Ward 34 winner must hit ground running, fix street lights — voters

The Herald

16-07-2025

Residents of Nelson Mandela Bay's Ward 34 want the new councillor elected after a crucial by-election on Wednesday to ensure broken street lights are repaired to stop rampant criminality.
They were voicing their concerns at two of the four voting stations in the battleground northern areas ward as they waited to cast their ballots during special voting.
The PA and the DA are seen as the front-runners in what is expected to be a hotly contested by-election described as a litmus test in the metro ahead of the 2026 local government polls.
On Tuesday, Bethelsdorp, where the DA and PA established their operational centres, was abuzz with activity.
Vehicles were covered in party stickers. Others blared loud music from speakers, creating a lively atmosphere.
Outside the voting stations, parties such as the National Alliance, ANC and EFF set up gazebos, adding to the vibrant scene.
Despite fielding a candidate to contest the ward, the PAC was absent.
The ward became vacant after the death of DA councillor Johnny Arends in a car accident on the R75 in April.
Arcadia resident Eric Gallant said he wanted the elected candidate to tackle some of the urgent service delivery issues in the area.
'The street lights that are not working deem our community unsafe.
'Now that it's winter, it gets dark earlier than usual, and it becomes unsafe to walk the streets,' Gallant said.
'Our other major issue is the overflowing sewerage drains, leading to our pothole-ridden streets being flooded by smelly water.
'All these issues were long reported, but nothing was done.
'I would send a message to the councillor, and he would read messages and not respond, so I hope the new person will be more in touch with the residents.'
West End resident Jennifer Jacobs said street lights and poor road infrastructure were a big problem.
'The roads in Arcadia are in a bad state.
'Our other issue is darkness. There are street lights that have not been working for years.
'This makes our community a dangerous place. Previously, I could walk from my house to the nearby service station to buy electricity in the late afternoon, but I cannot now because it's unsafe.
'You can't see who's coming in front of you unless there's a car approaching.'
DA provincial leader Andrew Whitfield said the party had run the best campaign to ensure it retained the ward.
'We've learnt a lot over a series of by-elections around the country, and we've put all that knowledge into practice.
'We're hoping for a win, and we're confident that we've done everything possible to achieve that result.
'We will do everything we can to defend Johnny Arends' legacy, and that starts with winning this ward.'
Whitfield dismissed claims by political commentators predicting a PA victory in the ward, saying such analyses were often inaccurate.
In the 2021 local government elections, the DA won the ward with 63.14% of the votes, followed by the National Alliance (17.12%) and PA (2.78%).
The Herald