Nominees for election at the 2018 AGM

Jean Paul van der Mescht

The following nominations have been made for the OCA’s 2018/19 Management Committee. Elections will take place at the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 13 November 2018 (more info here).

Nominees for Chairperson

  • Tauriq Jenkins
    Tauriq Jenkins bio: I have been a resident in Observatory since 2004, and take immense pride and joy in serving the interests of our diverse community. I have a professional background in the Arts, political science, and Oral History. I hold a Masters of Fine Arts from Columbia University, an alumni IFP Fellow at the School of International and Public Affairs Columbia, and was Oral History Merit Scholarship Award recipient of Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Columbia.Currently, I am the Artistic Director of The Independent Theatre Movement of South Africa, Shakespeare in Prison South Africa, the High Commissioner to the Goringhaicona Traditional Indigenous Council, chair the Aboriginal /Xarre Restorative Justice Forum with the Centre of African Studies at UCT on Human Remains.

    In Observatory, I have serve on OCA Management Committee, the board of Observatory Improvement District, Two Rivers Urban Park Association (Chair), Ward Forum 57, and the ONW.

    Previous experience includes the Performing Arts Network of South Africa (PANSA) Chairperson, Western Cape, 2010 -2012, Columbia University Arts Initiative Advisory Board Member, 2015, Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Student Council (GSAC), Chair of Alumni and Development, 2016.

Nominees for Deputy Chairperson

  • Eden Musampa
    Eden Musampa Bio:     Leadership is about seeing something that should be done differently and deciding to act on it. The way our current community is ran, is something that needs to change. I see a community and municipal governance body that has failed to put community first as priority while allowing party politics and some people to take center stage. A disconnection between the resident and the people who represent them. The OCA has been isolated from the community. For that reason, the rest of us excluded from making decisions. We have reached a point where we do not care about the accountability of leaders or transparency anymore and that is scary.R.W Emerson said “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” Eden Musampa resident of observatory for more than decade is here to say the time to make a difference is here and let make it happen. From my experience as a leader during my parkour in varsity and community voluntary movement CPF, ONW, SRC student leadership and other organisation I have participated, I learned what it means to be part of a team that is there to make sacrifices for those they serve. I learned what it means to disagree with someone on one issue and stand with them on the next, what it means when you are wrong about something, and what it means to make a mistake. Above all, I learned what it means to serve those that count on me and was exposed to that feeling of making a lasting change. I am here for a chance to serve a community much larger than my biological family. A community nearly 20 000 people large. I will strive to make this prescient and community of observatory feel like a home to all of us urge for an immediate change where needed. A home where regardless of our personal characteristics, race and background we can feel safe, included and secure in our well-being. I’m here to serve my community hence it has always been my wish and desire to involve myself in community outreach and holistic activity either on grassroots level or decision making table. Young and fresh not afraid on change.
  • Lara Young (bio to come)
  • Sheila Barsel
    Sheila Barsel Bio:     I have lived in Observatory since 1975. However, I have been connected to the suburb since 1972. I have engaged in local organisations since the mid-nineties starting with the initial discussions concerning a possible Twin River Urban Project. This culminated in the 5-year public participation process between 1998 and 2003 led by the CT City Council. I was involved in the initial activities of Obswatch, run on a voluntary basis. Due to waning person power the original Obswatch was unable to sustain activities. Fortunately David Raphael and Brian Gray set up the current ONW so that Neighbourhood Watch activities have since flourished. I have been active in the Observatory Civic Association over a number of years always regularly attending community meetings. For the past 2 years I have been actively involved in the Large Development Group (LDG) which has been very active in ensuring that the developments, which we all welcome, do not overtake the community “feel” of Observatory. I consider the issue of good governance to be essential in all community based organisations!I am an ardent supporter of civics coming together on issues which are common to suburbs within the City of CT. And believe that this is one of the important lessons emanating from the recent input by Albie Sachs and later discussion at the recent community participation workshop. As member of the Council of the University of Cape Town since 2010 I have a particular interest in ensuring that Observatory continues to be a suburb which welcomes students from both South African and international universities.

