The high crime rate and gangsterism keeps community activist and mayoral candidate Marvin Sampson awake at night.
"The current administration has failed us. This week there was a shooting on my street. In May, I helped a father who was kneeling beside a dead body of his teenage son on the street - he was also a victim of a shooting. Such incidents happen on a regular basis. But it does not have to be regarded as normal for communities to live in fear," said Sampson.
He joined the Patriotic Alliance five months ago and was nominated as the party's preferred candidate to drive change in the City.
Top of the list of what Sampson would want to tackle is safety and security. and providing empowerment opportunities for the young people who are the most affected by unemployment.
He said he would beef up the Metro Police service to help tackle crime while continuing to work closley with the South African Police Service (SAPS).
"We can no longer point fingers at each other and lay the blame on the SAPS only. Communities are suffering, we need to come up with solutions. Under my leadership, we will work with the resources that we have and increase the number of Metro Police," said Sampson.
He would also wants installing of more street lights.
"I watched a group of people rejoicing when a broken street light was finally fixed after several months. Some people have been shot on streets where the lights were broken. I have personally logged requests with the City to attend to similar complaints," said Sampson.
Sampson said he would also improve or install recreational facilities in communities, and develop programmes to provide skills for the youth.
His other focus areas would be water and sanitation, housing and the municipal rates.
"The City owns enough land to develop for housing yet it always points to the national government. Start with what you have and provide affordable housing for people.
"Many communities are being pushed out of areas such as Woodstock and others have been on the waiting list for years. We will have to look at how housing is being managed and rectify the shortfalls," Sampson said.
He also wants to address the lack of jobs through investment in infrastructure.
"If we build infrastructure we can also create jobs. Some of the infrastructure we have needs maintenance, repair work or replacement," he said, adding that this would also help the sanitation challenges faced by some communities.
Sampson would also write off arrears owed on water and scrap the pipe levy.
"There's no reason why we are still paying the pipe levy. I was recently called by a pensioner in Lavender Hill who wanted my assistance with challenging a R74 000 bill she received from the City for water. She is but one of thousands who are struggling with this issue,“ said Sampson.
He said due to socio-economic conditions exacerbated by Covid-19, many residents were struggling with payment of municipal rates and the Patriotic Alliance would handle the issue with " the empathy it deserves".
Sampson said the party was gaining support and he had personally set up branches in Mitchells Plain.
He said his party would be open to forming a coalition with other parties if they shared the vision to "uplift the communities".