Durban - The newly elected ward 10 DA councillor says the win is a personal victory as she will be taking over from her mentor, the late Terrence (Tex) Collins.
The DA retained ward 10 in eThekwini municipality on Wednesday by a massively increased margin, taking 94.8% of the vote, up from 80.01% in 2021, an increase of 14.8 percentage points.
Caelee Laing is the new DA councillor who has been trusted by the party to continue the work of Collins.
Laing said the victory was “amazing”, as Collins was her mentor for the past nine years, adding that “it feels right”.
She said Collins was an incredible man who left a mark in the community.
“They are big shoes to fill and I hope to make him proud, he taught me that councillors can’t do things alone, we need to work as a team.”
Laing joined the DA in Westville in 2013 and became a PR councillor in 2016 in wards 24 and 92 (covering Westville, Chesterville, Westville North and Clermont).
“In 2021 I started my second term as a councillor in wards 7, 8 and 103 (covering Assagay, Botha’s Hill, Hillcrest, Shongweni and surrounds).
“Following the passing of Tex Collins, I stepped into an acting position in ward 10. I am currently a whip for the DA on the Finance, Security and Emergency Services Committee.”
Laing said she had started developing relationships with people in the community.
She said there were still many issues outstanding from the time Collins was in office, such as storm damage from the flood.
She thanked the residents and voters who came out to vote.
“It was really touching to see many people coming out. I appreciate the support.”