H33JP

“WE are a team and I need your help,” are the words that herald ward 66’s newly-elected councillor, Jean-Pierre Prinsloo' assumption of his term of office.

The 26-year-old Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor, who has lived on the Bluff for three months, won the ward councillor position with 81.36% of the vote.

Holding a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a specialisation in financial management, Prinsloo has worked in hospitality and marketing. He started his political career as an activist in Pretoria. When he moved to Durban three years ago, he was a youth representative in Amanzimtoti, after which he became the Durban South constituency secretary and worked as the DA’s KZN performance and development officer.

“Working with some passionate councillors in the past made me think about the good I could do in the community. I also became tired of being complacent about seeing how things were deteriorating around me,” said Prinsloo of his motivation for running for ward councillor.

He was overwhelmed and humbled on hearing he had won the vote.

“I did not expect to be so warmly accepted so quickly by the Bluff community. I now have the task of proving myself to everyone. Most of my strength and motivation came from the DA committee on the Bluff – they were an inspiration and a driving force.

My family and friends have been incredibly supportive. They have believed in me all the way and kept me going during the tough times. My mother is especially proud of this achievement. I must also thank Chris Pappas for his support in managing my campaign.”

Prinsloo believes his goals for the community can be reached through partnerships. “In order to run an effective ward, one needs to work closely with the authorities and the community. My aim is to be a bridge between stakeholders with the goal of improving our community.

I will be looking at working with environmental groups, business leaders as well as social welfare type organisations because I believe that these are the three pillars of a functioning community: Environment, business and the people.”

He said his focus over the next four years will be to “get the basics right”. He plans on getting faulty streetlights, water leaks and potholes fixed; parks and verges maintained and keeping the area clean, while tackling the long-promised

beach upgrade.

He also plans to work with local entities to reduce illegal dumping and the trucking problem. “There is a lot of illegal dumping which makes the places unattractive. The deteriorating infrastructure is also a cause for concern. A major issue with residents is the trucks entering and exiting the Bluff. I would like to work closely with business and law enforcement to try and come up with the solution to this problem.”

Prinlsoo thanked his constituents. “Thank you for trusting me with the most important thing you own. I hope I don’t disappoint you and I encourage you to get involved in all spheres of the community. We are a team and I need your help.”