Solly Rasmeni

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Solly Rasmeni
Member of the National Assembly
In office
June 1999 – May 2009
ConstituencyNorth West
Personal details
Born
Solomon Mandlenkosi Rasmeni

(1953-09-17) 17 September 1953 (age 70)
Sterkspruit, Cape Province
Union of South Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress
Spouse
​
(m. 1981)​

Solomon Mandlenkosi Rasmeni (born 17 September 1953) is a South African politician and former trade unionist. Formerly an organiser for the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in the Western Transvaal, he represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly from 1999 to 2009. Before that, he was a member of the North West caucus of the Senate during the first democratic Parliament.

Early life and union activism

Rasmeni was born on 17 September 1953[1] in Sterkspruit in the former Cape Province.[2] He was a mineworker in the Western Transvaal, from 1975 in Klerksdrop, where he worked at Vaal Reefs.[2] He was a founding member of the NUM and later worked for it as a regional organiser. He and his wife were also active in Congress-aligned civic organising against apartheid.[2]

Due to his activism, he was the subject of harassment and attacks, including pursuit by a vigilante mob in 1986 and two separate bombing attacks on his home in Jouberton in 1990 and 1991.[2][3] He was also arrested on several occasions.[2] Most proximately, he was arrested on 30 December 1990 and detained without trial for two weeks; he and others detained with him sustained a hunger strike throughout their detention.[4] Also in the early 1990s, after the ANC was unbanned by the apartheid government, he served as the party's regional chairperson in the Western Transvaal.[2]

Legislative career

In South Africa's first post-apartheid elections in 1994, Rasmeni was elected to represent the ANC in the North West caucus of the Senate,[5][6] though he left his seat before the end of the legislative term.[7] In the next general election in 1999, he was elected to the National Assembly,[1] and he served two terms, gaining re-election in 2004;[8] he was highly ranked on the ANC's party list on both occasions: second on the North West list in 1999 and first in 2004. He left Parliament after the 2009 general election.

Personal life

He married Rachel Rasmeni in 1981.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b "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.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Human Rights Violations". Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 23 September 1996. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  3. ^ "Rasmeni, Solomon Mandlenkosi". Truth Commission Special Report. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Further information on UA 03/91 (AFR 53/01/91, 9 January) – South Africa: legal / health concern: George Molaioa, Henry Moleme, Tsidiso Ntaopane, Solomon Rasmeni". Amnesty International. 24 January 1991. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  5. ^ South Africa: Campaign and Election Report April 26–29, 1994. International Republican Institute. 1994. Retrieved 13 April 2023 – via Yumpu.
  6. ^ "Another Bar On Media". The Mail & Guardian. 16 September 1994. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  7. ^ "Members of the National Council of Provinces". Parliament of South Africa. 5 December 1998. Archived from the original on 5 December 1998. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  8. ^ "General Notice: Notice 717 of 2004 - Electoral Commission – List of Names of Representatives in the National Assembly and the Nine Provincial Legislatures in Respect of the Elections Held on 14 April 2004" (PDF). Government Gazette of South Africa. Vol. 466, no. 2677. Pretoria, South Africa: Government of South Africa. 20 April 2004. pp. 4–95. Retrieved 26 March 2021.

External links

  • Testimony to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
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