By Shahied Joseph
Despite having lost to their DA counterparts, two well-known community figures who contested the local government election in Wards 54 and 77 have vowed to continue their public service.
In Ward 54, which includes Bantry Bay, Camps Bay, Bakoven, Clifton, Fresnaye, Oudekraal, Robben Island, Sea Point, Signal Hill and parts of Three Anchor Bay, the DA won with an overwhelming majority of 86.45%, with the Freedom Front Plus coming in second place, with 4.8%, the GOOD party with 2.5%, and the ANC, 2.4%. Nicola Jowell will serve another term as ward councillor.
The same four parties dominated the top four in Ward 77, which includes Oranjezicht, Schotschekloof, Signal Hill, Tamboerskloof and Vredehoek, where the DA won 78.45% of the votes, the Good party 5.36%, the ANC 4.61% and the Freedom Front Plus, 1.48%. With the DA having taken this ward again, Francine Higham will assume the role of ward councillor, a position previously held by Brandon Golding.
The ANC’s Jacqueline Poking who stood for election in the ward, said she would continue to be active in the Bo-Kaap community and is investigating the possibility of the area being a ward on its own, as she believes it should be.
“Some of the residents recall that Bo-Kaap was a ward on its own with its own ward councillor about 15 plus years ago. Therefore we need to know if Bo-Kaap was a ward, when did this change and why. In the same breath we say that Bo-Kaap must be a ward on its own as currently we are disadvantaged as part of Ward 77,” said Ms Poking.
She added that she would be monitoring the actions of new ward councillor Francine Higham.
“In fact the community should keep the ward councillor accountable. It’s important for the ward councillor to remember that she serves all the people in the ward not only the ones who voted for her.”
Meanwhile Paul Jacobson from the Freedom Front Plus said he was happy with the results and considered his party to be the official opposition to the DA in Ward 54.
“Councillor Jowell has full reins now and she must now act within her mandate and show her true colours and what she is able to do to restore the tremendous decay within her ward. I plan not to interfere so that councillor can do her job and prove her worth and thus take accountability for her actions,” Mr Jacobson said.
He said he had considered giving up his community activism but the FF Plus had roped him back in as a proportional representative councillor.
“The FF Plus management acknowledged my contribution to the FF Plus campaign and growth, and they believe that I was instrumental with the fantastic election results that they obtained, both locally, provincially and nationally and they have offered me a (PR) councillor position,” he said.
