65 years on … and still serving
WHEN the annals of South African politics are written, the name of Margaret Rajbally will be among those women who were ahead of their time.
Instead of putting up her feet after 65 years of public service, this week she rattled off a list of community and political events still on her agenda and said there was still much to do. The work would never stop.
Rajbally, 85, still serves on the Minority Front’s national executive council and is the head adviser to the party’s leader, Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi.
Rajbally grew up during a dangerous period when those who dared to oppose the apartheid government faced huge risks to themselves, as well as kith and kin.
And given the struggles faced by women today, the challenges then were even greater.
“It is all about service. Everything you do should be about service,” Rajbally told POST.
Just like many of the country’s political luminaries, such as current and former presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Kgalema Motlanthe, she entered politics through the trade union movement, in this case, the Garment and Industrial Workers Union.
Rajbally started out as a factory worker and was employed at Ascot Clothing in Umbilo when the Garment and Industrial Workers Union approached her to join their ranks.
Though small in stature, she quickly established herself as a shrewd negotiator and coupled with her isiZulu and English language skills travelled the length and breadth of KwaZulu-Natal recruiting union members.
At least four times, she survived attempts on her life.
“I had to step carefully. I still have the sjambok marks on my back,” she said, explaining the dangers she encountered because of union rivalry and the tense political climate.
Rajbally is the daughter of sugar farmers from Stanger and had a grandmother who lived to the ripe age of 125 years.
Never conventional, she was known to wear short skirts, pant suits and short hair at a time when women were expected to be more conservative.
Her family was against the idea of her going into public life through the union, but she was determined to fight for justice for the oppressed and devoted 40 years of her life to the workers’ cause.
It was during her time there that she was approached by Amichand Rajbansi, who had heard of the gutsy woman who went as far as the country’s borders to sign up union members.
He shared his political vision with her, and together they established the Minority Front (MF).
“I used to take him from factory to factory to recruit members,” Rajbally said.
That was the start of a new career in politics, and through the MF, she became the deputy mayor of Durban and then served two years in the provincial legislature. When the party gained seats in the National Assembly, Rajbansi asked her to represent the MF in Cape Town.
Reminiscing about her time as a Member of Parliament in the Mother City, she recalled the various interactions she had with other politicians.
“I was Mandela’s favourite. He used to call me ntombazana yam,” said Rajbally.
And then there was IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who was so taken with the speeches she translated into isiZulu that he even made political overtures towards her.
“He said I want you to join my party. But I said I am with the MF, and I will remain with the MF.” She said this made him respect her more.
Serving two terms in Parliament was hard work. At first, she was the lone MF parliamentarian, and during the second term, she was joined by Roy Bhoola.
Countless times she would wake up in the early hours of the morning with her head resting on the speech she had been working on the night before.
Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi, the current MF leader, described Rajbally as a warrior woman who was like a big sister to her late husband, Amichand Rajbansi. She said their mutual trust and respect saw them achieve the impossible. She said, to her, Rajbally was a mother-like figure who was always caring
and encouraging through the highs and lows of life.
“Her personal sacrifices speak for themselves, as to what women had to trade off in order to enter the male-dominated political arena at that time. It is due to brave women like Margaret Rajbally that the entry into politics has been made easier for women like me and others.”
Sandy Kalyan, former DA MP, said she had fond memories of her interactions with Rajbally, whom she admired.
Kalyan said she was the lone Indian MP in her party in 1999 and one of only a handful of black people.
Like Rajbally, she lived alone in the parliamentary village because her family was in Durban.
“Nobody could identify with me, and I could not identify with them. Margaret and I both came from traditional Indian backgrounds, and we had never interacted with white people.”
Despite their different political views, she said Rajbally never let it interfere with any of her interpersonal relationships. She had that maturity.
“We would often chat about family and religion because we are both Sai devotees,” Kalyan said.
Like Rajbally, Kalyan cut a striking figure in her sari and her dot, but on windy days, she would often wear something different and then get scolded by Rajbally, who called her bachcha (child).
She would always remember how reassured she felt when Rajbally put her hand on her shoulder when walking past to her seat in Parliament, said Kalyan.
And on a Monday morning, Rajbally would arrive in Cape Town with a cooler bag of food that she brought from home and shared it with her.
Rajbally said when Rajbansi passed away in 2011, she continued her work in the party. “I thought, let his soul rest in peace.”
She said her entire life was in the service of the people, and this would never change.
Through her activism and politics, she travelled throughout the world and experienced much, but never settled down to a conventional life of love and marriage. “I had a lot of approaches, but I never had time for all that lovemaking and all.
“I’d rather serve the people.” Although technically retired, she was still active and would be at peace “if the
Lord called me”. While still filled with vim and vigour, her body sometimes let her down.
“Today, my body and my brain are screaming at me, you didn’t only use me, you bloody abused me,” she laughed.