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9 January 2019
www.thevillagenews.co.za
From dream to reality: leading from the front Writer & Photographer Elaine Davie
F
ire-fighters are Grant Cohen’s heroes and if he had the courage, he says he would be up there with them fighting the fires in the mountains above Betty’s Bay. Grant is the Overstrand Ward 9 Councillor, based in Kleinmond. In fact, many members of his community would describe him as a man with fire in the belly for transforming Kleinmond into a winning town. And he’s not just a dreamer either; he’s out there getting his hands dirty in every aspect of Kleinmond’s lived reality. “If I haven’t been on patrol with members of the Neighbourhood Watch, or been on a camp with some of our local kids, or spent a day in a wheelchair, how can I truly know what it feels like, or understand what the triumphs or challenges are for the people involved,” he comments. “Most of the barriers we build between ourselves are based on fear and misperceptions; I want to break them down. Together, we can build the economy of this town, turning it into a tourist destination in its own right, whilst at the same time preserving the very special, laid-back, friendly vibe which has attracted holiday-makers for decades. We can’t afford to have people sitting on the sidelines as spectators anymore; we need every single citizen to get involved, sharing their time and expertise to turn this dream into a real success story.” But who is this young man who arrived unannounced in Kleinmond seven years ago for a holiday and stayed for good? Originally from Durbanville, he was a laatlammetjie with two older sisters, the product of both Jewish and Italian Catholic ancestry. English is his mother tongue, but he is fluent in Afrikaans and has a love of languages. In fact, despite his punishing work load, Grant is currently teaching himself Italian and Portuguese online and is in the process of setting up an isiXhosa course for himself and other Kleinmond
residents early in 2019. After living in London for a couple of years, he came back to this country and worked in Johannesburg as a copywriter before taking the life-changing decision to settle in Kleinmond. Although he had always been interested in politics, he had never visualised himself as an active politician. Then he joined the DA and became its Overstrand Youth Leader. The more he associated with the young people and experienced their difficult circumstances, the more he realised that he wanted to make a far greater contribution not only to their welfare, but to that of the wider community as well. Very reluctantly, he was persuaded to consider making himself available for nomination as a ward councillor for the 2016 Local Government elections. “The applications had to be in by midnight on a certain date,” he remembers. “I was still dithering when someone from the DA selection committee called me at 11 that night and conducted an interview over the phone. After a lengthy short-listing process, to my amazement, I was selected as the DA’s candidate for Ward 9.” On being voted into office, Grant immediately threw himself body, mind and soul into his new job. Not only was he determined to demonstrate his own commitment to the welfare of the community, but he persuaded his mother, his one sister and her daughter to also relocate to the town (his sister is currently Chairperson of Kleinmond Animal Welfare – KAWS). The past two years have been a roller-coaster ride for this ball of fire. Comments on his facebook page indicate how impressed people of all communities in the town are with his achievements and his caring attitude. He goes out of his way to engage as many individuals and organisations as he can; he wants them to know that he is always available to deal with any issue they may have; he wants them to offer constructive
suggestions for improvements to the town and he wants them to get personally involved. With so many balls in the air, it’s amazing that Grant is able to keep his eye on all of them simultaneously. The secret is probably that the multitude of initiatives have one theme in common: the economic growth of the town through a focused tourism policy. As Grant is quick to point out, the area has been gifted with so much natural beauty that all that’s needed is to highlight its unique identity and expand the opportunities the environment offers. Adventure tourism is very much in the ascendancy and with Kleinmond’s location in the Kogelberg Biosphere, there are endless possibilities to be explored, even the potential to establish a training school for adventure tour guides.
"If I haven’t been on patrol with members of the Neighbourhood Watch, or been on a camp with some of our local kids, or spent a day in a wheelchair, how can I truly know what it feels like" A major priority is the development of the beach and lagoon area, using this as a starting point for the general beautification and revitalisation of the business hub and Main Road, including the introduction of several wheelchair-friendly facilities. The Municipal Planning Department is
already preparing a feasibility report which will be presented to the public of Kleinmond for discussion. Grant emphasises that no action will take place without the buy-in of the town’s residents. There is another aspect of tourism enhancement that he’s passionate about. “We don’t have a single site to honour the fisher folk and other early pioneers of our area; we must find a creative way of marking the contribution they made to the establishment of this town.” Behind this drive for development is, of course, the demand for job opportunities, especially for young people. This, in turn implies the need for appropriate training. The lack of a local high school in the town is still top of the agenda and discussions with the Education Department are ongoing, but Grant himself feels that a school of skills would be even more valuable. In the meantime, after protracted discussions with the West Coast Tvet College, they have agreed to place a number of Kleinmond learners from Grade 9 upwards in the boarding facilities at their five campuses. Grant himself collected applications from youngsters in the area and is extremely excited that between 30 and 50 of them are likely to be enrolled for a variety of really useful courses this year. “I want them to dream again and never to give up on their dreams,” he says. “Old and young, we all have so much to offer; each one of us has a valuable contribution to make.” It’s easy to be captivated by Grant’s wide-ranging plans for the future of
Kleinmond. From the erection of crime-prevention cameras, to hooking the whole town up to the waterborne sewerage grid, to sorting out problems with refuse collection, the establishment of a new cemetery and the integration of all the sporting activities in the town, nothing is too small or insignificant for Grant’s attention. Overriding everything is his desire to unite all sectors of the community around a common purpose. He has enormous appreciation for his ward committee, which is becoming increasingly representative of the entire community and works very hard to bring as many residents as possible into full and active participation in decision-making and voluntary service. “At first they only came to public meetings if they were angry about something, now they come to provide constructive input,” he says. “This is an incredibly close-knit community; when I see how they rally round to provide support in an emergency, like the recent fires, I am filled with admiration. It’s the ordinary, simple things that give me so much encouragement – a positive comment on my facebook page, seeing the children of all our communities playing together – these are what re-ignites the fire. I want to see Kleinmond become a pace-setter for all the communities of the Overstrand. We’ve only just begun; watch this space.”
Grant Cohen can be contacted on 072 436 9068 or e-mail grantcohen25@gmail.com Facebook: @grantkleinmond
