Statement by Merafong Mayoral Candidate

The following speech was delivered by Cllr Carlos Rebelo at the announcement of his election pledges to the people of Merafong:

The people of Merafong have heard enough promises.

You have been told that everything will be fixed, while your streets became more dangerous, your services have deteriorated, your money disappeared, and confidence in local government has steadily eroded.

I will not promise what I cannot deliver. Instead, I make these seven commitments to you. They are simple. They are practical. And they are the standards by which I ask you to judge us as a team.

We will restore law and order.

Nothing else matters if people do not feel safe. A municipality cannot prosper when criminals operate freely, or illegal activities are tolerated, and honest residents live behind burglar bars.

As Mayor, restoring law and order will be my top priority.

I will work with law enforcement agencies, community policing forums and every sphere of government to enforce municipal by-laws, protect public infrastructure, and make Merafong a place where families can live, work and raise their children in safety.

We will fix what you can see first.

Government earns trust when people can see that it is working.

We will prioritise the things that impact everyday life: potholes, broken streetlights, illegal dumping, neglected public spaces, municipal facilities and visible signs of decay.

When visitors drive into Merafong, and when residents walk through their own neighbourhoods, they should see a municipality that is working for them.

We will protect every rand of public money.

Public money belongs to the people of Merafong. It is your money.

We will protect it.

We will demand responsible financial management, expose corruption wherever it exists, eliminate waste wherever possible, and ensure that every rand is spent where it improves the lives of our communities.

We will tell you the truth.

Some problems will take years to solve. We will never pretend otherwise. When we make progress, we will tell you. When we experience setbacks, we will tell you.

You deserve honesty, not excuses.

I will remain accessible.

A Mayor should never become invisible. You will find me in our communities, listening, engaging and working alongside the residents.

Leadership does not happen behind a desk. It happens where people live.

We will serve every resident fairly.

We will not ask who you voted for before deciding whether you deserve service. Every resident matters. Every community matters.

Whether you live in Carletonville, Khutsong, Fochville, Wedela, Kokosi, Blybank, Greenspark or any other part of Merafong, you deserve a municipality that serves you with fairness, dignity and respect. That is the municipality we intend to build.

We will be accountable.

Leadership is not measured by promises. It is measured by results.

Judge us by whether our streets become safer.

Judge us by whether our neighbourhoods become cleaner.

Judge us by whether services improve.

Judge us by whether your municipality begins earning your trust again.

And if we fall short, hold us accountable.

These pledges aren’t just part of a campaign document. It is my word.

If you entrust me with the privilege of serving as your Mayor, these commitments will guide every decision I make.

Good government alone cannot rebuild Merafong.

As residents, businesses, communities and public representatives, we share responsibility for the municipality we live in.

I ask the people of Merafong to join me in protecting what belongs to all of us: to obey the law, respect our neighbours, protect public infrastructure, keep our communities clean, pay honestly for the services we use where we are able to do so, and report corruption, vandalism and criminality when we encounter it.

I pledge to do my part.

I ask you to do yours.

Together, we can restore order, rebuild trust and make Merafong work again. That is my pledge to the people of Merafong.

For us to achieve this we need the people of Merafong to vote for the DA on the 4th of November.