Once more, the controversial and known apartheid supporter, Yusuf Abramjee has seemingly played to the gallery, by praising Cllr Naeem Patel of Ward 61 and CPF District head for Laudium/Erasmia, Shaheen Wahab.
Abramjee praised the pair at a CPF fundraising event last Friday, saying that they should carry on with their “good work” and that he knows they are “committed to serving the community.” It has since been questioned by many as to whether Yusuf, who moved out from Erasmia and now lives in a security estate, is singing praises for the pair due to him comparing the pair to the dark days of apartheid, which he and certain family members were seen to have supported, despite there being no justice for all races at the time.
his family, Cllr Naeem Patel (Changu), has
now changed his tune after receiving praise
from the apartheid supporter.
This follows Shaheen as CPF Chair being accused by the Bhana family (who are certainly not fools), of being instrumental in ‘justice not being served’. The accused charged for the murder of Mobeen Bhana, was let off the hook, due to Shaheen and his CPF partner and Patel’s office manager, Paul Bennet, ‘interfering’ with the crime scene and yet did not have the courtesy to testify in court. Or, was Yusuf praising the pair as Naeem and Shaheen were also implicated in kidnapping and holding hostage a suspect in the theft of several prepaid meters, similar to what the apartheid police carried out against those protesting against apartheid, something certainly not to be jealous about. Yusuf also told the pair at the gathering, “When you in public office you are going to be criticized for all the good work that you have done,”
‘Mangu,’ continues to fail the community in
effectively curbing crime in the area.
adding, “I [Yusuf] went through that [criticism] for years and years and years, do not be distracted. These fools that are criticizing you are simply doing it out of jealousy.” What Yusuf did not tell the gathering that yes, he has been criticized for years and years by many people up to recently, when he then even blocked them on his social media platforms, as they labeled him an apartheid supporter or an apartheid activist or an opportunist, because amongst others, of his close involvement with the then apartheid formed House of Delegates (HOD), with him even being the secretary of the head of the House of Delegates, the late Amichand Rajbansi. Yusuf also did not tell the gathering, that the HOD was formed to separate and divide the population in terms of race, where Whites were regarded as first class citizens, Coloureds as second class, Indians as third class citizens and Africans as fourth class citizens. Yusuf continued with his ‘dogs will bark as the caravan continues’ attitude, which seems to stem from the days of apartheid, when the majority of ‘non whites’ did not support the Tri-cameral system, yet he as part of the ‘apartheid caravan’ continued to support the apartheid system, while the apartheid police let loose the barking dogs on those residents protesting against the Tri-cameral system. Yusuf also did not tell the gathering, how local residents, young and old, who protested against the Tri cameral system, outside his family home and during ‘voting’ time outside the Laudium Civic Centre, were beaten up and even when the innocent protestors who were mainly residents from Laudium ran into the nearby Jewel Str Mosque, police with barking dogs ran into the Mosque, yet he did not protest against such aggression and disrespect of the Mosque sanctity. It seems that Yusuf regarded these protestors as “fools,” just the way he termed those criticizing the ‘Changu/Mangu’ pair as fools. Yusuf also did not tell the gathering how those opposing apartheid were harmed in other ways, including local teachers being transferred overnight to remote country towns and even refused promotions, residents being detained, residents qualifying for Council houses being denied housing, etc. In fact one of the strong opponents of Yusuf and certain members of his family was non-other than the same Naeem Patel, who over a period ‘blasted’ Yusuf and certain members of his family, for their involvement with the apartheid regime. As one reader who conceded that he is afraid of Yusuf, as he believes that Yusuf is highly connected with top police generals and politicians, thus did not wanted to be named, said, “It is sad to say that it seems these days many people have now lost their moral standings, but at least the ‘dogs are barking as the caravan of injustice moves on”
praise singer, Yusuf Abramjee.
PAIR DESPERATE FOR SUPPORT
It seems that the ‘Changu/Mangu’ pair are becoming desperate to win back falling support for themselves within the community they serve, as criticism against them mounts concerning their failure in making the Laudium and Erasmia area (Ward 61) a safer and better place for all residents living lawfully in the area. The pair who are known to desperately woo the support of former foreign nationals and even those living illegally in nearby shacks, have not surprised many, as they have now sought the assistance of apartheid activist, Yusuf Abramjee, who many residents see as just adoring the limelight, but are too afraid to confront him because of his constant posting of his ‘connections’ at high places. Many also do not see Yusuf as an ‘honest broker’ following the controversial vaccine program he was involved with at the Zwartkops Race track during Covid and his involvement in promoting the policies of the apartheid government. Residents say, that such seems the desperation of the ‘Changu/Mangu’ pair, that despite Naeem seeing Yusuf Abramjee and certain of his family members as foes for many years, Naeem still had no qualms of Yusuf being their ‘praise singer.’
