Ward 104 councillor Emi Koekemoer shared a message for the new year with her constituents on January 9, to get involved within the community, if they are not already.
“In ever-increasing failures by the current administration, residents’ involvement in their community is vitally important for us to continue improving our ward,” Koekemoer said.
“Look and log, escalate, make your voice heard in community-based planning (CBP) and integrated development planning (IDP) engagements and most of all be kind to your neighbours.”
Although Ward 104 had its challenges, Koekemoer expressed her hope that city power would uphold their commitments to upgrade the substation. She also aims to make quantifiable progress in making the recreational outdoors safe for her community’s members.
“Ward 104 has had it rough with outages in 2023; I am hoping this year we can harness more private-public partnerships to secure our power infrastructure.
“I would also like to make headway in securing and safeguarding our greenspaces to allow for residents to make use of parks and recreational spaces safely.”
Koekemoer emphasised that progress is being made in securing infrastructure. She ascribed some of the progress made last year to private security companies and community groups who played pivotal roles towards the end of the previous year.
The residents of Ward 104 have become increasingly involved in reporting unsecured substations, properties of concern, crime hotspots and areas that need attention, Koekemoer announced.
“The highlight of working with my constituents during last year was the increase in community involvement in the beautification of the suburb.
“While I recognise that we still have some way to go, I would like to thank residents who give up their weekends to clean substations, sidewalks and open spaces.”
She acknowledged the importance and significance of the year ahead, stressing how important the upcoming election is for the ward. Services like water and electricity supply, as well as reliable SAPS activity and visibility, made Koekemoer’s radar of what voters should keep in mind when voting this year.
“If residents want safe communities with regular uninterrupted supply of basic services they need to vote now more than ever. One plus one equals a win. I
“If every voter can encourage one person to vote it can mean the difference between collapse or growth. If only all of our young adults go out to vote they can single-handedly outvote the government of the day. Your voice is strong – use it.”
This year is also the first national election where you can only vote where you are registered – so please check that you are correctly registered in the area where you reside.
Want to register to vote? Follow this link
Related Article: Ward 90 councillor’s New Year regards to constituents
