Even Madiba loved him when he was young and honoured him by having lunch with him at his residence in Chatsworth where Madiba said that he came to thank him for this contribution. Only the Raj and Madiba share the secrets when at 3 am they discussed breaking the deadlock at Codesa to get South Africa’s first democratic constitution.

He tells his detractors that the system did not make him. He was a mature politician at the age of 14 and attended every ANC rally addressed by Dr. Luthuli and Moses Mabida in Durban.

He surprised everyone when he lead the first school boycott at Clairwood High School in 1959 and took a troop of young Indian youths with the ANC flag to the Freedom Day Rally at Curries Fountain in 1959.
He went to referee soccer matches for exercise and ended up refereeing some of the key professional matches in South Africa. He attended a soccer meeting and was elected the president. He joined the SAIC and became its Head. Amichand Rajbansi entered the House of Delegates as a means to an end to create a true non-racial South Africa. He became its Chief Minister.

Theses were written on him – studies were made of him. The media coined him the name the “Bengal Tiger” and they described him as follows:

• The survivor;
• Rajbansi keeps bouncing back;
• He is a political tight rope walker par excellence;
• He is the India rubber man;
• He is politically cunning without equal;
• People who saw him in action know that his is a formidable opponent;
• Nanda Subban – “He is one of the most colourful politicians in South Africa’;
• Daily News – “One of the key negotiators at Codesa”;
• “One klap one hero” – The Sowetan;
• He is the “comeback kid”;
• Political cat with nine lives;
• Rajbansi makes political history by being the first Indian to address the White House of Assembly;
• Daily News, June 1, 1992 – “He is the Bruce Fordyce of parliamentary debate – unstoppable talk champion” – “In fact there is no other challenger. Let his prize be named the Rajbansi trophy of Loquacity. He leaves his opponents gazed with sheer stamina”;
• In 1994 he said “Watch me rise in the new South Africa” – prophetic words rising to become the first KZN MEC for Sport and Recreation;
• The best of all – Sunday Times, 28 February 1988 - “In the Karoo they would call him the ‘kanniedood’ the name of a plant that refuse to whither, in spite of the extremes of temperature”;
• The James Commission saga gave him the strength to rise again calling it the Shame Commission

He is no doubt colourful – turning disadvantage to advantage. One of the finest political tacticians.Mr. Amichand Rajbansi is dedicated towards improving the lot of the suffering masses.