Ward 64 candidates square off

Eco-tourism, urbanisation, crime and grime, unemployment and housing are just some of the issues candidates are campaigning on in Ward 64 as they square off for the municipal elections on Monday, November 1.

The ward covers Fish Hoek, Clovelly, Kalk Bay, St James, Muizenberg to Lakeside and Marina da Gama. In 2016, the DA had clear win with 92% of the vote, followed by the ANC with 2.17% and the ACDP with 2.1%.

The DA councillor Aimee Kuhl is seeking re-election. When she first ran in 2016, her focus was on establishing the ward’s natural heritage as a key asset for eco-tourism and managing urbanisation. Those issues retain this importance in this election, she says.

International professionals are choosing Cape Town to work from home, which is a welcome boost to the local economy in tough times, but it also means more people, more cars and more crime in Ward 64, she says.

“If elected for a second term, I will continue to serve the communities of Fish Hoek, Kalk Bay and Muizenberg with ward-allocation projects that help protect beaches and the unique natural environment of the south.”

She says she will support safety initiatives with dedicated resources, for example, fund another vehicle for Law Enforcement volunteers to patrol the area.

“I will also invest into traffic-calming measures close to schools while continuing with the upgrading of parks and green spaces.”

Having spent many summers at the far south beaches as a teenager and then permanently moving to Fish Hoek in 2010 has made her keenly aware of the privilege it is to call Ward 64 her home, she says.

She says a Master’s degree in socio-economic development and experience in working for government prior to becoming a politician, equip her to navigate the complexity of municipal processes and legislation.

She says her work with NGOs and community organisations has taught her to be hands on in tackling challenges such beach and vlei clean-ups, joint patrols with neighbourhood watches and animal-conservation projects.

"In council, I will make sure to fight for by-laws that protect the environment and support the allocation of budget to improve facilities for families and youth. At a sub-council level, I will hold officials accountable to ensure service delivery and assist improvement districts to fight crime and grime in their areas.“

The ANC candidate for Ward 64 is Lorraine Moko, who contested the same ward in 2016.

"I accepted the nomination in 2021 for continuation as well as to ensure that goals set in 2016 are fulfilled in this term," she says.

The ANC has an election process where candidates are nominated by a quorate branch and tested by the community in terms of their choice, she says.

"Both processes were fulfilled, and I emerged to represent the ANC in the polls. As a candidate, I carry the mandate of the branch to be the voice of the voiceless and marginalised.“

Ms Moko is a qualified social worker. She describes herself as having a knack for business, community development, child protection and the protection of the vulnerable.

"I have," she says, "over the past five years, been involved in the NGO sector as a social worker for children, youth and families. I established a consulting company to assist NGOs in establishing psychosocial services in their organisations."

Ms Moko says the ANC is known to be prevalent in previously disadvantaged communities. Being a candidate in an affluent community means going in deeper, seeking the shortfalls, she says.

Burglaries, harassment of homeless people and the drug trade are growing problems in Ward 64, she says.

"As a candidate councillor I have a role to convince people that I am the right person to establish crime-prevention programmes. As such, I am involved in the community police forum as a public relations officer. If people vote for me, I will ensure that there is a democratically functioning ward committee. I will address unemployment. I will establish programmes that promote community safety and security. I will assist the Kalk Bay community to be recognised as a previously disadvantaged and marginalised community. I will ensure that there is proper care for the environment and that the community's health issues are addressed, alongside of housing and human settlement issues.“

Elgin Williams is the ward candidate for the ACDP, which took less than 1% of the votes in the ward in 2016. Nevertheless, the party remains hopeful, and says its focus is on safety and security and the poor state of the railway line.

Mr Williams, of Coniston Park, says he has the best interest of the southern peninsula communities at heart and has been assisting those in need for many years. He is also contesting wards 61 and 69.

He belongs to various community forums and is involved in his community’s neighbourhood watch. He served on the Muizenberg Community Police Forum for more than four years and was supervisor at The Haven Kalk Bay.

“The train lines need to be well maintained and kept safe for commuter transport, and the Fish Hoek train line requires more railway police for scholars, and other commuters, who are often targets for criminals, especially during peak hours,” he says.

He says crime, unemployment and substance abuse are some of the other problems the ward faces.