Nominees for Secretary

  • Dale Forbes (bio to come)
  • Eden Musampa (as above)

Nominees for Treasurer

  • Joy Robinson (bio to come)

Nominees for Arts, Culture & Sport

  • Janet Cronje (bio to come)

Nominees for Architecture & Heritage

  • No nominations

Nominees for Large Developments

  • Leslie London
    Leslie London bio: I work currently at UCT in the School of Public Health and Family Medicine; have been active in health advocacy organisations; some of my research involves questions of participation and social accountability in health. I have a long record of research and advocacy for occupational and environmental health especially related to pesticides and farm workers. I have lived in Observatory since 1981, first as a student and then continuously since 1993 as a homeowner.I have served as the convener of the Large Development Group in the OCA for the past three years. I got involved in these issues as a result of the proximity of the Paragon development to my own house in Obs (where I have lived for the past 24 years), but rapidly realised that the Paragon was the first of a multitude of challenges facing the whole of Obs. I realised very rapidly that unless Obs residents stand together, there is absolutely nothing we can do to ensure that developments like these do not destroy the fabric of our community. Since then, the Large Development Group has been active in trying to get the Community’s voice heard in matters related to development. To be very honest, as the report to the OCA AGM 2017 illustrates, this is not an easy job, since all the planning systems are geared to making it easy for developers and conversely very hard for communities to have a real say. And, more recently, in engagements with other civics in Cape Town, it is clear that our experience is not unique and that the tokenism of consultation processes and the lack of responsiveness of officials is a common experience for all the civics we have met.I believe that we have to be realistic about development. The City is expanding constantly and housing development will have to happen. However, my belief, and that shared by the LDG members, and many Obs residents, is that such development needs to be integrated and responsive to the Village culture and feel of Observatory, rather than imposing phycially and aesthetically on the surrounding fine-grained predominanty Victorian village feel of Obs. At the moment, there is a feeding trough for developers to extract as much benefit from large developments and it is being done without adequate consultation or consideration of the impact on our community. What we need is development that balances the profit motive of external parties with the interests of the community to maintain and reinforce its thriving and diverse community nature.  If re-appointed to convene the LDG, I will commit to
    –        Continuing to work towards this vision of development for Obs
    –        Continuing to support the OCA’s consolidation of its vision
    –        Ensuring that OCA is able to be part of a cross-civic alliance
    –        Continuing to ensure that City officials and our representatives are responsive to the community
    –        Ensuring an OCA that is a democratic structure accountable to the community

Nominees for Communications

  • Janet Cronje (bio to come)

Nominees for Car Park

  • De Vos Rabie (bio to come)

Nominees for Social Issues

  • Stephan Frantisek
    Stephan Frantisek bio: I am a Professional Electrical Engineer and Registered NHBRC Builder. I have been on the OCA social issues sub committee for the past year and I have been a resident of Obs for the past 3 years and I would like to do my part and work towards the betterment of Obs. My wonderful wife is doing a PhD at UCT and we have 2 plump cats that don’t do a whole lot. We have lived in a bunch of other countries all over the world but moved back to SA in 2010 because there is no place like Mzansi!

Nominees for Two Rivers Urban Park representative

  • Janet Cronje (bio to come)
  • Marc Turok (bio to come)

Nominees for Business Forum

  • Olivia Andrews
    Olivia Andrews bio:     I have lived in Observatory for 10 years and am an active community member. I also own A Touch of Madness restaurant. I have been the convener of the Obs Business Forum for the past 2 years. I believe that through bringing Obs businesses together we can promote Obs as a whole to increase our customer base and attract more people to the area. Businesses and residents need to work hand in hand to create a neighbourhood we are all proud of. And by working together we can make Obs a safer place for our staff and our customers.

Nominees for Transport

  • Eden Musampa (as above)