A growing backlash is unfolding in Ward 61 after residents uncovered significant changes in the final demarcation, prompting calls for accountability and a direct public response from Councillor Naeem Patel – with the community making it clear “WE HAVE WAITED LONG ENOUGH FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ANSWERS.”
Allegedly, Mooiplaas voters have been forced into Ward 61, Rosina Sedibane voters have been forced out – the centre of growing community outrage over the final gazetted demarcation published on 24 September 2025 (Provincial Gazette. Volume 31. No:330).
These apparent changes for Ward 61 result in the inclusion of 1000 Mooiplaas voters and the exclusion of 655 voters (local residents) from the Rosina Sedibane School of Sports voting district. Both were affected through voting district splits, raising serious questions about whether the process was applied consistently and guided by transparent criteria.
During the engagement between the CCF and the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) in June 2025, the community was advised to rely on the demarcation map rather than the numerical data. It was further asserted that the portion of land demarcated to Ward 51-described as the area near the reservoir – constitutes ‘open land’ with no affected residents.
“This assertion is not supported by the available evidence. The 2024 certified voters’ roll confirms that there are 1,555 verified and registered voters within the Rosina Sedibane Voting District in Ward 61. However, following the final gazetted ward demarcation, only 900 residents are registered to vote in Ward 61, while 655 voters are registered to vote in Ward 51. While it may be argued that no physical relocation of residents (‘warm bodies’) is taking place, the practical effect of the demarcation is the reallocation of votes to a different ward. This directly impacts community representation and electoral participation. The characterisation of the affected area as ‘open land’ is therefore inaccurate and materially misleading, as it fails to recognise the presence of an established and registered voting population” said Lushika Mooloo of the CCF
“The further assertion that approximately 1,000 registered voters from Mooiplaas Informal Settlement, including the Hoekplaats cluster, were allocated to Ward 61 merely to ‘balance the numbers’ is difficult to reconcile with a fair and principled demarcation process. Registered voters are not abstract figures that can be moved for statistical convenience. They are residents whose placement directly affects their representation, their voice in local
governance, and their access to ward-based services. Treating them as part of a numbers
exercise risks undermining both the integrity of the process and the reality of the community on the ground.” Said Imran Ahmed
This raises serious concerns about whether the interests of Ward 61 residents were adequately represented. The outcome further creates the perception that the community’s interests were not prioritised.
“Demarcation should reflect communities as they exist – not be shaped around numerical targets.” Said Dawood Ballim of the CCF
AN OPEN LETTER TO CLLR NAEEM PATEL
As the elected representative for Ward 61 and as a participant in Council processes, the community now calls on you to account directly to residents.
It is understood that the final demarcation was considered and signed off at Council level on 26 February 2026. Yet, despite ongoing public engagement and sustained concern from residents, the community was not adequately informed of the final outcome or its implications prior to gazetting and post formal sign-off by yourself as the elected Ward Councillor.
This raises serious and unavoidable
questions:
1. What steps did you take to inform and engage the community on these changes before they were finalised?
2. Why were residents not informed of the inclusion of Mooiplaas voters and the exclusion of Rosina Sedibane voters, particularly given the significant impact these decisions have on community representation?
At this stage, we are already two months into the process, and the final maps have been submitted to the IEC – but we, as a community still have no clue what lies ahead for us.
Residents engaged in good faith throughout the process. They attended meetings, submitted objections, and participated in public discourse – all with the expectation of transparency and meaningful representation. The absence of clear communication on a matter of this magnitude is deeply concerning and has significantly undermined public trust.
Call for Public Accountability
In the interest of transparency and restoring public confidence, the CCF formally calls on Cllr Naeem Patel to:
1. Provide a direct and public response to the concerns raised by residents; and
2. Participate in a public community forum, where these issues can be openly addressed and residents can engage directly on the decisions that have materially affected Ward
61.
The cumulative effect of the final demarcation is not minor or administrative – it materially alters the representational balance of Ward 61, with implications for governance, accountability, and service delivery.
The CCF calls for:
1. A full explanation of the criteria used to reallocate Mooiplaas and Rosina Sedibane voters;
2. Clarification on the role of the M26 and R55 as boundary considerations;
3. A detailed account of how community objections were considered; and
4. Clear accountability from you (as the elected representative) regarding your role in this process.
The community of Ward 61 deserves answers — and it deserves them in a transparent, accountable, and public manner.
Issued by:
Lushika Mooloo