Newly Elected Ward 44 Councilor Pledges Action

Date: July 16, 2025 | Posted in News | Northern Gauteng News | Pretoria News

Newly Elected Ward 44 Councilor Pledges Action on Service Delivery and Community Engagement

Samantha de la Rey, the newly elected councillor for Ward 44 in Tshwane, has pledged to prioritize service delivery, strengthen infrastructure, and enhance communication with residents as she steps into her new role.

Representing the eastern suburbs of Pretoria—including Faerie Glen, Garsfontein, Olympus, and parts of Die Wilgers—De la Rey enters office with a clear mandate: to restore basic municipal services and ensure that the voices of residents are both heard and acted upon.

With strong ties to the city—having grown up in the Moot area and now residing in Pretoria East—De la Rey brings years of experience in public service and governance. Her past roles include working as a senior secretary to the chairperson of the health oversight committee and serving in the office of former mayor Cilliers Brink. She is currently pursuing a degree in policy studies and has a background in logistics and supply chain management.

“I’m honoured and humbled by the opportunity to serve Ward 44,” De la Rey said. “My top priority is listening to residents and ensuring that their concerns are addressed promptly and transparently.”

Targeted Plans for Service Delivery

De la Rey has outlined a practical and focused plan to address long-standing service delivery frustrations, including:

Repairing broken streetlights to improve visibility and public safety
Addressing deteriorating road conditions
Ensuring consistent and reliable waste collection

She has also identified by-law enforcement as a major concern in the ward. “Illegal dumping, excessive noise, and informal trading without oversight negatively impact our community’s quality of life,” she said. “We need consistent enforcement to restore order.”

Communication and Accountability

To foster trust and accountability, De la Rey plans to maintain regular communication with residents via ward meetings, community walkabouts, and digital platforms including WhatsApp and social media.

“Transparency is crucial,” she said. “Residents deserve to know what is happening in their ward and how their issues are being resolved.”

Community Upliftment Project (CUP)

One of her flagship initiatives is the introduction of a Community Upliftment Project (CUP) for Ward 44—a proactive, community-driven model to address local issues such as potholes and infrastructure maintenance.

“This initiative is about empowering residents to be part of the solution,” she explained. “By pooling skills, resources, and goodwill, we can make meaningful progress together.”

A recent success, she noted, was a collaborative pothole repair project at the intersection of Olympus Drive and Skukuza Street—driven entirely by local volunteers.

“CUP will serve as a platform for regular engagement, mobilization, and collective action,” De la Rey said. “It’s about building a sense of ownership and pride in our community.”