Controversial local ANC Ward Councillor, Naeem Patel stands accused of dividing the community along racial and ethnic lines and using the Police Minister and top police officials to further his campaign to be re elected as Ward Councillor in the Laudium/Erasmia area.
This follows the ‘uproar’ concerning the attendance by acting Police Minister, Firoz Cachalia to a private breakfast in Laudium, last Friday morning (July 31), at a restaurant on the ‘Roof Top’ of the Jewel Str Engen garage. The breakfast hosted by Cllr Patel, for an ‘engaging dialogue’ concerning crime, which was sponsored by a local businessman, was seen by many as an election campaign, as only supporters or potential supporters of the ANC and Cllr Patel, together with potential donors for the ANC were invited. The Minister who was accompanied by his entourage including various police officers & commissioners, met with the selected group of ‘guests’ for the breakfast, mainly Muslim men, representing most of the Muslim organisations in the area, with a trickle from those of other religions or even race groups living in the area, seen as ‘token’ invites. Other than certain ANC members, including corruption accused Eugene Modise, the chair of the ANC Region, it is believed that no Africans living or working in the area, including the likes of the representatives of the domestic workers or taxi associations in the area were invited. Of course, Patel’s Pakistani confidantes and financial supporters were invited. Even those not living in the area were invited, seen as Patel’s ‘cash cows’ having a common interest. Also in the front line and seemingly Patel’s ardent supporter, was the controversial Yusuf Abramjee, believed to be a close friend of disgraced General Khan. Despite not living in Ward 61, Yusuf tagged along with Patel and the Minister, to the Laudium and Erasmia police stations and also when the delegates met up with a mainly Muslim Women’s group, even posing for photos with them. The Minister also addressed congregants on the day at the Al Ghazali Mosque, during the Friday prayer.
NOT INVITED
However, despite crime being a great concern for residents in the Laudium/Erasmia area, many local community & business groups, seemingly seen not to be aligned to the ANC nor supporters of Cllr Patel, were not invited. Also not invited were local crime fighter and Councillor, Prajay Ramjee of ActionSA, the many local Christian
and Hindu leaderships, including Pastor Kevin Naicker of the Bethesda Revival Church and representative of the Western Pretoria Ministers Fraternal, Apostle Anthony Marian from Omega Family Ministries and Guru Immanual Marian of Shri Kalikambal Kovil (SKK). Also not invited were representatives from the Shree Vishnu Sanathan Ved Dhaaram Sabha (behind Shell Garage), the Bangladesh Heights Body Corporate and the Concerned Community Forum (CCF), amongst others. Pastor Naicker told the Laudium Sun, “We are in the community and should also be included to ensure safer communities and stronger security for all people. We want to work with the Councillor, but he must include us. We were not invited for the breakfast meeting or any other meeting with Minister Cachalia, that was held on Friday.”
PATEL’S ARROGANT RESPONSE
Seemingly in response to the many posts on social media lambasting Patel, Cllr Patel basically said that there was nothing wrong in inviting a selected group of people, for the Minister’s visit, as it was the culture of the ANC. Herewith some of the extracts of the statement made by Patel… “On Friday, the Honourable Professor Firoz Cachalia, Acting Minister of Police, ANC Stalwart and ANC Veterans League Chairperson in Gauteng, visited Ward 61 following an invitation I extended for him to engage with various sectors of our community through a series of stakeholder meetings…
The programme consisted of engagements with community organisations, business and industry leaders, academics, professionals, faith-based organisations… and community safety structures to discuss policing, crime prevention and community safety. The invitation list for these meetings was determined by the objectives of each engagement…
Upon arrival, the Minister proceeded to the holding room where he and senior SAPS officials received a briefing from myself, the Laudium and Erasmia Community Policing Forums (CPFs), Laudium Disaster Management, the station commanders of Laudium and Erasmia and Garden Social Services. This is standard protocol…
The first engagement was a breakfast attended by approximately 180 guests representing 71 organisations from the business and industry sector, community organisations, academia, the professions and religious institutions…
I emphasised that effective policing requires a partnership between SAPS, communities, businesses, faith-based organisations and civil society, and that our diverse community must continue working together to combat crime.
The interactive dialogue focused on key concerns affecting our community…
Guests then enjoyed breakfast generously sponsored by Garden Social Services, Aroma Restaurant and Easi Build…
The second engagement was a visit to the Laudium Police Station, where we met with the Provincial Head of Procurement to discuss the proposed new police station. We were informed that the feasibility study has been completed and that the Department of Public Works has authorised SAPS to proceed with the budget procurement process…
A further meeting was held between the Minister, his team and the Laudium and Erasmia CPFs to discuss practical measures to strengthen policing and community safety in the area…
The Minister also delivered the Friday lecture at Masjid Abu Bakr Siddique in Erasmia, where he addressed about 700 congregants on crime prevention, community responsibility and strengthening the relationship between communities and law enforcement. This is not the first time a political leader has spoken at Masjid AbuBakr Siddique, previously Deputy President Mashatiile and Minister Ramakopa spoke at the same Masjid. DA Mayoral Candidate Celliers Brink spoke at the Bethesda Church, Late Minister Pravin Gordhan spoke at the Seva Samaj on a few occasions, even campaigning for the ANC…
The Minister expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to engage directly with representatives of more than 120 organisations and hear first-hand about the challenges facing our community.
These were deliberately structured as sectoral meetings because experience has shown they achieve greater participation and more meaningful engagement than public meetings. Since 2022, we have convened numerous public meetings on community safety that have generally attracted limited attendance. By comparison, sectoral engagements have consistently attracted broader participation and enabled more productive discussions…
As Councillors we belong to political parties, I belong to the African National Congress. It is normal for members of political parties to host ministers from there political parties.
Previous Councillors of the Ward… all hosted ministers during there tenure as councillors for sectoral meetings in the community…”
WHY? WHY? WHY?
Clearly playing the ‘religious and political game’ by emphasising that the late Pravin Gordhan spoke at the Seva Samaj, the DA’s Mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink spoke at the Bethesda Church and ANC leaders spoke at the Erasmia Mosque, the pertinent points Mampara Patel conveniently did not address are;
- If the breakfast meeting was to promote the ANC or ANC inspired, why were so many top police officials and CPF members presents as they are supposed to be non-political (actively)?
- Alternatively, why were local leaders, seemingly not his supporters, left out of the meeting with Minister Cachalia, seeing that crime is affecting all those living within the community and that the only way to fight crime is for the community to stand united, irrespective of political or religious affiliation?
- Why were the overwhelming majority of those invited for the breakfast, Muslim males, many of whom do not even live in Ward 61?
- Why were so many local organisations left out of the meeting?
- Which businesses funded the breakfast meeting and what was given to them in exchange for the donation?
- Were all donations received reported to the Speaker of the Council, as per rules?