Mrs Shameen Thakur Rajbansi, Member of the Provincial Parliament in KZN was unanimously elected by the entire MF Caucus, as the New Leader of the Minority Front on 16 January 2012.

The Minority Front announced at the Coastlands Hotel on the 19 January 2012 that Mrs Shameen Thakur Rajbansi was the newly elected leader.

It was under the sad circumstances of the passing away of Mr A. Rajbansi who started and led the Minority Front from 1993 to 2011. Mrs Rajbansi and the Minority Front Team pledges to follow the guidelines set by their Iconic Leader and work at grassroots level to take care of the community.

ANNOUNCEMENT AND INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW MF LEADER
By: Minority Front Councillor Patrick Pillay (19 / 01 /2012)

Good day to all the members of the Electronic and Print media. All protocols observed. Today marks an historical moment for the Minority Front, whereby we announce our new Leader.

Whilst our Leader Mr A Rajbansi was in hospital, there was a hype of speculation doing its round in the media questioning a possible vacuum within the MF. Unfortunately for the critics, our dedicated team of MP’s and Councillors proved them wrong by espousing great leadership skills and implementing all the principles and values our GREAT Leader Mr Rajbansi has instilled in us.

Mr Rajbansi never left a vacuum in the MF. In fact he developed collective Leadership that has provided the MF team with all the necessary political tools for the future. Our Leader Mr Rajbansi never based his political career and succession plan on text books but implemented practical and traditional methods of teaching and succession.

Mr Rajbansi has developed an exit strategy on the method of succession based on the many principles and pillars such as Training, Observations, Planning, mandates, delegation, performance appraisals, competencies, skills and characteristic traits of individuals. Mr Rajbansi’s practice of ‘general consensus’ by the MF caucus on decisions was vital in the implementation of policies and administrative systems within the MF and its functioning. This method of simplicity and practicality has led to the smooth transition of the election of the new Leader for the MF.

When the MF Caucus held its meeting, to take a decision on electing its New Leader, this was not a mammoth task because the MF has a clear direction in terms of the individual to be elected with the prerequisite skills and immense political experience in all spheres of government.

I will now read the resolution from the minutes of the meeting held at the Minority Front Head Office Boardroom in Chatsworth on Monday the 16TH January 2012. [Read from the resolution document]

And this resolution has been accepted and signed by Mrs Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi a copy of which will now be distributed to the media.

Members of the Media, Mrs Shameen Thakur Rajbansi was born in Newcastle and hails from an academic background. As a young student, she headed the school debating teams and excelled in sports and in academic work. She was the Head Girl of St Oswald’s High School in 1982. She completed her Pharmacy Degree at the University of Durban Westville in 1986 and achieved her MBA at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in 2010 and recently on the 18th November 2011 she graduated at UNISA for the course in Leadership and Good Governance.

After qualifying as a pharmacist, Mrs Shameen Thakur Rajbansi worked in hospitals and Pharmacies. She went into her own Practise in Phoenix and practised community pharmacy for twenty years. Mrs Rajbansi is currently serving her third term in the Provincial Legislature and was elected in 1999, 2004 and 2009. Mrs Rajbansi currently serves in various Portfolio Committees in the KZN Provincial Legislature such as Health, Welfare, Economic Development, Education, Arts and Culture, the Women’s Caucus, Safety and Security and Environment. Mrs Rajbansi’s parliamentary skills are well recognised in terms of committee work, people representation, written submissions, motions, debates and reshaping of legislation, policies and programmes.

In 1998, Mrs Shameen Rajbansi was elected as the Chairperson of the Minority Front Women’s League and was re-elected last year in August 2011. She is a dedicated, committed and a practical person who works with many community, social and religious organisations for the upliftment of the lives of people and the poor. She is a strong activist in the empowerment of learners, women, youth and other topical areas.

Amongst the various awards, Mrs Rajbansi has received are, the Lifetime Achievement Award in New Delhi in 2007 as a PIO and in 2011 she received for her contribution towards Gay Legislation and for Championing the Gay Persons cause; the Gay Oscar International Lifetime achievement award in Durban.

Members of the Media, Mrs Shameen Thakur Rajbansi is no doubt a Leader with a vision and purpose and possesses all the attributes that will take the Minority Front to a higher level. Mrs Shameen Rajbansi is a fearless fighter and tenacious in her resolve to champion and persevere the aims, vision and mission of the Minority Front including the continuation of the legacy of our Great statesman the Late Mr Rajbansi.

Members of the media I now present to you the new leader of the Minority Front, the Honourable Mrs Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi who will now address you.
Thank you.

SPEECH BY: MRS SHAMEEN THAKUR-RAJBANSI:
LEADER OF THE MINORITY FRONT (19/01/2012)

Today, my installation as the leader of the Minority Front is my life’s long childhood, cherished dream that, “I” wanted to be a politician.

