DA announces Gouws as Ward 2 candidate

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As a resident of Ward 2, in Summerstrand, for about 15 years, and occasionally playing the role of caretaker ward councillor, DA councillor Renaldo Gouws is gearing up to take over as full-time ward councillor.

That is if he garners enough votes in the March 6 by-election. The DA announced on Wednesday that Gouws, 35, was its preferred candidate for the ward a position that became vacant after former ward councillor Dean Biddulph resigned to pursue other interests. Gouws has worked as assistant ward councillor, stepping in whenever Biddulph was unavailable.

He said his in depth knowledge of the ward meant he knew that petty crimes was a problem while the establishment of a beachfront police precinct should be prioritised.

“The three biggest issues that we face in the ward is petty crime - that needs to be resolved. I believe that we need to build a police precinct in the beachfront for beachfront safety and for tourist.”

“I also know that another issue that we have is taxis and traffic and also visible policing”.

Gouws said he would continue speaking to the local police about it as it was a big problem for beachgoers. “This is something that has been discussed and it’s not just for Summerstrand it’s for the entire beachfront. It would be there for tourists and residents, Gouws said.

The NMU graduate, who holds a masters degree in industrial organisational psychology, among other qualifications, said becoming ward councillor would take priority over his psychology consulting part-time job and his other job as a YouTuber.

“Since I became a councillor in 2016, I have learnt that being a councillor takes a lot of time. For me, it’s a full-time job.”

“The ward is going to be the most important thing to me and if it means I have to consult less then that is what I will do,” Gouws said.

Gouws who is also known for his political commentary on social media said he would continue using the platform to help residents.

DA leader Nqaba Bhanga said with Gouws as the party’s candidate, they were confident they would retain the ward.

Bhanga said they believed Gouws would devote his full attention to the ward.

“By fielding this candidate the DA is putting its best foot forward and the party is confident of reclaiming Ward 2.“This will put the DA in a good position to yet again take over as the government in Nelson Mandela Bay,” Bhanga said.



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