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3 April 2019
From shack to council chamber Writer Elaine Davie
ive-year-old, Michaela, will always be his irst priority.
to achieve one’s goals through negotiation, conversation, dialogue.”
know what it means to live in a shack, to have the rain dripping through the roof in the winter and the cold wind whistling through cracks you didn’t even know were there,” confesses newly-elected DA Proportional Councillor Ronald Nutt, born and bred in Mount Pleasant. “And it’s not fair; everybody deserves the dignity of a decent home they can call their own.”
Ronald does not see himself as a politician; his focus has always been on enhancing the life of the community. When the new government came into power, people were full of hope that their lives would change for the better, he comments, and although there have been some improvements, not nearly enough. Twenty-ive years later, the people have become discouraged, especially when it comes to housing.
He believes that Helen Zille is making a genuine efort to ind a solution to the problem and admires her single-minded commitment. “She walks the talk,” he says. But he pleads for all parties to exhibit patience and tolerance. On the other hand, he feels that the administration needs to make every efort to speed up the process and cut through some of the red tape.
Although they may not have been rich in worldly goods, his mother and pastor-father brought up their three sons with a strong foundation of moral values and love of family. It is clear that this warm, friendly man with the big smile is a people’s person, deeply rooted in Mount Pleasant, his own community, as well as the greater Hermanus community.
“Mandela had a dream of a rainbow nation and Martin Luther King Jnr had a similar dream, and so do I,” he laughs, “but I believe we need to start in our own backyards. What I want for my children is a future without racism, crime, violence and fear, where there will be a chance of economic empowerment for them and where we can all live together as fellow South Africans.”
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Like many Hermanus residents, he has a irm belief that this is a special place with a unique energy and the ability to show the way to the rest of the country, in terms of community development and cultural integration. These are aspects of life in the Overstrand about which he is passionate. And as a man who believes in deeds, not empty words, he has been actively working towards that goal for most of his adult life. Straight after matriculating from Swartberg Secondary School in Caledon, Ronald went to work at the Ibis stationery store in Hermanus, owned by Nico and Julie Toerien, now the owners of Oice National. When Ibis was taken over by Walton’s, he stayed on and two years ago when the business closed its doors in Hermanus, he had been working there for 24 years. “Yes,” he says, “loyalty is what it’s all about – that’s one of the values my father taught me from an early age, that and doing my best in
Ronald Nutt, the newly appointed DA Proportional Councillor of the Overstrand Municipality. whatever I undertake.” He has followed in his father’s footsteps in other ways too. He is passionate about the upliftment of his community and since he was retrenched, has dedicated himself full-time to evangelism and community work. As a talented keyboard player, he enjoys participating in gospel concerts. “But, whatever I do during the week,” he emphasises, “the weekends are for my family. My children have to know that their father plays an active part in their lives; we love to have rough-and-tumble games together.” Now that he is a councillor, he acknowledges that it is going to be more diicult to balance his responsibilities, but he is determined that his wife, Diane, who is his grounded centre, he says, together with eight-year-old Joshua and
Ronald has been an active participant in the negotiations around land and housing and feels empathy for those who have become frustrated and hopeless in their struggle for a decent place of their own. He says he knows of old people in Mount Pleasant who have spent their whole lives waiting for a home and who have eventually passed away without realising their dream. It is especially hard for people to accept their situation when they see land standing empty and are told it’s not for them. "I think the protests did achieve something useful," says Ronald. “They brought the challenge to the status quo into the open; it has created a greater understanding of the size of the need. I can’t argue with people’s right to ight for what they believe in, but there is no place for lawlessness, where other people’s lives are put in danger. Gandhi made his point without resorting to violence; it is possible
Council recognises long service Six employees who have served 20 years or longer with the Overstrand Municipality were presented with service awards at the Council meeting last Wednesday. One employee, Mgoduseni Nkunkumana, from in the parks department in Hermanus, has completed 30 years of service with the municipality.
awarded a long service certiicate for 20 years of service. Recognition was also given to Georgia Bucchianeri and Lorraine Botma from the budget oice with 15- and 10-years’ service respectively. Mayor Dudley Coetzee thanked them for their dedication and service to the Municipality.
Another four employees, Franklin Sherrif (sewage tankers), Sollie Ahrends (streets and storm water) and CD Klaas (sewage tankers) of the Gansbaai Administration; and Mcingeleni Gogwana (streets and storm water) of the Hermanus Administration, have completed 25 years with the municipality. Danwill Cronjé from the Kleinmond Administration (streets and storm water) was
Back: Georgia Bucchianeri (Hermanus - 15 years), Lorraine Botma (Hermanus - 10 years) and Mgoduseni Nkunkumana (Hermanus - 30 years). Middle: Danwill Cronjé (Kleinmond - 20 years), CD Klaas (Gansbaai 25 years) and Mcingeleni Gogwana (Hermanus - 25 years). Front: Sollie Ahrends (Gansbaai - 25 years) and Franklin Sherrif (Gansbaai - 25 years).
Ronald sees himself as a mediator and a peacemaker. He is a member of the Greater Hermanus Christian Leaders’ Forum, which is working towards reconciliation through prayer and dialogue. For the past eight years, he has also been a member of the local ward committee, so is not unfamiliar with the workings of the town council. However, he still feels completely overwhelmed by the speed with which events have been moving since he received his letter of appointment on 26 March. He says he’s still waiting for reality to set in. It’s been a case of sink or swim for him, but he is grateful to his fellow-councillors for their support. He admits to feeling somewhat intimidated at having to ill the big shoes of Nicolette Johnson on the council but once again, he falls back on his father’s advice: “Always remember who you are and where you come from. You have a name; that’s who you are. Positions and titles don’t deine who you are. You will be deined by whether you have added value to someone else’s life.” With the elections round the corner, it’s all systems go for Ronald and he has two pieces of advice for the electorate: “Look at the facts when you make your choice – don’t act on your emotions. And remember, don’t mess with something that works – and this municipality does!”