My fateful meeting with Mr Rajbansi in “1998” shaped me politically and my life with my Leader and husband was one incredible adventure of increasing public involvement, first as Mrs Rajbansi, then more and more in your own right.

My view on life, is uniquely my own, beyond the public eye but as I come into my own, my leadership style will flow through my activities, victories, reactions, the continuation of Mr Rajbansi’s political and social legacy, his vision for the people of South Africa, our culture, problems and resources.

I like to look at myself as a gifted person, married to a remarkable man.

I am a women of action endowed with rare energy from deep spirituality.

I have a greater role to play on the homefront now; how to reconcile my public obligations with home responsibilities.

For Mr Rajbansi, success meant winning the election war, not every battle. Our Leader certainly did things differently.

Our leader’s motto was, “the price of success is eternal vigilance”.

I want to assure the public and supporters that together with the MF Team, we will live this motto, like Mr Rajbansi did.

Mr Rajbansi always stated that Parliament belonged to the People, and as elected representatives, we must make Parliament democratic, representative, responsible and relevant.

Mr Rajbansi would bathe his intellect in the teachings of the Bhagavat Gita and this made the problems of our very modern world trivial. This will also be my guiding light and comfort.

As the new Leader of the MF, my first mandate is to continue the vision, mission and aims of why my leader established the MF. In his own words, it was, “to make South Africa, world class, the protection of minorities is paramount”.

His mission has always been to ensure the absence of discrimination and inequality.

His aim was to ensure co-operation between all race groups, to build a firm foundation for social- cohesion and lasting unity.

In terms of immediate to short-term goals; I will, like my leader, fearlessly voice the concerns of all the people; at all levels of government because he founded this Minority Movement based on the fact that this is an international phenomenon based on various declarations and conventions. He stood firm that, the success of any democracy is dependent on the manner in which the minority communities are accommodated.

In terms of the MF’s long term goals; I pledge to continue the fight for the establishment of:

a)A minorities commission in South Africa,
b)A minorities Ministry in South Africa.


For the future, as, a party, we in the Minority Front will create awards in keeping with the multi-faceted contribution of our late leader in all walks of his life, to be disclosed in the near future. These awards will keep his legacy burning bright and will untap leadership skills in individuals and groups; alike.

The political stability and progress to date of the Minority Front, as a party, is attributed to the enormous strength, hard work and political prowess of our late leader.

Mr Rajbansi, prided himself as Indian indentured stock, and took a leaf from our elders to build inter-community and inter-party relationships during South Africa’s transition into democracy. We in the Minority Front know that given the current political climate, coalition politics is a reality but working-relationships are also an alternative, as per old Indian philosophy that, negotiation and discussion is key to finding solutions to problems.

Our Leader taught the Minority Front Team to be good administrators, like he proved when he was MEC of Sports and Recreation. So, we hope that today the media is judging us and any criticism will be taken in good taste.

I further pledge to continuously monitor the Minority Front’s 2009 Turnaround Plan for our government based on, Mr Rajbansi’s call for socio-economic legislative and policy reviews that hurts minorities and for good governance iniatives to be adhered to.

The nature of leadership will always be controversial but my late leader taught me what constitutes capable, strong, effective leadership, using the SPARKLE Principle, ie: Self-discipline, Purpose, Accomplishments, Responsibility, Knowledge, Laddership, and Example.

Laddership – you may not know so well but essentially it is the special nature of the social and moral contract between leaders and their constituents because, leaders are dependent on their followers hence, Mr Rajbansi always remained a grassroots leader.

I end on a note that my late leader espoused the fact that he was truly a “born leader”. He always said that “Politics was in his blood” and politics meant the “affairs of the people” This is how he lived his life, with the people and for the people, a self-less servant of humanity. His, are big shoes to fill. I pray to God that I can live up to these expectations.

Mr Rajbansi must always be remembered by the poem he left us to read at an appropriate time “If Tomorrow Starts Without Me”.

We would like the late Honourable Mr Amichand Rajbansi to be known as our very own “Mahatma”, a man who had no time to get university degrees and this pained me when I achieved academic qualifications and he simply wholeheartedly supported my studies but the final lesson for me is; his life and work that can fill the shelves of university libraries because he was a walking talking encyclopaedia, and he implemented practically his knowledge because he was hands on , widely read and had the wisdom and memory of a genius. His oratory skills are unmatchable; his verbatim renditions amazing and impromptu speeches inspirational.

Mr Rajbansi always quoted Shiv Khera who said that, “it is better to be honourable than to be honoured”, a way of simple living and higher thought, he valued.

On behalf of the entire Minority Front Team, we pledge to honour the teachings and guidelines set by our late leader, the Honourable Mr Amichand Rajbansi, in the service of the government, our institutions, organisations and the people of South Africa.

Thank You

Mrs Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi
Leader of the Minority Front


COASTLANDS CONVENTION CENTRE, DURBAN
@ 10 AM ON 19 JANUARY 2012