Rajbansi rejects claims around family trust

SHAMEEN Thakur Rajbansi, chairwoman of the A Rajbansi Family Trust, has rejected claims by the two other trustees that she had not paid the trust’s rates and VAT timeously.

Thakur Rajbansi, who is the leader of the Minority Front, claimed in replying papers filed in the Durban High Court that the application by attorney Himal Tugh and Pravin Ramjathan, her co trustees, for her to be removed as trustee, was not urgent.

The trust was established by her late husband, Amichand Rajbansi.

In the application Thakur Rajbansi’s step-children – Vimlesh, Vimal, Vimlekha, Vimshana and Vimtha – as well as the Master of the High Court, were cited merely as interested parties.

Tugh and Ramjathan also alleged that Thakur Rajbansi was not administering the trust in good faith.

But she hit back, saying she was fully aware of her responsibilities as executrix of her husband’s multi-million rand estate and trust chairwoman.

Thakur Rajbansi, represented by attorney Anesh Maharaj, said Tugh and Ramjathan were aware that from August 24 to September 3 she commuted between Durban and Johannesburg and was involved in parliamentary work in Pietermaritzburg.

“Upon my arrival in Durban during the afternoon of September 3 and after I got an email from Ramjathan concerning the rates and VAT, I forwarded the cheques to Tugh to settle the payments,” she said.

“Tugh sent me an e-mail at approximately 2.36pm on September 4 confirming receipt of the cheques.”

Thakur Rajbansi said she could only be removed as a trustee by the court.

The matter was adjourned last week by consent to an unconfirmed date.