Welcome to our new Ward Councillor – Cllr Kyle Jacobs

Ward 87 held its by-elections on August 28 2024, following the resignation of our previous councillor, Bridget Steer. The election was contested by the DA, Rise Mzansi, ANC and EFF. The Democratic Alliance’s Kyle Jacobs won a majority vote and was elected to the position of the new councillor for Ward 87. The GRA has been working closely with Cllr Kyle and we are grateful for his assistance and we value his commitment to supporting, protecting and improving our suburb.

GET TO KNOW KYLE (from the DA website and the northcliff-melville-times – 2024/09/08)

Kyle Jacobs was born and raised in the City of Johannesburg. He matriculated from Northcliff High School and went on to complete his BCom Law degree at Varsity College (VC) Sandton campus in 2021. Having a deep sense of patriotism and a massive interest in governance and politics, he decided to join the Democratic Alliance (DA) and get involved in fixing and building South Africa. He initially cut his teeth in politics when being co-opted as the Branch Youth Chairperson in 2019, subsequently, he was elected as the Branch Deputy Chairperson in 2020, and the Constituency Youth Chairperson.  Throughout his undergraduate studies, Kyle developed a deep passion and love for the law and identified the value it could add to serving the country. By following this passion, he furthered his studies and is was in the final year of his LLB degree at the University of the Witwatersrandin 2023. In 2022, he also competed in the Wits Moot Court Society and Group 21 Advocates Chambers Senior Law of Contract Competition and made it to the finals, where he was awarded best oralist.”

He previously served as a PR councillor and acted as the interim councillor after Cllr Steer’s resignation.

“In the two months since his election, Jacobs has worked diligently to address various pressing issues faced by the community. He provided support during challenging circumstances, including water shortages caused by maintenance work from Rand Water and extensive power outages that affected multiple areas. “A lot of good work has been done, and many great initiatives have been started,” he noted, emphasising his commitment to seeing these efforts through.
Having engaged closely with the community, Jacobs quickly identified the most critical issues impacting the ward and developed an action plan to address them.

The plan includes:

• Reliable water supply: Advocating for the timely completion of projects like the Brixton reservoir and tower and pushing for funding for the Hursthill 2 reservoir.
• Electricity and power outages: Pressuring City Power to allocate more resources to address ongoing infrastructure issues and improve response times to outages.
• Addressing problem properties: Working with residents to enforce zoning regulations and by-laws, ensuring a developmental approach that mitigates pollution and enhances the quality of life.
• Road infrastructure: Actively tracking and pushing for timely reinstatements of roads in collaboration with community initiatives and holding the Johannesburg Roads Agency accountable.
• Tackling vagrancy and crime: Implementing a coordinated approach with the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) and South African Police Service (SAPS) to address crime and vagrancy effectively

Jacobs acknowledged the demanding nature of the councillor role, balancing multiple responsibilities, including serving as the Constituency chairperson and treasurer of the DA Caucus in Johannesburg. He emphasised the importance of maintaining mental and physical health to avoid burnout, which can hinder effective performance in such a challenging position.

As the new councillor for Ward 87, he is committed to addressing the unique challenges faced by each area within the ward. Driven by a passion for helping people, he aims to foster a supportive and thriving community for all residents.”

Email:  ward87jhb@gmail.com