It’s been decades since the collapse of the Somerset West Ratepayers’ Association (SWRA), but a renewed commitment has brought it back to life.
The first meeting of the reconstituted SWRA was held at De Hoop Primary School hall on the evening of Thursday 11 July. A large group of residents attended the public meeting, despite the inclement weather.
The meeting was opened by secretary Heidi Weeks, who thanked members for their time and commitment.
SWRA chairperson Andrew Janse van Vuuren gave a brief history of the establishment of the new organisation. He introduced the new committee portfolios and the members who will be heading each portfolio.
The ratepayers’ association is apolitical and has the endorsement of two political parties.
Members were requested to vote on the membership fees. A household will pay R50 per annum and businesses R100. It was stated that donations are welcomed and tax certificates will be issued for the donations.
Somerset West has a long history of ratepayers’ involvement in managing local affairs. Before the new political dispensation, Somerset West was a municipality, with councillors representing many organisations, especially the local ratepayers’ associations.
From the early 1970s, the late Boet West was chairperson of the Somerset West Ratepayers’ Association.
He became a councillor, deputy mayor and finally mayor of Somerset West. In 1973, he was instrumental in starting the annual Christmas lights display in Main Road.
The popular display attracted visitors from all over the world. In the early 1980s, West also had a hand in developing the now derelict Rose Garden at De Beers Park.
In the 1990s, the association was led by the late Ted Oliver. The organisation’s members tried their utmost to keep Somerset West out of the newly formed Cape Town metropole.
Unfortunately, resistance was futile and, as a result, Somerset West is now experiencing the effects of forming part a large metropole.
After Oliver’s passing, the ratepayers’ association unfortunately died a slow death. In 2016, attempts were made to resuscitate the organisation, but these actions did not muster enough support.
Recently, a concerned group of residents got together and expressed their concern, regarding the deterioration of the once beautiful town. Several meetings were held and plenty of work done behind the scenes, resulting in the formation and constitution of the new Somerset West Ratepayers’ Association.
According to a statement from the SWRA, issues such as the environment, property development, community safety, service delivery, infrastructure and vagrancy in the town were identified as the most pressing.
“Our objectives are set out as three main objectives to achieve our vision and mission – to regain our municipal status in the Somerset West region, to extend our reach to the whole of the Helderberg region, to unify all civic organisations under the banner of the ratepayers’ association, and to assist our community in current issues surrounding environment and vagrants due to a disconnect between authorities and the community needs,” the statement read.
The vision of the SWRA will be to serve as the single collective voice for all residents and ratepayers in the Somerset West area, who will engage directly with all spheres of government to drive for improved service delivery as well as future sustainable development.
According to it’s mission statement, the SWRA will “engage with the City Of Cape Town to promote services that are efficient, affordable, reliable and cost effective. To ensure the transparent levying of justifiable, reasonable and agreed-upon rates that are not inflated”.
The office bearers for the SWRA are as follows: Andrew Jansen van Vuuren (chairperson); Leon Lourens, (depty chairperson); Heidi Weeks (secretary); Jacobus Swart (treasurer); Alice Edmunds (administration); Counteractive Accounting (finance); JJ de Kock (legal); Bill Maycock (stormwater and roads); Johan West (environmental); Angelika Herdade (marketing); Lyal McLachlan (community safety), Michele Engelbrecht (vagrants and social development), Leonie Avenant (community development and education); and Pieter Kotze (property, planning and development).
VFor general queries, information about membership or any further assistance, Somerset West residents can send an email to admin@swratepayers.co.za.
