Minority Front leader Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi says she will use the party’s sole eThekwini council seat to scrutinise municipal spending, challenge poor service delivery and represent residents.
Minority Front (MF) leader Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi says she will use the party’s sole eThekwini council seat to scrutinise municipal spending, challenge poor service delivery and represent residents.
The party which obtained 0.38% of the votes in the 2026 Local Government Elections, secured one seat in the eThekwini Council.
Thakur-Rajbansi contested the elections for the first time since 2019, with ‘gratitude and determination,’ and she confirmed that the one seat would be taken up by herself.
However she admitted that she was disappointed that the MF did not achieve better results.
“The MF has one seat in eThekwini, thanks also to the hard work done by our previous councillor Sunitha Maharaj. To some, this election outcome may appear to be only one voice in a large Council.
“To me, it is a golden seat, because it gives us the opportunity to speak directly for ordinary residents, ratepayers, pensioners, businesses and communities who often feel forgotten once elections are over,” she said.
"I believe the MF could have performed better. We have raised objections arising from what we regard as irregularities during aspects of the counting and data-capturing processes, and we await the outcomes of those objections through the IEC’s formal processes.
“Until those processes are completed, it would be wrong to prejudge the outcome. What is important is that every legitimate concern is properly investigated so that voters can retain confidence in our electoral system,” she added.
“This one seat must make the entire Council conscious of its duty to the people who fund this municipality through their rates, tariffs and taxes.”
She said one of the biggest challenges was the lack of resources in the City.
“Our City does not lack potential. Durban has extraordinary assets: our coastline, port, tourism sector, business districts, cultural diversity, communities, municipal property and infrastructure base.
“Yet we are operating in an environment of scarce resources, rising costs and enormous service-delivery pressures. That means every rand must work harder and every councillor must work harder,” she said.
“I intend to use my position to scrutinise and reallocate budgets to priority needs affecting us currently, question expenditure, challenge poor service delivery and keep issues such as the provision of tap water, electricity, correct utility billing, sanitation, roads, safety and infrastructure firmly on the Council agenda with feedback to the community.”
She stated that the one seat may also become important in a council where coalition negotiations and political agreements could determine the next administration.
“I remain realistic: one seat on its own is not enough to make me mayor. But where the numbers require parties to engage one another, the MF will use its influence responsibly and in the interests of residents.”
She added that any MF coalition agreement would be a formal process for community transparency and buy-in.
"A single party like a big party with no clear majority cannot work in silos and for the sake of a stable metro must seek working relationships with like-minded parties as the current election outcomes dictates.
“The MF has been approached by a few parties and we will consider our options. We will see who will agree to the service delivery budget requirements for the areas that have given the MF this one seat mandate. This could be any like-minded party or parties,” she said.
In the 2024 elections, the MF did not feature on the ballot.
Thakur-Rajbansi said the party had failed to secure funding to contest the elections at the time.
She said the party’s political fortunes suffered following the death of her husband, the party’s founding leader, Amichand Rajbansi.
She said even contesting the 2019 elections was difficult with a very tight budget.
“What has touched me most since my return - as I did not contest the 2024 parliamentary elections - has been the jubilant reception from our supporters, the media, friends, family, party workers, fellow candidates, other political parties, businesses and minority communities.
“There is a visible sense of relief that the MF voice remains in eThekwini along with a renewed sense of hope.”
She also noted the overwhelming support from the community.
“People have stopped me on the streets , called me and sent messages saying, in effect: ‘Now make that seat count’.
"That is exactly what I intend to do, by making it a loud, constructive and accountable seat, one that speaks not only for minorities, but for every resident who wants eThekwini to work again," she added.