LOCAL POLITICS PROFILE

SOUTH AFRICAN POLITICS

In 2008 Rick returned to South Africa in a bid to give back with the specific intent of once again becoming involved in local politics.

In 2009 Rick formed the Ward 10 branch of the DA and at the IGM (Inaugural General Meeting) he was elected as the chairman of the branch. The branch was very active and organized many DA and community events.

In May of 2010 Rick was elected as a PR councillor and deployed to Ward 99 (Umkomaas) and Ward 8 (Bothas Hill). By September 2010 he had signed up more than 100 new DA members and constituted the first ever DA branch in Ward 99. This was replicated again in Ward 8 a few months later.

On May 18, 2011 Rick was elected as the Ward Councillor for Ward 10 in eThekwini which encompasses; Kloof, Everton, Gillitts, Stockville, Winston Park and parts of Hillcrest.

Rick has had many successes in his assigned wards which he attributes to the fact of "having a good relationship with the department heads and managers in the municipality."

Local government is the most important sphere of government as it affects the lives of the residents on a daily basis. Rick's passion is "allowing residents and ratepayers to keep more of their hard earned money in their pockets and out of the city's coffers by fighting for lower rates, taxes and tariffs."

Rick previously sat on the Economic Development and Planning Committee in the eThekwini Council. He is currently the party Whip on the Finance and Procurement Committee

"I believe that in a democratic society, the people have the power to make the world what they want and is involved in politics because I want to ensure that ALL Durbanites have access to decision-making processes.  I hope that my political involvement will inspire other residents to get involved in shaping and enjoying their community."

Rick is happy serving the eThekwini community as a City Councilor and believes that he brings an important, fresh perspective to the decisions made by the City Council.

"I enjoy what I do here in Council because we are helping resolve real issues people face daily. I am also engaging in proactive solutions to try to stay ahead of the issues"