Ward councillors and community policing forums (CPFs) in the east of Pretoria are wishing residents a safe festive season and caution them about engaging in irresponsible behaviours.
CPFs, Tshwane metro and ward councillors have relentlessly toiled throughout 2024 to ensure that the concerns, needs and challenges of residents are not only heard but addressed.
As the festive season approaches, they reflect on the year in the spirit of introspection, gratitude and hope.
Ward 82 councillor Siobhan Muller said some areas in her ward have seen infrastructure revitalisation, but were confronted with issues such as power overload, ageing water pipes, streetlight issues and police indifference.
“In Ashlea Gardens and Newlands the new water pipe project was completed. This has been a huge project in a large part of the ward over several years.”
Muller said the project entailed replacement of the constantly leaking 50-year-old pipes and those made of asbestos.
She was happy about the construction work on Atterbury Road from Lynnwood Road to 26th Street. The road was rehabilitated and new lines were painted. “It looks great,” she said.
Muller said the focused ward-based clean-ups have ensured the main roads were cleaned, lines painted, plants and trees in parks cut and trimmed and medians between lanes tidied up.
“The whole feel of the ward has lifted and people have enjoyed the cared-for look of the ward.”
She said the police in her ward were however failing dismally.
“The police are invisible and reporting crime is discouraged at stations – they are not helpful.
“Cable theft has been lower this year but 2023 was a blight of cable theft, resulting in a very large percentage of copper cable being replaced with aluminium ones – this is far less attractive to the cable thieves,” she added.
Muller said the main challenges in her ward were illegal land use, non-functioning streetlights and old asbestos pipes which all need to be replaced.
“Some suburbs still need the water pipes replaced – this means those areas have more water outages due to bursting old pipes. There are still many streetlights that need repairs. Street lines and circles need painting, but we are working on this.”
She said residents are encouraged to report dysfunctional streetlights, street lines needing repainting and potholes.
Muller wants her ward to be developed and transformed.
“Residents and organisations can help transform the ward through Adopt-a-Spot and CUP programmes, as more areas are currently in need of attention.”
She said solar streetlights will be put up in the ward. The aim is to get the percentage of streetlights working up to 90% and eventually 98%.
Her wish is for consistent maintenance of the ward.
Muller thanked residents in her ward for their co-operation throughout the year.
“A huge thank you to all the individuals and community groupings that have taken up the call to join us in making our ward and city beautiful through beautifying areas, taking responsibility for parks and sporting areas, and creating beautiful play areas for the children.”
She wished everyone a safe and merry Christmas.
Ward 91 councillor Henning Viljoen said 2024 has been a year of ups and downs.
“However we managed to curb the rife cable theft on Delmas Road and Garsfontein lines to MoreletaPark.”
He said the successful formation of Community Upliftment Programmes (CUP) is the highlight of the year.
Viljoen said issues faced by his ward remain informal settlements (noise, air pollution), illegal dumping and uncontrolled recycling.
He said one of the achievements is the constant community communication.
“I managed to keep residents consistently informed with all things happening in their areas and to always escalate resident’s issues and complaints.”
He said cable theft was a problem in his ward, but security cameras were used to prevent cable theft and increased patrolling of the Delmas Road. “Visibility of Garsfontein, Boschkop CPFs and Woodville Security Forum have been very helpful.”
Viljoen said his vision for the future in Ward 91 is to have all illegal informal settlements dealt with.
“I wish to see all dwellers of illegal informal settlements evicted according to the legal regulatory frameworks and that no illegal structures are developed on private and metro land,” Viljoen said.
“A big thank you to all who are always there to share information on any matters in the ward concerning the improvement of the quality of life for our high-rate paying residents. I hope Ward 91 to tackle and eradicate the problems plaguing our community. I wish you all a blessed festive season and let’s get back with new vigour in jointly tackling the issues of the ward.”
Ward 59 councillor Shaun Wilkinson said it has been a year of impactful progress and collaboration with the city teams in Region 3 has notably improved service delivery with regards to water and sanitation.
He said the engagement at community events, such as The Arts For The Animals Fair, My Car Boot Sale and other events and markets brought communities together and deepened his connections with multiple residents.
“My drive for transparency and better communication with residents has strengthened the community’s voice in city matters.”
Wilkinson said the year hasn’t been without its challenges.
“Concerns around community safety, streetlights and illumination plus a specific focus on water management in the ward and the precinct was some of the issues faced.”
“My focus on Magnolia Dell underscored the need for a comprehensive stormwater management plan. This is an ongoing effort.”
He revealed his plans for 2025.
“Looking forward to 2025, I aim to foster a greater sense of community involvement, with new active-citizen-led initiatives to boost the ward. I’ll also focus on enhancing outdoor spaces for both families and seniors.”
Wilkinson said his Christmas focus is supporting the Johanna Raath Old Age Centre project, and a tree-planting initiative in Magnolia Dell.
“I’m committed to addressing security concerns by involving residents more closely in developments.”
He wished the residents a safe festive season.
“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the support and resilience of each resident in the community. May your holidays be filled with joy, laughter and peace. Let’s carry this spirit of togetherness into the new year as we work to make our ward a brighter, better place.”
The Garsfontein CPF said it was a transformative year.
Chairperson Aris Ruyter said: “We made significant strides in unifying our sectors, establishing a structured communication system across WhatsApp groups for more effective responses, and laying the groundwork to strengthen collaboration with SAPS and security companies alike.”
Ruyter said the dedication of security companies working alongside each other has created an incredible support network, bringing together resources and expertise in a unified effort to improve safety in our area.
“We are also rewriting our station-level constitution to better support these goals, including the formation of committees that will provide more focused support across all sectors, lighten the load on volunteers, and make a lasting difference for the entire Garsfontein precinct.”
Ruyter said one of the challenges was balancing the need for public involvement with operational security.
“With our new communication and patrol structures, vetted patrollers can share real-time information securely, ensuring both efficiency and safety. Limited manpower is another ongoing challenge, which is why we’re actively seeking additional community members willing to volunteer.”
He said he was incredibly proud of how the community and CPF team have come together this year. “We have a proactive, volunteer-driven approach to safety, a clear accountability framework and dedicated support from SAPS and security companies alike.”
Ruyter extended his deepest gratitude to each resident of Garsfontein.
“Your vigilance, co-operation and commitment have been essential to our successes this year. Remember, safety is a collective effort and each person’s contribution helps make our neighbourhood a safer place. I wish you a joyous holiday season filled with peace, hope and goodwill,” he said.
“Let’s carry this spirit of unity and resilience into the new year.
“Thank you for your continued support, and may 2025 bring even greater safety and harmony to our community.”
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