| Ebrahim Rasool | |
|---|---|
| Premier of the Western Cape | |
| In office 22 April 2004 – 25 July 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Marthinus van Schalkwyk |
| Succeeded by | Lynne Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 15, 1962 District Six, Cape Town, South Africa |
| Political party | African National Congress |
| Spouse(s) | Rosieda Shabodien[1] |
| Children | 1 son and 1 daughter |
| Alma mater | University of Cape Town |
Ebrahim Rasool (born 15 July 1962, Cape Town, South Africa) was the Premier of the Western Cape province in South Africa. He is a member of the African National Congress.
Anti-Apartheid Struggle Activist: Ebrahim Rasool has a long history of involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle starting at High school. He was in the leadership of the United Democratic Front and the African National Congress. His social and political commitment has consistently been faith driven. He has been involved in both the Islamic Movement as well as the Interfaith Movement. He has been actively mobilizing the Muslims and the broader faith communities for a deeper understanding of Islam and faith under conditions of oppression(under apartheid) and currently under conditions of globalization.
Awards: He has been the recipient of a number of leadership awards for example The 'Visionary Leadership and Public Good Award' from the World Congress of Muslim Philanthropist in 2008; "Foreign Direct Investment Africa Personality of the Year Award' from the London Financial Times in 2005 and he is the recipient of "Nelson Mandela Award for Health & Human Rights' from the Kaiser Family Foundation in 1998.
Democratic South Africa: Rasool has been served in various government position and led various departments like the Health, Welfare, Finance and Economic development. He was appointed as Premier of the Western Cape Province in 2004. In this position he was instrumental in amongst other, attracting foreign investment into the Western Cape Province worth R8 biliion(approximately $1billion) and making significant strides towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals(MDG's)
In July 14, 2008, Rasool was recalled from the position of premier by the National Executive Committee of the ANC, as a precursor to the recall of former President Thabo Mbeki. His successor was Economic Development and Tourism MEC Lynne Brown. In 2010 a journalist of the Argus alleged that Rasool paid him to write positive articles about his tenure as Premier. Rasool dismissed this part of the internal strife within the ANC Western Cape, and till now no-one has stepped forward to officially refer the matter to the police after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) returned the affidavit[2].
In July 2010, Rasool was appointed South Africa's ambassador to the United States.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Marthinus van Schalkwyk |
Premier of the Western Cape 30 April 2004 – 25 July 2008 |
Succeeded by Lynne Brown |
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