| | New Junior Council Elected for 2009
10 September 2008
Leoné Pieters was elected as Junior Mayor for Walvis Bay during a special ceremony on Wednesday. Pieters thanked her fellow councillors for the opportunity and reminded them that hard work, dedication and faith is required to meet the challenges they face as youth leaders and representatives.
Acting as presiding officer, the Personal Assistant to the Mayor of Walvis Bay, Leevylee Abrahams explained that the concept of junior council was not created merely to emulate the actual council, "but it provides young people of Walvis Bay with an opportunity to be responsible, learn about democratic processes, to work as a team and to hone leadership skills."
“Junior councillors are exposed to real-life situations, conflict resolutions as well as planning, implementing and running projects. In this way they are able to give back to the community and change the lives of many for the better. The Junior Council is composed of learners from different cultural, economic and religious backgrounds. This helps to foster new friendships and a better understanding of the social dynamics of our community. It also enables the Junior Council to initiate projects that will be so much more effective in the target communities," he said.
The outgoing Junior Mayor, Marieke Blaauw described her experience with the junior council as tough but rewarding. "Our aim was to be more active, more involved in the community. We adopted the objectives of helping the community and uniting the youth. This we achieved by hosting various events including a car wash day for charity, fund raising for school fees, feeding children in need, organising coastal youth indoor soccer tournament, hosting the Miss Teen pageant and although we are stepping down, we have also volunteered to help with the road clean-up campaign and Arbour day celebrations this coming Saturday," she noted.
Blaauw urged the newly elected junior councilors to use the outgoing council's achievements and successes as a foundation to build on and to improve. “Take every event, repeat it, better it, expand it. Make 2009 an even more successful and productive year. If the council of every year strives to do better than the previous, I see a great future for this town."
The Junior Council office bearers for 2009 are:
- Mayor: Leone Pieters (Walvis Bay High School)
- Deputy Mayor: Desley-Ann van Reenen (Walvis Bay High School)
- CEO: Dilambre Clarke (Duneside High School)
- Deputy CEO: Judine Kaizer (De Duine Secondary School)
- Secretary: Ndamono Shikoyeni (Duneside High School)
- Deputy Secretary: Monique Mouton (De Duine High School)
- PRO: Sakaria Mangunda (Kuisebmond Secondary School)
- Deputy PRO: Jonas Ileka (Kuisebmond Secondary School)
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