Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

08 September 2026

2-minute read

Hoping to take his activism into the council chamber, Ahmed Kayalsum, also known as Dees Ahmed, a resident of the Musgrave area in Durban for 33 years, has been an active community member for the past 18 years.

For Ahmed who is passionate about getting involved in local elections, becoming a ward councillor for Ward 31 will mean moving from campaigning for change to becoming accountable for delivering it.

Having given up his business to take up a full-time position as a ward committee member and be a part of the Berea SAPS, Ahmed’s motto is “just be there and do it!” He is the guy on the road, the man on the ground, involved in getting the power up and running when it goes out, checking out parks when cables are stolen, meeting up with contractors, getting updates for residents when there is no water in the area, and most importantly, keeping residents’ frustrations at bay.

While Ward 31 covers Musgrave, Berea, Overport, and Sydenham, Ahmed states that his involvement in service delivery in the surrounding wards that extend as far as Essenwood and Asheville.

His decision to become a councillor under the banner of the ANC came when he was travelling along the highway and noticed the large scale of work that’s being done in KZN in terms of the road infrastructure. He has “huge respect” for Imraan Subratie, the MP of KZN, who motivated him. Ahmed says that he’s very positive that working together they will get things done

His tops priority is staying on the ground to oversee the resurfacing of roads that has already started, because he says that while most people do work hard, they need someone to supervise them. Dees Ahmed is not planning to just tick the boxes, but to deliver on ward 31 with “an intention from the heart.”

Listen to teh full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Ahmed Kayalsum here.