COUNCILLORS of the municipality of Linden are on a mission to work with the constituents that voted for them in the recently held Local Government Elections (LGEs) and are displaying a hands-on approach to development and the creation of change within the communities.

During the campaign season, residents complained that their constituency representatives are more absent than present in the communities and have not been making representation for the concerns of the residents and getting adequately involved in the process of development.

The newly sworn-in councillors are on a mission to change this rhetoric through consolidation, cohesion and corporation. Councillor of Constituency Four in Linden, who is also Deputy Mayor Wainewright Bethune, has been setting the example. He has been working aggressively, all in an effort to see the transformation of his Constituency which consists of communities such as Watooka, Fairs Rust, Noitgedacht and Richmond Hill. These communities were once the upscale communities of Linden during the earlier years of bauxite mining and had always had a residential image attached to it. In recent times, however, the image of South Mackenzie drastically declined and Bethune noted that he is working hard to return South Mackenzie to its former days.

During the last few weeks, Bethune has been collaborating with the Community Development Council (CDC) and the Community Policing Group (CPG) to undertake major community projects for the beatification and to improve the general aesthetics of the communities. One of four community welcome signs have been completed, drains are being cleared, the communities are being de-bushed and landscaped and road corridors are being maintained. He said that very soon a barrier will be erected on Cassarina Drive to detour lumber trucks from not only damaging the road but also putting pedestrians at risks, since there is a school, a hospital and other public offices in the vicinity. “It is all community efforts, to bring back South Mackenzie to where it was, what it used to be,” Bethune said.

Bethune is urging other constituency representatives to follow suit and to do their best for their respective communities. “Your office is the community, in the streets, bottom house meetings, prioritise on meeting the people, influence people in the community to work together with you, reach the people, listen to what they want and just be the motivation,” he said.

While it is true that the council does not possess the resources to complete projects in all the constituencies, he said that it is the duty of the councillors to work with the residents to get projects completed. Rather than to sit by and blame the council, he said that projects can be done through self-help efforts, fun-raising activities and pooling of resources. This is the method he has been using and has been seeing success thus far. One resident applauded Bethune for his hands-on approach and for putting the needs of the residents first. “We are happy to be working with someone who genuinely cares for his community and is working hard for betterment. So many changes in only weeks. I think he is doing a very good job,” the resident said.