Meet the Councillor: Ronel Viljoen
Our ward is run by Cllr Ronel Viljoen, who won the seat in 2021. We had a quick Q&A with her about the priorities and challenges of our ward 70.
Ronel grew up in a small town outside Pretoria, Hartbeespoort, but has been living in DeBron for 28 years, where she also raised her own children. Her previous position included wards 22 and 25, in areas Uitsig, Ravensmead, Belhar and the Malawi camp.
Q: What are your top priorities for our wards?
A: My priority is always service delivery and making a difference. The Alison road fence was a sore eye and I wanted that done – we’re almost there. I’d like to finish the footpath around the DoordeKraal dam and make the dam more accessible to residents. The fence around Loevenstein was also an issue which is now done. Safety remains an issue where the involvement of residents can make a difference. Parking at Majik Forest is a problem that bothers me, although the centre has built extra parking on land that wasn’t being used.
Q: What are your challenges in the wards?
A: It’s difficult to keep everyone happy! The City is very big and people expect money to be moved around easier to finance projects.
Q: What initiatives have you gotten involved with in the area?
A: I’m involved with the Majik Forest cleanups, the Tygerberg Wetlands project and I help deliver food to the Valley School which is provided by Meals on Wheels and Welgemoed mothers.
Q: What makes you excited?
A: When residents get involved with projects – like the Majik Forest garden that was initiated by the Wildflower Stepping Stones Project; residents who want to beautify their parks and help clean the area to better their own environment.
Q: What do you wish people understood better?
A: Budgets are planned up to 18 months in advance and money can’t be easily moved around. The City offers basic services and beautifying traffic islands and uplifting parks are important, but not a priority.
Q: Anything you’d like to add?
A: It’s a privilege to work and live in ward 70! This year I’d like to start a project where all residents get involved in being proud of our area. I’d like to ask residents to donate a half an hour a month – no money, just your time. You can choose what you’d like to do – whether it’s cleaning a neighbour’s sidewalk, raking up leaves, cleaning a park. If we all give half an hour a month, it will make a massive difference.
Ronel likes to personally take care of issues in our neighbourhoods. As such, if you have an issue that has not been addressed through the official C3 reporting system (eg. street lights that are out, potholes, reinstatements after pipe bursts or branches that need to be collected), you can report it directly to her and her assistant:
WhatsApp: 084 512 8850
E-mail: Cathy at Catherine.Law@capetown.gov.za
