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Yusuf Bhamjee

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Yusuf Bhamjee
Executive Mayor of uMgungundlovu District Municipality
In office
23 April 2008 – August 2016
Preceded byBongi Sithole-Moloi
Succeeded byThobekile Maphumulo
Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature
In office
May 1994 – April 2004
In office
August 2007 – March 2008
Member of the National Assembly
In office
23 April 2004 – 10 August 2007
ConstituencyKwaZulu-Natal
Personal details
Born
Yusuf Suleman Bhamjee

(1950-01-10) 10 January 1950 (age 74)
Wolmaransstad, Transvaal
Union of South Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress
Spouse
Sabera Bhamjee
​
​
(m. 1977; died 2006)​
RelationsHanef Bhamjee (brother)
Children2

Yusuf Suleman Bhamjee (born 10 January 1950) is a South African politician, academic, and former anti-apartheid activist. He was the Mayor of uMgungundlovu District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal from 2008 to 2016. Before that, he represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature and National Assembly between 1994 and 2008.

Early life and career

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Bhamjee was born on 10 January 1950 in Wolmaransstad in the former Transvaal.[1] His elder brother was activist Hanef Bhamjee.[2][3] While attending high school in Natal Province, Bhamjee was an accomplished sportsman, matching the South African 100-metre sprint record at the national athletics championships. He later played cricket for as a bowler and batsman for Natal, and he was a member and later coach of Young Natalians FC.[1]

After attending university in Dublin, Ireland, Bhamjee became a politics lecturer at the University of Natal. During the same period, he was active in the anti-apartheid movement through the Natal Indian Congress and United Democratic Front; he was particularly active in campaigning for sports boycotts of South Africa.[1] In 2019, Andrew Mlangeni awarded him the Andrew Mlangeni Green Jacket for his contribution to non-racial sport.[4]

Legislative career: 1994–2007

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In South Africa's first post-apartheid elections in 1994, Bhamjee was elected to represent the ANC in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature. Later the same year, he was the only Indian to win election to the Provincial Executive Committee of the KwaZulu-Natal ANC.[5] He was elected to a second term in the legislature in the 1999 general election.[6]

In the 2004 general election, Bhamjee was elected to an ANC seat in the KwaZulu-Natal caucus of the National Assembly.[7] However, midway through the term, on 10 August 2007, he resigned from his seat and returned to the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature;[8] his seat in the National Assembly was filled by Ntombikayise Sibhidla.[7]

Mayor of uMgungundlovu: 2008–2016

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On 23 April 2008, Bhamjee was elected as mayor of uMgungundlovu District Municipality, with Tu Zondi as his deputy. His election followed the ousting of Bongi Sithole, whom the ANC removed in a vote of no confidence due to allegations of mismanagement and maladministration.[9][10] Bhamjee was retained in the mayoral office after the 2011 local elections.[11] In addition, he was co-opted onto the ANC Provincial Executive Committee in 2012.[12]

As the end of his second mayoral term approached, the ANC announced that Bhamjee would not stand for another term as mayor.[13] After the 2016 local elections, he was succeeded as mayor by the ANC's Thobekile Maphumulo but was re-elected to the council and was elected as its speaker.[14]

Personal life

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Bhamjee married Sabera Bhamjee in 1977 after seven years of courtship. They had two daughters, Suhayfa and Sameera.[15] Sabera was the only woman gynaecologist in Pietermaritzburg at the time of her death.[16]

Sabera died on 2 June 2006 in her consulting room at St Anne's Hospital after being stabbed more than 60 times in her neck, head, and chest.[17] There were no witnesses and no forensic evidence and the motive for the killing was unclear.[16][18] As of 2017, the police had not found any leads in the murder investigation.[15]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Yusuf Bhamjee: An icon in the sports struggle". Capital Newspapers. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  2. ^ "A giant of the anti-apartheid movement has fallen". The Mail & Guardian. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  3. ^ "PMB anti-apartheid hero honoured in Wales". Capital Newspapers. 19 June 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Former KZN district mayor Yusuf Bhamjee honoured by Andrew Mlangeni". IOL. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Chiefs elected to win ANC votes". The Mail & Guardian. 9 December 1994. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  6. ^ "General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures" (PDF). Government Gazette of South Africa. Vol. 408, no. 20203. Pretoria, South Africa: Government of South Africa. 11 June 1999. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  7. ^ a b "National Assembly Members". Parliamentary Monitoring Group. 15 January 2009. Archived from the original on 14 May 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  8. ^ Naidoo, Nalini (4 March 2008). "Values: No charge to object". Witness. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  9. ^ Gumede, Thabisile (24 April 2008). "New man at district". Witness. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  10. ^ Gumede, Thabisile (28 April 2008). "Premier backs mayor". Witness. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  11. ^ Miya, Skhumbuzo (29 May 2011). "Yusuf Bhamjee returns as UMDM mayor". Witness. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  12. ^ Naidoo, Nalini (5 June 2012). "Bhamjee, Govender join ANC executive committee". Witness. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  13. ^ Nsele, Sabelo (29 June 2016). "KZN ANC shows its hand". Witness. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  14. ^ "Women in leadership in Umgungundlovu". News24. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  15. ^ a b Pillay, Kailene (11 June 2017). "Killings of women painful reminder for Bhamjee". Witness. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  16. ^ a b Hans, Bongani (1 June 2010). "Bhamjee still hopes for closure". Witness. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  17. ^ Mbanjwa, Bheki (6 June 2006). "Doctor stabbed 60 times". News24. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  18. ^ Singh, Niyanta (23 October 2013). "Wife's killers still at large". Witness. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
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