Sniping as MF launches manifesto
Party’s lone MP absent — to leader’s surprise
THE Minority Front’s only member of parliament, Roy Bhoola, says his absence at the party’s manifesto launch this week was not a sign of discontent with its leadership.
Bhoola said he had opted to attend parliament instead to deliver his farewell speech.
The MP has been at loggerheads with party leader Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi since founder Amichand Rajbansi’s death two years ago.
Infighting at that time caused party members to break into two factions.
However, in December last year, the warring sides decided to regroup and Thakur-Rajbansi was legally declared leader of the MF.
Bhoola’s absence caused a stir at Thursday’s launch because Thakur-Rajbansi did not seem to be aware of his plans to remain in Cape Town.
Asked about Bhoola’s absence, Thakur-Rajbansi said she was surprised by his absence because he had been invited.
“If he is not here, it is by his own choice. There is nothing I can do to bring him here. I think he may be on his way out.”
Bhoola said important issues were on the parliamentary agenda on Wednesday and Thursday and he felt he needed to represent the party as well as address other parliamentary members on his final day.
“For the last 10 years, I
If he is not here, it is by his own choice. There is nothing I can do to bring him here. I think he may be on his way out
have unfailingly represented my country in the highest office of the land, and Thursday was no exception. Minority communities are underrepresented on a national level. Therefore, in keeping with the legacy of Mr Rajbansi, I chose to fulfil my duties as a representative of a minority group in parliament on Thursday.”
Thakur-Rajbansi had asked members to fill in a questionnaire to “promote transparency”.
She mentioned that Bhoola had not done so.
Bhoola said it was not necessary for him to do so, adding that his work for the party over the years would determine whether or not his name made it on its national or provincial candidate lists.
He said regardless of whether he was on the lists, he would continue a career in politics.
“Mr Rajbansi was known as a great political survivor, and as his prodigy, watch me rise again in the new South Africa.”
Thakur-Rajbansi said the list submitted to the Independent Electoral Commission was decided by the MF’s executive committee and she had “only guided” the process. She assured party members that the list had remained the same.
But councillors who attended the launch said they were awaiting the publication of the final list.
The MF’s main objectives for the 2014 election include:
The reinstatement of the death penalty for serious offenders;
Scrapping race-based quotas for tertiary institutions;
Provision for Eastern languages at schools;
Full-time teachers to cater for these subjects;
Coastal space to be allocated for sea worship;
An increase in social grants to R2 000; and
The establishment of a minorities ministry and minorities commission.