Ebrahim Rasool

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Ebrahim Rasool
Premier of the Western Cape
In office
22 April 2004 – 25 July 2008
Preceded byMarthinus van Schalkwyk
Succeeded byLynne Brown
South African Ambassador to the United States
Assumed office
4 August 2010
Preceded byWelile Nhlapo
Personal details
Born (1962-07-15) 15 July 1962 (age 61)
District Six, Cape Town, South Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress
SpouseRosieda Shabodien
Children1 son and 1 daughter
Parent(s)Ismail and Aziza Rasool
Alma materUniversity of Cape Town

Ebrahim Rasool (born 15 July 1962, Cape Town, South Africa) is a South African politician who also served as the South African Ambassador to the United States.[1] between 2010 and 2015. He was replaced by H.E. Ambassador Mninwa Mahlangu who presented his credentials to President Barack Obama on Monday, 23 February 2015. Ebrahim Rasool was the Premier of the Western Cape province from 2004 to 2008. He is a member of the African National Congress. [2] Whilst he was Premier Rasool launched an aggressive series of anti-gang policies that targeted gang members economic interests and stepped up police investigations into alleged gang leaders. Following the arrest of gang leader Quinton ‘Mr Big’ Marinus Rasool and then Western Cape Provincial Minister of Community Safety and political ally Leonard Ramatlakane started receiving death threats allegedly from the Chinese Triads.[3] This led Ramatlakane to controversially spend R347,716 of public money on security improvements to his home.[4]

On 14 July 2008, Rasool was recalled from the position of premier by the National Executive Committee of the ANC, as the ANC leadership had grown tired of giving preference to the large Muslim and Cape Coloured populations in the Western Cape.[5] His successor was Economic Development and Tourism MEC Lynne Brown.

In July 2010, Rasool was appointed South Africa's ambassador to the United States.

Controversy

In 2010 before being deployed to the United States an investigation was launched into allegations that Rasool was paying a political reporter in a mainstream newspaper to write articles that portrayed him favourably. This investigation is currently stalled due to material witnesses refusing to cooperate with the investigation.[6]

Bibliography

  • Rasool, Ebrahim (Winter 2010). "South African Muslims Over Three Centuries: From the Jaws of Islamophobia to the Joys of Equality" (PDF). Arches Quarterly. 4 (7): 147–154.

References

  1. ^ "Ambassador's Biography". South African Embassy, Washington D.C. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
  2. ^ Jika, Thanduxolo. "Mr". News24. News24. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  3. ^ Standing, Andre (3 August 2005). "The threat of gangs and anti-gangs policy Policy discussion paper". ISS. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  4. ^ Joubert, Pearlie (28 August 2007). "Cape gangs: Targeting the untouchables". Mail and Guardian. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  5. ^ Jika, Thanduxolo. News24. News24 http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Ebrahim-Rasool-explains-why-he-was-fired-20110117. Retrieved 20 June 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ "'Brown envelope' probe dropped". SAPA. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
Political offices
Preceded by Premier of the Western Cape
30 April 2004 – 25 July 2008
Succeeded by