Nora Grose, Ward 23 councillor for Melkbosstrand, was elected the new sub-council 1 chairperson at a special council meeting on Wednesday 15 January.
In her maiden speech a few days later, the 23rd, she warned councillors, officials and community leaders she would hold all of them accountable to fulfilling their mandate to serve the community.
“Our streets must be safe to walk in, schools must become safe havens for our children, and our seniors must be protected,” Grose said.
She also said crime has spiralled out of control and she is committed to working with all safety and security sectors, to “address the evil that claims far too many innocent lives.”
“I endeavour to network with industrialists, local business and organisations so joint solutions to projects can be found and opportunities for a business workshop can be created and launched soon, so we can capacitate our SMMEs.”
According to Grose, it emerged at a meeting involving her, City of Cape Town Speaker Dirk Smith and Wessie van der Westhuizen, Manager for sub-council 1, that the sub-council is one of the “poorest performers” in the Metro.
She said Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) opportunities are a stepping stone to sustainability, although it must not be perceived as the only opportunity, but as a short-term lifeline.
“This will be an enormous challenge, but if everybody works together we will be able to change the tide,” Grose holds.
“Skills upliftment, capacitating must become the long-term vision for our youth and unemployed. This will not happen overnight, but there is no better moment than right now to start. We must not lose our optimism nor must we submit to defeat.”
She also mentioned housing as a huge challenge in Atlantis, so new opportunities for housing must be prioritised.
“Rental stock and their condition must be looked into and addressed. We must engage with our communities to take responsibility for their own homes, streets, public open spaces, because if we lose self-respect we have given up on life.”
