Councillors on role of community papers

Mlulami Wandisile Ngeyi, Ward 4

There are certain problems in Ward 4 that need to be looked into. There is the problem of the Lagoon Beach and the pollution there; the burnt hall in Joe Slovo where the SA Social Security Agency (SASSA) services were; and land invasions with people moving onto vacant City-owned land without permission.

The parks in Joe Slovo and in Phoenix need some much-needed clean-ups, and the crime in Ward 4, as a whole, is a major problem.

On the plus side, R3 million has been allocated to help with the issue at Lagoon Beach.

There are also projects that are planned to help with the crime, land invasions and community clean-ups.

A community structure will be established to join the various organisations in Joe Slovo together, including SAPS.

The ward committee is fully functioning at the moment, and I finally have an office at Royal Ascot municipal offices.

I am in talks with Sassa to provide their services at an alternative venue. There are plans to upgrade the parks in Phoenix and in Milnerton.

Community newspapers keep the community informed about the issues happening around them, like government developments, business opportunities and many more.

I think they should also educate the community about issues such parenthood, drug abuse, crime and how conduct themselves when protesting.

With all that said, happy 30th!

Helen Carstens, Ward 5

Congratulations to Tabletalk on turning 30.

It is certainly an achievement in this modern day and age, when we have the great world wide web and Google at our fingertips.

I do believe community news will always be relevant to a community as this produces a feeling of togetherness and association with one’s neighbour.

As for challenges in my ward, I do have a few, and I believe so do other wards.

However, they are surmountable.

There are certain issues that need compliance from residents, especially with regard to illegal littering and dumping and lawlessness on our roads.

These issues are City-wide and there will never be enough staff to individually address these issues. As a collective, with the aim of keeping our suburb clean and our roads safe, we should work towards this common goal.

I have been fortunate to facilitate the transformation of the City’s clinic in Bothasig to provincial Health where the Bothasig day hospital now offers a range of extended services.

Another project with far-reaching benefits has been the community food garden that, through a partnership with the De Grendel Lions, assists in their feeding programme in the area.

The establishment of a fully inclusive park that caters for disabled and full-bodied persons as well as gym enthusiasts has been excitedly welcomed, especially by the disabled.

New projects include the establishment of a dog park in Bothasig – which will start taking shape this year but will be a project over a few financial years — and the upgrade to the skateboard park in Edgemead, which will also be over a few financial years.

Fabian Ah-Sing, Ward 55

Thank you to the Tabletalk for all the stories you have covered over the years.

A community newspaper is of the utmost importance to ensure that residents are kept informed.

Thank you for your coverage of the various issue that effect the residents.

We hope you will continue to put the community at the heart of what you do. I wish you well and may your future be bright.

Nicky Rheeder, Ward 107

In the year that I have been in office, I have gotten to know so many new people, been involved in things I’ve never been part of before and also learnt so much.

The community of Ward 107 is incredible. The members are dedicated, caring, passionate and kind. It is wonderful to see the existence of so many organisations in one ward, all working together for the greater good.

The ward does, however, not come without its challenges.

Vagrancy remains a large problem, mostly because of the mess created by bin scratching and illegal trading of goods collected from bins.

Driver behaviour is also a challenge but one we have seen much success with over the last few months.

All in all, I think there has been much positive change and progress, and I am proud to serve this community.

I look forward to the next year where we will see, among many other things, an upgrade of many of the green areas.

Thank you to Tabletalk for assisting us as councillors to communicate with the community and also for playing a role in highlighting issues which need to be addressed.

Happy Birthday, Tabletalk!

Joy McCarthy, Ward 113

Ward 113 is composed mostly of older Table View, Sunridge and West Riding and includes older parts of Parklands.

Most erven are developed with single homes, with lots of green open spaces and many parks in good condition.

Some of the challenges faced by our area are our 50-to-60-year-old infrastructure, which is in urgent need of replacement; heavy traffic congestion due to developments to the north and everyone uses Koeberg Road, N7, N1 or R27 to exit; overcrowding at schools because new ones have not been built to keep pace with the expansion of Parklands and Sunningdale; and ongoing pressure by developers to densify unreasonably.

Our positives are definitely the people living in Ward 113. They are passionate about their area, involved and committed.

They always step up when the need is there whatever the issue and certainly hold the ward councillor accountable. They’re a great bunch to work with, enthusiastic about everything and ready with lots of advice and opinions.

Surrounded by the sea, the many nature reserves and beautiful beaches give our area an air of tranquillity.

A newspaper like the Tabletalk is a vital part of community life – it was started to keep everyone up to date with the news in our area as well as emphasising topics of importance and interest.

Each new reporter shows the same commitment and interest in this community, which is a key requirement for a community newspaper. Thank you all for your dedication to our community of Table View and for a great paper.