As the Municipal election draws nearer (Nov 4, a public holiday), calls are once more being made for all candidates, their political parties and supporters to show courtesy and respect to all candidates and voters, irrespective of their choice of support, and more importantly, not to deceive voters.
This follows yet again more complaints against ANC Cllr Naeem Patel, who some residents claim is once more trying to ‘hoodwink’ the community through lies and deceit in order to boost his election campaign.
Patel and his campaign team have been accused of being dishonest by falsely using names or ‘name-dropping’ certain people who are well known in the community, giving the impression that these people are supporting him during this election period and also giving false information on those purportedly supporting him.
In an ‘I AM Team Patel’ poster campaign, seen by many as a ‘cheap publicity stunt’, Patel is accused of deceitfully using the name and photo of one of Laudium’s most respected senior residents, Ebrahim Jaffer (Uncle Ebie), a leader of the Pretoria Muslim Youth Brigade (PMYB) and a prominent figure within the community.
In an attempt to gain support from the community, Patel or his cronies printed a large poster featuring a photo of Uncle Ebie (80) in his PMYB uniform, apparently ‘confirming’ his support for Naeem Patel and the ANC in the forthcoming local election.
The large poster, in ANC colours, was displayed outside Naeem’s campaign office (a house illegally turned into a commercial building without Council-approved plans or zoning) at the corner of 13th Ave and Marble Street in Laudium. The poster was also shared on various social media platforms over which Naeem has control or influence. Also, in an attempt to ‘butter up’ potential voters to vote for him, Naeem Patel has suddenly ‘decided’ to hand out ‘Heritage Awards’ and ‘Hero Awards’, seemingly to boost his election campaign.
Furthermore, Patel has apparently chosen a committee to act as ‘judges’ for another string of awards, the ‘Ward 61 Heritage & Legacy Awards 2026’.
However, one of the names chosen by Patel to serve on the committee is that of Osman Osman (Square). When the Laudium Sun approached Osman for comment on the ‘neutrality’ of the committee and how residents who do not follow Patel on social media, would know about the details of the ‘Awards 2026’, Osman was taken aback, saying that he was not aware that his name had been added to the so-called panel, adding, “I will tell him to remove my name immediately”.
Residents have also complained of another ‘I AM Team Patel’ poster sent out this week, in which it is apparently endorsed by Firouz Dockrat as a (CPF) Sector 1 Head – Erasmia. However, Chairperson of the Erasmia CPF, Pritesh Bhana, told the Laudium Sun, “We have received a letter from Firouz Dockrat on September 1, 2026, where he resigned as being part of the Erasmia Community Policing Forum.
Ebrahim Jaffer (Ebie), of Banaras Avenue, Laudium Ext 3, who is a leader of the Pretoria Muslim Youth Brigade (PMYB), told the Laudium Sun, “I was not aware that my name and photo had been placed on a poster which was tied to a fence outside the ANC campaign office of Naeem Patel on 13th Ave. I only became aware of this whole poster story when I first saw the poster posted on Naeem Patel’s WhatsApp platforms. I was literally shocked to see that my photograph had been used in connection with his election campaign. I did not give permission for my photograph or name to be used and I was very angry and disappointed when I saw it. After seeing the post, I immediately contacted Naeem Patel and asked him about my photograph being used. I wanted to know how my picture had ended up on an ANC campaign poster and why it was being displayed on the street and on social media. Naeem told me that it was a mistake and undertook to remove the poster immediately. Although the poster was removed, I still have serious concerns about the situation. My biggest question is how my photograph was obtained and who gave permission for it to be used on a political poster of the ANC. I certainly did not give permission. I am not a politician and I am not affiliated with any political party. I have never agreed to have my image used to promote or endorse Naeem’s or the ANC’s election campaign, so I want to understand how this happened in the first place. For me, this is not simply about having a photograph placed somewhere and then removed. I believe that before anyone uses another person’s photograph for political purposes, that person should be asked for his or her permission. I should have been approached and given the opportunity to decide whether I wanted my photograph to be associated with a political campaign. That did not happen in my case. I was particularly upset because I have always tried to serve and contribute positively to all sections of the community through my involvement with the Pretoria Muslim Youth Brigade. I am known in the community through my work and my involvement with people. Thus, I do not want my community role to suggest that I support a certain political party or a particular political candidate during an election campaign. I want to make it very clear that I did not agree to have my photograph used for this purpose. I do not want people looking at a political poster with my photograph and assuming that I support the candidate, the party or the campaign. That is not a position I gave permission for anyone to communicate on my behalf. I was angry and sad because I did not expect something like this to happen. I feel disappointed because Naeem Patel is currently our Councillor and Councillors are expected to represent residents and deal with people respectfully. This incident has made me question how residents can have confidence in their political representatives if their photographs can be used without their knowledge or permission. I simply want people to understand that I was not aware of the poster, I did not approve it and I did not give permission for my photograph or name to be used for the election campaign. I also hope that a similar situation does not happen to anyone else. If somebody wants to use a resident’s photograph for a political campaign, that person should first speak to the resident and obtain permission. I am also disappointed because I have lived in this community all my life and have tried to contribute positively to Laudium. I believe our community should be built on trust, respect and honesty. Political campaigns will come and go, but relationships between residents and community leaders remain important. For me, the most important issue is consent. If I had been asked beforehand, I would then at least have been given a choice to make my own decision about whether I wanted to endorse the election campaign of Naeem or not. I am not affiliated with any political party and I do not want my identity to be connected to a political campaign without my permission.”
Anthony Marian of Jacinth Street, Laudium and ACDP candidate for Ward 61 Councillor, told the Laudium Sun, “I saw a poster featuring one of our elderly residents, a very well-known and respected uncle in our community. In my opinion, we must not run political campaigns by using our elderly people in this way. We should be supporting and respecting our elderly residents rather than using them to promote political campaigns. Our elderly people have already played their part in building our community. They have contributed to Ward 61 for many years and I believe they deserve our respect and appreciation. As a community, we should be looking after them, supporting them and allowing them to enjoy their lives with their families. I believe we should also give the younger generation an opportunity to play a bigger role in our community. We have many young people with fresh ideas, energy and the willingness to contribute to the future of Ward 61. If we are talking about the future, then we should be giving the youth a voice and an opportunity to become involved in community development. As a candidate Councillor, I am coming from the community. I am a son of the soil and I understand that our community belongs to all of us. I believe our elderly residents should never feel that they are being used for political purposes. They should feel respected and valued because of the contribution they have made over the years. For me, there is a difference between recognising an elderly person’s contribution and using their image to promote a political campaign without even considering their wishes. We must always respect our senior residents and treat them with dignity. We should support them rather than place political pressure on them. At the same time, we need to focus on the kids and the younger generation because they are the future of Ward 61. We need to encourage them, involve them and give them opportunities to make a difference. That is what I believe. Our elderly people have given enough to the community and now it is our responsibility to support them, respect them and allow them to enjoy Ward 61 with their families. The future belongs to the younger generation and we should give them the opportunity to lead the way forward.”
Jodeey Samson of Primrose Street, Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “This is not right, what the politicians are doing just to promote themselves in the ‘House of Power’. The act of our local Councillor is questionable, as no one should use elderly residents for their political gain.”