CPF politicized
There has also been critisim that the CPF function which was seemingly sponsored mainly by businesses and foreign born residents, was politicized. This follows the Laudium CPF, which is supposedly a public institute, headed by ANC member, Shaheen Wahab and ‘advised’ by his political partner, Cllr Patel of the ANC, being accused of playing politics concerning the invite of guests at the CPF dinner. It is believed that while a number of ‘supporters’ of the pair and guests were invited to the dinner by the CPF, including ANC members, those left out included ActionSA PR Councillor, Prajay Ramjee, who ironically is involved in fighting crime in the Laudium area. Also left out, were PR Councillors from the DA serving in the area.
RESIDENTS SPEAK OUT ABOUT CRIME AND GRIME IN THE AREA…
Despite Yusuf singing praises for Cllr Naeem Patel and CPF Chair Shaheen Wahab, many residents in the Laudium area told the Laudium Sun that they fear for their lives due to crime and cited the street gates all over as a desperate measure to safeguard themselves, adding that the situation of crime and grime in the area was getting worse by the day.
Rabia Mukadam, a resident of Emerald Street in Laudium, voiced her deep frustration over the escalating crime and the lack of proper service delivery in Laudium. She told the Laudium Sun that while some people may believe that crime in Laudium is not that high, the reality on the ground is very different. “Those who say crime is not high and that the police are doing a good job, do not live here, they live in secured estates in Centurion with guards, gates, and round-the clock security. They cannot understand what it is like to walk our streets, face the threats of criminals and live in constant fear every day. They have no right to comment on the situation in Laudium unless they experience it for themselves. These crimes are happening under the supposedly watchful eyes of the various police structures, yet nothing is being done to prevent them. Drug lords operate freely, our daily lives here are affected and fear has become part of our reality.”
“Living in Laudium has become increasingly
unsafe and stressful and there is little trust left
in those who are supposed to serve us.”
Rabia added, “Some people are trying to convince the community that crime is under control and that law enforcement is effective. But this is far from the truth. Politicians often want to hide the real situation in order to win votes or create the illusion that everything is going smoothly. They make fake statements about crime statistics and service delivery, but the reality is very different. Our leadership has failed repeatedly. Roads, sewerage systems, streetlights and other essential services are neglected. Even when residents report problems, action is slow or incomplete. Many politicians and officials appear to care more about their own interests than the community. They focus on filling their pockets and maintaining their positions, leaving ordinary residents to deal with the consequences. People are exhausted and frustrated. Living in Laudium has become increasingly unsafe and stressful and there is little trust left in those who are supposed to serve us.”
“Our children play in the streets, and we constantly worry for their safety. It feels like residents are living in a jail rather than a community. If those who claim that Laudium is safe really want to understand the situation, I challenge them to spend just one night here. They will see exactly what we go through every day. We need leaders who listen to the community, take action to reduce crime, and ensure that basic services are delivered properly. Laudium deserves better. People are fed up with empty promises and fake statistics. Our community deserves to live without fear and we hope that future leaders will understand that their first responsibility is to the people, not themselves.”
Deena Gangudoo, a resident of 7th Avenue in Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “Crime is extremely high in our area and the street gates, which are not supposed to be there in the first place, are doing little to help. Drug lords are operating openly on our streets and nothing has been done so far. Our Councillor has failed us year after year with empty promises, while crime continues to rise. On top of that, basic services in Laudium are almost non-existent. The Council provides little to no support for residents and we are left to deal with these problems on our own.”
Andre Hills, a resident of Aquamarine Street in Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “Crime and poor service delivery in Laudium are at an alarming level. We cannot continue to live under false promises from the leadership. Service delivery is virtually non-existent and criminals operate so freely that they have no fear of consequences. Laudium has become an open ground for crime, where criminals can act with impunity. There is no way crime is decreasing, even if the stats say so—it is worse than ever, as many residents are not even reporting the crime anymore because they have lost faith in the police.”
