The new councillor for Ward 105 of Subcouncil 7 of the City of Cape Town was thrown into the deep end when he was elected three months ago in one of the wettest winters in years.
“But I am a swimmer!” says Francois Berry, who took over the reigns in June from Ruan Beneke, who resigned after 13 years as councillor.
Ward 105, which consists of Vierlanden, The Crest, Clara Anna Fontein, Vissershok, Philadelphia, Fisantekraal, Klipheuwel, Mikpunt and the neighbouring farms of Malmesbury, Paarl and Cape Farms, is the biggest ward in the City of Cape Town.
Berry, a resident of Cape Town for the past nine years, originally comes from Oudtshoorn and matriculated at Langenhoven Gimnasium.
Heavy rainfall
He studied business management and started a career at the Oudtshoorn Municipality in the special housing projects department. He then joined the Democratic Alliance (DA) as community operations manager and has since stayed in Cape Town.
In 2014 he applied for the constituency coordinator position in Durbanville and further studied project management and operations management.
“Since my election (as Ward councillor) on 19 June, I was faced with many challenges with the heavy rainfall, which led to floods and residents without electricity supply by Eskom.
“Many service requests came through for potholes, fallen trees, street lights, stormwater, protective covers, sandbags to protect properties and that was concluded quickly. Potholes were filled with sand and stone for the interim as the department will not be able to surface the roads in these wet weather conditions,” he says.
Assistance
“I want to thank the Durbanville Community Police Forum, NGOs, NPOs and the broader community of Ward 105 for their positive attitude, their assistance and understanding in this time. Also a massive thank you to the City staff that assisted with all challenges so quickly,” he says.
“Many of the successes are not only with me but with our partners in civil society who never hesitate for a moment to roll up their sleeves and come to the aid of communities in need.
“Again it was demonstrated that our NPOs, NGOs and community leaders are unmatched when it comes to selfless service in times of crisis. This army of private volunteers seldom get the recognition they deserve for their contribution, so from my side, thank you.
“As the Ward 105 councillor I am committed to serving as the vital link between our community and the council, advocating for our local residents and ensuring that urgent issues are promptly addressed.
“With a deep understanding of Ward 105, having previously served as the community operations manager and the metro regional campaign manager for the DA, I am dedicated to fully focus on the needs of our diverse and expansive ward,” he says.
Berry enjoys camping, reading, hiking and having a braai.
No eloquence on Eskom
He says he wants residents to know the City does not have any eloquence on Eskom.
“Eskom is an entity on its own and is administered by the national government. It makes it very hard for me to assist you with any Eskom faults, but I will gladly assist in logging the fault and to follow up,” he says.
- Residents can log faults with Eskom by email to customerservices@eskom.co.za. Visit https://csonline.eskom.co.za/ or download the MyEskom Customer App here
- Residents can contact Francois Berry on 081 334 4432 or Francois.Berry@capetown.gov.za with enquiries.
