Bengal Tiger was the great survivor of politics

THE reign of the Raj - famous for his wagging finger and flying hairpiece, and as the ill-fated star of the James Commission - has ended, two weeks shy of his 70th birthday.

Amichand Rajbansi, dubbed the Bengal Tiger by the media, died in the intensive-care unit of Durban's Umhlanga Hospital on Thursday after a long battle against a respiratory infection. He was the leader of the Minority Front (MF).

Last week, his wife and member of the provincial legislature, Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi, said her husband (who boasted a colourful 56-year career in politics) was in a stable condition.

Rajbansi courted controversy from the time he was a politicised 14-year-old growing up in Clairwood, Durban, to his days as a civic leader, member of the SA Indian Council, and leader of the National People's Party (NPP) and later MF.

Former President PW Botha appointed him to the tricameral parliament as head of the House of Delegates (HOD) in 1984, a position that resulted in him being branded a sellout. Four years later, he was sacked amid allegations of corruption and maladministration, and the preliminary findings by a commission of inquiry into the HOD.

Headed by Judge Neville James, the commission described him as "arrogant", "unscrupulous", "ruthless" and a "mean-minded bully". It declared him unfit to hold public office, revealing that he used his position to offer close allies liquor licences, influence civil service appointments and promotion, and sway witnesses against previous parliamentary inquiries about his conduct in office.

The findings were scripted into a one-man play by the late Charles Pillai and theatre personality Saira Essa.

Despite the findings, Rajbansi re-launched his career during the Codesa negotiations in 1993. During that time, Rajbansi was assaulted by an AWB supporter when the rightwing group stormed the venue in June 1993 and the sight of his flying hairpiece was immortalised on TV.

After SA's transition to multiracial democracy in 1994, the NPP became the Minority Front (MF) and continued to draw support from the mainly Indian townships of Chatsworth and Phoenix.

According to his office, Rajbansi formed the MF "because he wanted to be elected by the people he served, not piggy-back on bigger parties".

He justified his party's existence as the voice of the Indian community, tackling issues like housing, education, jobs, water and sanitation.

Ten years later, after the 2004 elections, he formed an alliance with the ANC and became sport MEC for KwaZulu-Natal.

However, he had a tenuous alliance with the ruling party and clashed on several occasions with ANC members, sparking intervention by former president Nelson Mandela. Madiba visited Rajbansi and his wife at their Chatsworth home to iron out differences.

His private life has also had its share of drama and colour.

Rajbansi and his first wife, Asha Devi - who famously publicly referred to her husband as "my hero" - were regarded as something of a royal couple in the Indian community.

They had an acrimonious divorce amid allegations of paranormal activity in their house in 2000. A year later, he married Phoenix pharmacist Shameen Thakur.

Over the past 11 years, Rajbansi publicly bragged about his indomitable spirit and career.

He recently admitted that a snail serum was responsible for his skin's healthy glow and said he had splurged R9000 on a hairpiece, adding it was akin to owning a new car. "Don't you have to replace parts of the car when they get worn? It's like that with my hairpiece - it has to be upgraded," he said.

While Shameen has run the party since his ill-health, there has been speculation over its future.

Visvin Reddy, Rajbansi's former right-hand man who defected to the DA and later the ANC, said he was saddened by Rajbansi's death and believed the party would not be able to sustain itself. "He made himself a central figure in the MF, and no one could emerge as a future leader. Sadly, his death is the beginning of the end for the MF."

Political analyst Kiru Naidoo said Rajbansi was a gifted maverick who carved a fringe niche in SA politics. "Friends and foes alike will accept that he was a formidable opponent, whether in parliamentary chambers or in street politics."

Naidoo said he spoke the language of the townships of Chatsworth and Phoenix and felt their heartbeat.

In December last year, Rajbansi said he had no intention of retiring from political life any time soon. "I possess the three C's - courage, character and charisma. I'm a great survivor. Even Madiba once asked me what my secret was."

Greenpeace executive director Kumi Naidoo, who grew up in Chatsworth, recalled that Rajbansi's biggest accolade was that he was "probably the country's most entrepreneurial political survivor. He will always be remembered for his wheeling, dealing and bullying."

Naidoo and his brother, Kovin, were campaigning against the SAIC in 1983 when they were involved in a confrontation with Rajbansi. "While we wish his family and friends our condolences, the overall image is negative, of someone who was opportunistic and self-serving."