Indian protestors gather to protect properties during the Inanda Riots.
AS PHOENIX celebrates 50 years, this historic Durban township stands as far more than rows of homes and busy streets. Phoenix represents resilience, survival and the determination of generations of ordinary people who rebuilt their lives through some of the most difficult chapters in South African history.
Its story is deeply connected to the late Amichand Rajbansi, founder of the Minority Front (MF). Although controversial yet undeniably influential, his political leadership efforts in housing and community development helped shape Phoenix into one of the largest Indian townships in South Africa.
Today, that legacy continues through myself, Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi, as my own political journey emerged directly from the heart of the Phoenix community.
The origins of Phoenix are rooted in hardship. During the apartheid era, thousands of Indian families faced displacement due to racial laws, overcrowding and devastating disasters such as the Tin Town floods in Durban. Entire families lost homes and livelihoods. At the time, Amichand Rajbansi served in Indian political structures such as the Local Affairs Committee and later the South African Indian Council. Whatever history’s debates about those institutions may be, many residents still remember Mr Rajbansi as one of the few leaders who aggressively pushed for housing solutions for displaced Indian families, especially the Tin Town flood victims.
