No one will stop me: MF leader

THE leader of the Minority Front (MF), Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi, is on a mission to rebuild the party.

After the May 8 national elections, the MF suffered a drop in its voter base and has a single seat in the KZN Provincial Legislature. But Thakur-Rajbansi is undeterred.

She is confident her candidate for the upcoming bi-election in Ward 48, Phoenix, Rivaaj Ramdas, will win the former DA-controlled area.

“In 2019, I hoped to get the 2014 number of three seats in the province and the one national legislature seat again. I felt there was a need for the minorities to have a national voice, but it did not pan out.

“The elections were meant to be a fresh start after all the challenges, including the court battles, but we overcame it and were ready. Unfortunately, the communities were hit by the DA wave, which secured four seats in the provincial legislature with many Indian votes.”

Thakur-Rajbansi said the party had headhunted Ramdas.

“We realised this was a ward ridden with crime… and we wanted someone to protect the community at any part of the day or night.”

Thakur-Rajbansi said if Ramdas won, they believed he would “shake up” the municipality to get things done “as he is that kind of persistent character”.

She said the MF would now be selective in its future recruitment.

“We want people who are politically career-oriented. They must have some tertiary qualification and be hard working. They must also be able to go out and fight for the minorities.

“We may not have got the votes, but we are still looking out for the best interest of the communities. In the next five years, and by the 2021 local government elections, we want to have changed the opinion of the MF and then our seats will be realised.”

Thakur-Rajbansi, who faced a backlash after the party’s constituency in Phoenix closed in June, said the MF was in the process of strategising and restructuring.

“We had to look at it from a logical point. Following the election results, and only managing to retain one seat, funding has now dropped and it takes a lot to maintain the office.

“It was not cheap, with (the) rental being extremely high. Together with the party’s national executive members, we decided to close the office and look for more affordable premises.

“People are of the opinion that Mrs Rajbansi abandoned the community, but we now have to manage funds wisely so we can do more for our community.”

The MF is in negotiations for another premises.

“In the interim, our PR councillor Jonathan Annipen’s office and my office in Chatsworth are still open. I am reachable on all other platforms, so people need to stop with the propaganda and slander of my name.”

After numerous court battles over her late husband Amichand Rajbansi’s estate with his family, Thakur-Rajbansi said after she was removed from the trust, they had realised her value.

“We keep in contact and they wished me well for the elections. They are Mr Rajbansi’s children and I have not done anything to hurt them. I think there were a lot of outside forces that influenced negatively, but they have come full circle. We are still in discussion with regard to the winding up of Mr Rajbansi’s estate. It is not a difficult will and should be resolved in the next six months.”

Asked what she wanted to be remembered for, she said she strived to transform the lives of minorities.

“I want to empower them enough to be able to claim their rights without being forced or swayed by populist or propagandist politics. I believe it is very important to create the mindsets of the current and future generations to be firm in their beliefs. I want to develop the kind of mindset in the Indian community to not fear cheap propaganda but to be knowledgeable about their future and to hold people accountable.”

She said before her retirement in 10 years, she was going to groom communities to stand up for their rights and to be self-sufficient.

“I am not going to let anyone derail me. This is my community and no one is going to stop me.”