Ward 66 councillor hands over the reins
As Prinsloo shifts his focus on his personal, family and business life in Howick in the Midlands, the reins are now with councillor Sharmaine Sewshanker who works in the neighbouring ward 32.
WEDNESDAY, 30 September was councillor JP Prinsloo’s last page of his four-year chapter as a councilman. Ward 66’s number one resident leaves behind his proverbial big shoes to fill but assures the community that they will not be left in the lurch.
He extended his appreciation for the relationships he built during his tenure. “Thank you to the community for all their efforts and input which they have contributed towards the development of the Bluff. Different groups, organisations and individuals really came together and worked hard to achieve all of our success stories. Without them we wouldn’t have been able to overcome some of the challenges that we faced, such as the destructive storms and service delivery issues.
“I ask that the community be patient during this period as a formal ward councillor hasn’t been put in place. Hopefully the process to elect a new councillor won’t take too long. But people can rest assured that the Democratic Alliance (DA) has put competent people in place to make sure that the support and services that I provided will still be available to them. Community activists and ward committee members will still assist the community wherever they can to deal with issues. I urge the community to be cognisant of the people who make themselves available to the community and stand as public representatives and to not look at the political party that they represent. They should rather focus on the work that they do within the community. It is important that people who get elected into this community are people who are entrenched and know the character and the culture of our community, as diverse as it is.
“The future for the Bluff is bright and I have faith that the DA selection process will choose a suitable candidate to stand in my place and build on all our achievements. I hope that you support this person like you have supported me and send them many WhatsApp and email complaints at every hour of the day,” he said in jest.
As Prinsloo shifts his focus on his personal, family and business life in Howick in the Midlands, the reins are now with councillor Sharmaine Sewshanker who works in the neighbouring ward 32. She has stepped up to the plate to serve as an acting councillor. 
“I know very well what Prinsloo’s work entailed and how the community has benefited from his leadership. The ward has been run impeccably and he has left a huge void in our constituency until the new councillor is elected. I will be physically available at the office every Monday to attend to the community. I will need their assistance and I’m going to rely on them to guide me through this new process as I familiarise myself with the ward. We can only work better as a team,” she said.
Ward 66’s Vulnerable Groups and Gender chairperson, Zoe Solomon, will work closely with Sewshanker. A by-election is scheduled in the upcoming months to afford the community a chance to vote in their new ward councillor. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, details are yet to be announced but it is most likely to be before the end of the year. The councillor’s office is located on 49 Old Mission Road, Grosvenor, Bluff.
New office hours will be made available on the Bluff Community Notice Board Facebook page soon. Sharmaine Sewshanker can be reached on 079-505-8505 or 084-884-0323 or via email sharmainesewshanker@yahoo.com alternatively, call Zoe Solomon on 073-027-5432 or via email zoeadelesolomon@gmail.com.
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