Controversial South African Indian Politician Amichand Rajbansi passed away

Charismatic and controversial South African Indian politician Amichand Rajbansi died on 29 December 2011 in Durban, South Africa. He was nicknamed The Bengal Tiger because of his fiery nature. Rajbansi courted political controversy throughout his career but remained popular with a section of the Indian community which repeatedly voted him back into positions through his Minority Front party.

A decade after the first democratic elections in 1994 that saw Nelson Mandela become President, Rajbansi who had renamed his party the Minority Front, became a kingmaker giving the ANC a majority after he threw his lot in with them. He was in turn rewarded with the post of Sports Minister in his home province, but lost the same during the last elections. Rajbansi had served as Sport and Recreation MEC in the ANC-led provincial cabinet from 2004-2009 as a result of a coalition agreement between the MF and ANC.

In 1998, then white minority National Party Prime Minister PW Botha sacked Rajbansi after allegations of irregularities committed by Rajbansi surface. He was then described as arrogant, unscrupulous, ruthless and a mean-minded bully.

Rajbansi had  received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the India International Friendship Society in New Delhi in January 2009.