward 90 residents can get to know the candidates vying to represent their community. Meet the candidates, learn more about their priorities and find out what they hope to achieve if elected as ward councillor.

All candidates were invited to submit responses to questions. The responses published below are included here. This article will be updated as further candidates submit their responses.

Ward 90 suburbs include:

Clynton, Craighall, Craighall Ext. 2, Craighall Park, Dunkeld, Dunkeld West,  Glenadrienne, Hurl Park, Hurlingham, Hurlingham Gardens, Hyde Park. 

Ward 90 DA councillor candidate Renate van Onselen

1. In one sentence, who are you?
I’m Renate van Onselen, the current Ward 90 councillor, and I put up my hand for public service because it felt like a calling: I believe we must all do our bit to help save Johannesburg, and as a qualified lawyer, advocate, and governance, ethics, risk, and regulatory compliance specialist, with a lifelong passion for people, I have much to offer in fiercely representing Johannesburg’s people and helping restore our city to one we can, once again, be proud of.

2. What are the biggest issues facing your ward currently?
Like all of Johannesburg, Ward 90 is living with the consequences of the city’s deteriorating infrastructure and weakened municipal capacity: repeated electricity and water failures, negligible road and stormwater maintenance, unreliable waste collection, and declining public spaces. Residents are also increasingly concerned about illegal and inappropriate development, exceedingly poor by-law enforcement by JMPD and the lack of protection of community assets.

3. What practical solutions would you prioritise should you be named councillor of your ward?
In a functional city, a councillor should focus on representation, planning, budgeting, and oversight. Johannesburg’s current reality, however, means we also have to intervene when municipal service-delivery systems fail. I will continue to support residents in navigating urgent failures, place greater emphasis on identifying recurring problems, demand permanent technical solutions, push for preventative maintenance and infrastructure investment, monitor projects, and ensure Ward 90’s needs and priorities are properly reflected in city planning and budgets.

4. What is one misconception about you or your party that you would clarify?
That ward councillors control municipal operations. We do not dispatch technicians, repair pipes, or schedule refuse trucks. Our job is to represent residents and hold the administration accountable. In Johannesburg today, however, councillors are being forced to bridge the gap when those systems fail – and residents understandably expect us to help – but that is not our role.

5. Should your party’s candidate be named mayor, what issue/issues should they address first?
The first task must be to stabilise basic services and restore the city’s ability to function. That requires competent and caring leadership, technical expertise, urgent attention, especially to water and electricity infrastructure, proper maintenance and capital investment, financial discipline, consequence management, and firm action against corruption. For too long, our city has operated on a reactive basis; its institutions and systems must work again.

ALSO READ: City Power teams tackle faults in Craighall Park and Dunkeld West

Ward 90 EFF councillor candidate Lunga Nkwenkwezi

1. In one sentence, who are you?
I am an EFF councillor candidate in Ward 90 of the City of Johannesburg. My experience is in justice, and over 10 years working closely and consulting with the revenue and billing departments of City of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane.

2. What are the biggest issues facing your ward currently?
Ward 90 faces challenges around municipal service delivery, infrastructure maintenance, crime and accountability. Residents deserve reliable services and elected representatives who listen, understand their role within the community, act and account for their performance.

3. What practical solutions would you prioritise should you be named councillor of your ward?
I would establish a transparent system to track residents’ complaints, monitor municipal departments and report progress to the community, which operates similarly to ‘Eskom se push’ which was a result of Eskom loadshedding and was developed and launched by mayoral candidate Ncedo Kolanisi, called ‘Thetha Mhlali ‘, which translates to ‘Talk residents’ or resident talk, where residents can report and track logged queries in real time through the Economic Freedom Fighters-based initiative. I would also prioritise infrastructure repairs, public safety, responsible development and consistent community engagement.

4. What is one misconception about you or your party that you would clarify?
The misconception that the EFF is too far left and has nothing constructive to offer beyond confrontation. Economic freedom and social justice affect us all, regardless of race, class or postcode. I believe justice cannot be selective, and our ideas should be judged by their substance, our principles and our work in communities.

5. Should your party’s candidate be named mayor, in your opinion, what issue/s should they address first?
The mayor must restore accountability and functionality in Johannesburg. Water, security, electricity reliability, infrastructure, waste management and affordable public transport must be priorities. Municipal spending must translate into tangible improvements in residents’ lives, and do away with government that relies heavily on taxing and levying its residents in order to generate revenue and generate its own in order to alleviate the already tax-heavy billing system as it currently stands.

MOST READ: Major leak in Dunkeld West left unattended for 5 days

Other candidates are encouraged to email the editor, Ashtyn Mackenzie, at ashtynm@caxton.co.za.