Ward 58 candidates have their say

Homelessness, traffic congestion, student safety and the speedy resolution of service requests are just some of the issues candidates are campaigning on to take Ward 58.

Thirty-two candidates are contesting the ward in the municipal elections, to be held on Monday November 1.

The ward includes parts of Rondebosch, Kenilworth and Claremont. In 2016, the DA won it comfortably with 92.36%, the ANC was second with 2.59% and the EFF third on 1.59%. The DA also won all six voting districts.

Katherine Christie, 53, from Harfield Village is the DA ward candidate and says she brings over 24 years of experience in education, health and training. She is the co-founder of Thembalitsha Foundation, which provides education and healthcare to thousands of disadvantaged children in the Western and Eastern Cape.

“I want to ensure that Cape Town remains well governed and safe in the hands of a governing party that does not steal, lie and cheat!” she says.

Ms Christie says she has been to various civic-association meetings where security and homelessness have been recurring topics.

Traffic congestion and rat running are also common in Claremont, Kenilworth and Rondebosch, she says.

She is also concerned about the rapid densification of these suburbs without apparent concern for pressure this places on roads and other infrastructure.

“The best way I believe I can balance the different locations’ needs will be to consult with leaders in the community, through our civic groups and community improvement districts,” she says.

The ANC’s candidate, Busisiwe Nxumalo, 26, from Rondebosch, says she wants to promote honest service, effective leadership and restoration to dignity if elected.

The former leader of UCT’s student representative council says she brings strategic leadership, governance and programme-implementation skills, experience and knowledge to her candidacy.

The safety of students, LGBTQIA+ persons and women must be prioritised as they make up a big part of the ward, she says.

“I will also prioritise responsive service delivery and ensure that service requests logged by residents are addressed speedily.”

Ms Nxumalo is the deputy chairwoman of the ANC’s Gaby Shapiro branch and says key to all her priorities is ensuring that the City's policies and plans reach all people, equally, regardless of race and class.

This year, the Organic Humanity Movement (OHM) and the Credible Alternative First Movement (CA1st) are two new parties looking to leave their mark on the ward.

The OHM was started by Lauren Evanthia in December 2018. Regan Christmas, 44, of Sea Point, is contesting Ward 58 and 14 other wards for the party.

Mr Christmas has been a small-business owner in the entertainment industry for over a decade. He says the OHM stands for liberty, protection of life, respect for the Earth, self-reliance, continuous progress and national unity.

The OHM wants development, whether public or private, to be done in a way that puts people and nature before profit, allowing for everyone to live in better harmony with the Earth.

They party says people need to strive to free themselves from corporate and government control. “A smaller government, with less regulation and taxes and more liberty for the people, means a stronger and thriving economy,” he says.

The CA1st ward candidate, Donavan Jurgens, 60, from Crawford was an anti-apartheid youth activist. “I am deeply concerned that we are not making progress in resolving the key challenges in South Africa,” he says.

An innovative approach is needed to tackle poverty, unemployment, gender violence and other social issues, he says.

“I am hoping that residents of Ward 58 will join me and the CA1st movement on a journey that includes the prosperity and welfare of the ward but also includes the welfare of all people in Cape Town,” he says.

Under apartheid, Mr Jurgens’s family was forced out of Lansdowne in the 1960s and had to relocate to Manenberg. The current chairman of Cape Peninsula Golf Club and president of Gymnastics SA, his more than 30 years of work experience includes stints in education, sports administration and public service.

Other parties contesting the ward include the Freedom Front Plus, the Land Party, the ACDP, the United Independent Movement, Black First Land First, the Cape Coloured Congress, The Cape Independence Party, the Cape Muslim Congress, the Good party and the Patriotic Alliance.