Candidates battle it in upcoming Clairwood by-election
Three candidates will battle it out for the position of ward councillor in their pursuit to return the community, which is plagued by a number of challenges, back to its former glory.
THE race to determine Clairwood’s (ward 32) council fate is in its final stretch as the ward by-election takes place on Wednesday, 11 November.
Three candidates will battle it out for the position of ward councillor in their pursuit to return the community, which is plagued by a number of challenges, back to its former glory. The community was left stranded and without a councillor in 2018 after the then councillor, Romeo Zuma, of the ANC stepped down with no clear explanation.
According to the ward’s current PR councillor, Sharmaine Sewshanker, there was public speculation that Zuma disappeared after being shot in a hit. Inquiries were made about his whereabouts and it was soon discovered from eThekwini council that he had indeed survived a fatal incident, however, no police report was lodged or specific details revealed regarding the incident.
A new ANC councillor, Thabani Luthuli, was appointed to serve in the interim after Zuma’s departure. However, people within the ward didn’t receive Luthuli very well after he was dismissed by an unruly crowd during a council meeting last year. With the absence of a ward councillor for almost two years, the community of Clairwood has since slipped into a situation where there is little to no service delivery or direction in resolving various socio-economic issues. In the build up to the by-election, here is what the candidates had to say:
Mthembiseni Thusi
Mthembiseni Thusi is the IFP ward candidate. He has been an active community leader in the Dalton area since 1989. He has a strong civic passion and strives to improve the standard of living for the residents of Clairwood. He became actively involved in Clairwood during the Covid-19 lockdown when he saw a great need for food supply to the less fortunate families in the disadvantaged community.
“In helping provide food parcels to the people of Clairwood I got a clear picture of other major challenges in the area and communicated with the locals. Poverty is a big problem in this community but there are also other problems such as crime, inadequate housing and lack of service delivery. To be elected as councillor would be more than just a title. I want to be on the ground working with the people to revive this place,” he said, adding that he would love to see the community also have better housing, its own clinic and a local crèche.
Sharmaine Sewshanker
Sharmaine Sewshanker is the DA ward candidate. She has been serving as the ward’s PR councillor since 2017. “As a community we have experienced several challenges in 2019 especially with regard to service delivery, illegal businesses and trucking in residential areas. My job has been very challenging as a PR Councillor. The lack of funding for the failing infrastructure in Clairwood is most concerning.
“The Back-of-Port plan has seen a massive migration of trucking companies into Clairwood. The residential roads were not designed to accommodate heavy duty vehicles. These trucks have caused irreparable damage to roads, street lights, water meters and pavement resulting in potholes blocked storm water manholes and more recently the death of road users. Poverty and crime has increased as more and more people have become unemployed and desperate due to Covid-19. I am already known in the community and aware of the pressing issues. Should I be elected as councillor in this upcoming by-election, efficient service delivery for the community will be my first priority because I know how much the people have suffered as a result of the lack of it”.
Portas Ngonyama
Portas Ngonyama is the ANC ward candidate. He has been an activist for the party for over 20 years. He is knowledgeable of the state of Clairwood and applied for the ward 32 councillor position upon hearing of the opportunity. He wants to make a noticeable difference by primarily focusing on the various challenges in Clairwood. “Problematic refuse collection, unregulated trucks in residential areas, human settlements and informal housing, unemployment, lack of ablution facilities, illegal electrical connections and fixing roads in poor condition are just some of the issues I want to tackle by working closely with the municipality and community members,” he said.
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