Lenasia’s demarcation dilemma
Cllr Karolia had begun proposing changes to the Municipal Demarcation Board in January and urged residents to share their views or objections about the demarcation in Lenasia.
Lenasia is divided into three wards – eight, nine, and 10 – with wards eight and nine extending into areas beyond Lenasia. This situation has often left residents feeling neglected by their councillors, as the populations in these wards are spread across multiple regions.
Cllr Jake Karolia shared his perspective with the Lenasia Rising Sun.
“The community of Lenasia has been split into three. Two wards are suffering because councillors live outside the town.” He added that this arrangement is unfair to the councillors, who must travel day and night to address crises within the Lenasia section of their wards.
The strain on the ward nine councillor is evident. He mentioned that residents are suffering from the consequences of this setup, which places an additional burden on him since residents in Lenasia, even those outside his ward, often seek assistance from him.
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“Lenasia is one community – I cannot refuse when they ask for help,” Cllr Karolia stated.
To hear directly from the community, he called a public meeting on Tuesday evening, May 6, at Park Primary School Hall. Many community members attended, and several expressed support for the councillor’s proposal. Residents from the Nanas Farm informal settlement, which falls under ward nine, also participated.
Despite Cllr Karolia’s efforts to accommodate the informal settlements, a resident from Nanas Farm caused a commotion during the meeting. The resident complained about feeling excluded and neglected by Cllr Karolia, alleging that his political party only visits their area during election time to solicit votes.
In response, Cllr Karolia clarified at the meeting.
“There are Thembelihle, Patsing, and Nanas Farm informal settlements, which all fall within the three wards. They are part of our community, and we need to make that clear. Although they are informal settlements, they still fall under Lenasia and belong to wards eight and nine,” he said.
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Despite the disruption, the meeting’s purpose was served. The Lenasia Business Forum had already drafted complaints regarding the demarcation and was ready to submit them.
Cllr Karolia had begun proposing changes to the Municipal Demarcation Board in January and urged residents to share their views or objections about the demarcation in Lenasia. Residents can email the Municipal Demarcation Board at [email protected] to submit their views.
