By Jonk wa Mashamba
news@alexreporter.co.za
Modise Joshua Mboweni’s massive experience and knowledge in politics makes him the effective, trusted and right councillor candidate for Ward 81.
This 28-year-old man has the energy and the will power to build this Ward, and ultimately, the country.
He is not just a young person who was selected because ActionSA wanted a young councillor.
Mboweni has BA in Politics and a BA Honours in Public Management and Governance, through the University of Johannesburg.
“Currently I am pursuing my master’s degree and am a graduate intern in Government Communication and Information Systems.
“This expertise which I have will make it easier for me to understand the bylaws that regulate our governance in local government.
According to Mboweni ward 81, which is currently under the DA, has major challenges.
“There is currently inadequate communication between the residents and the Councillor’s office, making it difficult to meet the needs of the residents.
“There is also a huge challenge in terms of security, as many of the properties within our Ward have been hijacked by criminals. What makes matters worse is the poor response by our security cluster, i.e., the police and security companies.
“Unemployment is a challenge for all in the country, however, what makes this matter worse in our Ward is that we are losing our local economy to foreign nationals who fail to employ our young people or share the expertise which they have to achieve local economic development.
“We also have a challenge of illegal connection of electricity in many parts of our Ward. Moreover, we are challenged by poor collection of waste which affects some parts of this Ward the most.
“Our libraries and clinics are only open on weekdays making it difficult for our people to access these services on weekends.
“I believe in proper connectivity of the internet, as our public parks and schools currently do not have a Wi-Fi connection. We also have a huge challenge of potholes on our roads,” he says
Mechanisms he will use to address these challenges:
Firstly, he says he would act in one accord with his residents to ensure that services arrive to the people.
He promises to appoint competent people in the Ward Committees, as well as ensure that every area has active Block Champions who are there to serve, so that the issues of service delivery are addressed proactively.
“I will make sure that I push the mandate of the people before those of the Party. This is because I know and understand that, assuming this role of a Councillor is a privilege awarded by the people to serve and represent them in any forum.
“I commit to enforcing pressure on the South African Police Service to increase police presence and visibility in our area.
“I will work with the private sector to ensure that our young people have an equal share of our local economy.
“I will also make sure that monthly reports are released as far as service delivery is concerned in our Ward. I will deal with the illegal connection of electricity by pressurizing City Power and Eskom to instal proper connection to electricity meters.
“I will make sure that all people in our Ward always have a quality water supply, and any form of water disruptions arising due to maintenance by Joburg Water will be reported to the residents timeously.”
How will he, and ActionSA make sure that Ward 81 is prioritised?
“We will ensure that we implement ActionSA’s core values of inclusive growth and non-racialism.
“However, our manifesto, presented by our President Herman Mashaba has stated that ‘The work of fixing South Africa starts at home with our local governments. Functional municipalities are the foundation of a prosperous state; to get South Africa on the right track again, we must start by fixing the basics of service delivery at municipal level.’
“ActionSA was formed to unite patriotic South Africans that are committed to professional and ethical public service behind the project to fix our beloved country.
“We believe in decisive action that will improve the quality of life for all South Africans. We believe that the needs of the residents of our municipalities must be central to everything we do as a government.
“This commitment is held by all Councillors of ActionSA and our journey to fixing South Africa starts here in Ward 81.
How he would like to see Ward 81 in 5 years’ time
“I see a Ward with a clean audit and that works for the people. I see a Ward that is a very competitive Johannesburg economy, and as a first choice of residence.
“I see a Ward in which most local businesses are owned by South Africans, especially women and young people. This ward will be the hub of entertainment with internet connection for our young people.
How he will make sure that he is accessible?
” I will make sure that I write a weekly letter to the residents in terms of our move to achieve our goals.
“I will make sure that there will be a web page, Facebook page, and a WhatsApp group of this ward that is open to all residents to engage with me.
“I will make sure that I attend our monthly meetings in the Ward. I will make sure that the Ward Committees appointed perform to the expectation of the residents of the Ward.
“I will make sure that my office is open for face to face consultation, should the need arise.”
Service delivery priorities for this ward?
- Legal connection of electricity
- Quality water delivery and efficient waste collection
- Property rights and security
- Taking control of our local economy in the Ward
- Effective, timeous, and on-going road maintenance
- Wi-Fi connection and development of the youth
- Investments
How he will ensure that the employees of the City of Johannesburg deliver quality service and follow through with their responsibilities?
“The employees of the City of Johannesburg need to understand that they are employed based on their experience and as such there are targets to be met.
“Failure to meet the requirements of their role should result in dismissal, including myself. As such I will make sure that I follow through in all the services that are provided by the employees of the City together with my Ward Committees and Block Champions.
“These employees should know that ActionSA does not tolerate corruption at all, and any form of poor performance by them, will see to action being taken. I will make sure that performance agreements are signed by all those who provide a service on this Ward.”
Please contactwith us @joburgward81 or email actionsa.joburgward.81@gmail.com
