By Bongekile Gumede
Tributes poured in after 67-year-old community activist and former Mayville Community Policing Forum chair, Muhammed Sayed Adam, affectionately known as ‘Uncle Sam’, passed away last week, leaving behind his wife Yasmin, 64, his two children and two grandchildren.
Adam grew up in Wentworth and later relocated to a Mayville housing complex known as Galway where he began several community upliftment projects. He was also well known to his community as he also owned a tuck-shop and took over a neglected plot of land to create a park for the community to enjoy.
His wife and daughter described him as a caring father, one who cared for his community. “He was part of the CPF for as long as I can remember. He always did things to assist the community wherever he could. He took good care of us and the family as well as animals,” said his daughter, Nadia Adam.
His bereaved wife said that as much as he was always out for the community, Adam was not a person for parties, weddings, etc. “If he attended any party or wedding it was for a short period and he will be missed for his loving and caring personality,” said Mrs Adam.
Before becoming the chair of Mayville SAPS CPF, Adam was a part of many other CPFs in eThekwini. Active Citizens Coalition (ACC) Councillor and Mayville SAPS CPF chair, Imtiaz Syed, wrote a tribute to honour the life of Adam on his Facebook page which read: “Adam was to many a source of inspiration and a father figure with an immense sense of protection, love and inspiration with the clearest, heartiest care unrewarded but extremely felt. In the 5 minutes that I used to pop into the backroom of his shop in Bristow Crescent, walking out feeling empowered by a father’s encouragement is all it really did to spur me on in the path of life I now call my own.
“When reflecting on the impact of many positive mentors I have had in life, Sam always ranks at the top with all of the fathers I have. As we have grown in our spaces from body corporates to CPFs, to a general sense of activism. He was extremely instrumental in my every step and always had an encouraging word, saying things such as: ‘I am so proud of you’ and ‘you do us proud,’ which gave us the spirit to spear ahead.”
