Omie Singh
{{Short description|South African politician and businessman (born 1957)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| party = African National Congress (since March 2003)
| office = Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests
| alongside = Amos Masondo and Humphrey Maxegwana
| termstart = 8 July 2014
| termend = 7 May 2019
| predecessor = Buoang Mashile
| successor = Lydia Moshodi
| office2 = Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature
| termstart2 = October 2001
| termend2 = May 2014
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|06|22|df=yes}}
| birth_name = Aumsensingh Singh
| birth_place = Durban, Natal Province
Union of South Africa
| otherparty = Democratic Party (until March 2003)
| office1 = Delegate to the National Council of Provinces
| constituency_AM1 = KwaZulu-Natal
| termstart1 = 22 May 2014
| termend1 = 7 May 2019
| office3 = Member of the National Assembly
| termstart3 = June 1999
| termend3 = 1 October 2001
| constituency3 = KwaZulu-Natal
}}
Aumsensingh "Omie" Singh (born 22 June 1957) is a South African politician and businessman from KwaZulu-Natal. From 2014 to 2019, he represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Council of Provinces, where he co-chaired Parliament's Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests. Before that, he served in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature from 2001 to 2014 and in the National Assembly from 1999 to 2001. Having entered politics as a member of the Democratic Party (DP), he joined the ANC by floor-crossing in March 2003.
Early life and career
Born on 22 June 1957{{cite magazine |date=11 June 1999 |title=General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures |url=https://gazettes.africa/archive/za/1999/za-government-gazette-dated-1999-06-11-no-20203.pdf |magazine=Government Gazette of South Africa |location=Pretoria, South Africa |publisher=Government of South Africa |volume=408 |issue=20203 |pages= |access-date=26 March 2021}} in Durban, Singh attended Chatsworth High School.{{Cite web |title=Aumsensingh Singh |url=http://www.pa.org.za/person/aumsensingh-singh/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=People's Assembly |language=en}} He joined the Progressive Federal Party, a predecessor to the DP, in 1986.{{Cite web |date=25 February 2018 |title=Singh sticks to reconciliation agenda |url=https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/sunday-tribune-south-africa/20180225/282488594216843 |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=Sunday Tribune |via=PressReader}} He was a businessman until he became involved in frontline politics after the end of apartheid.
Legislative career
Singh was a local councillor for the DP in Durban until the 1999 general election,{{Cite web |date=1999-05-28 |title=Parties appeal to Indian fears |url=https://mg.co.za/article/1999-05-28-parties-appeal-to-indian-fears/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} when he was elected to a DP seat in the KwaZulu-Natal caucus of the National Assembly.{{Cite web |date=2002-06-02 |title=The National Assembly List of Resinations and Nominations |url=http://parliament.gov.za/na/resign.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020602095739/http://parliament.gov.za/na/resign.htm |archive-date=2 June 2002 |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=Parliament of South Africa}} He served in the seat for a little over two years, leaving on 1 October 2001 to join the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, where he swopped seats with Mark Lowe.
In March 2003, while he was serving in the provincial legislature, Singh became the first public representative to take advantage of that month's floor-crossing window, announcing that he had resigned from the DP in order to join the ANC. He reportedly disagreed with the DP's decision to cooperate more closely with the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).{{Cite web |date=2003-03-21 |title=DA member jumps ship to ANC |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2003-03-21-da-member-jumps-ship-to-anc/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}{{Cite web |last=Zulu |first=Mandla |date=22 March 2003 |title=Buthelezi wants ANC MEC's out |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/buthelezi-wants-anc-mecs-out-20030322 |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} He served the rest of the legislative term under the ANC banner{{Cite web |date=2003-11-21 |title=Alliance split over election list |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2003-11-21-alliance-split-over-election-list/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} and was re-elected to a full term in the seat, on the ANC's party list, in the 2004 general election.{{cite magazine |date=20 April 2004 |title=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 |url=https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/262770.pdf |magazine=Government Gazette of South Africa |location=Pretoria, South Africa |publisher=Government of South Africa |volume=466 |issue=2677 |pages=4–95 |access-date=26 March 2021}} He was re-elected in 2009.{{Cite web |date=29 April 2009 |title=KwaZulu-Natal MPLs elected April 22 |url=https://www.politicsweb.co.za/documents/kwazulunatal-mpls-elected-april-22 |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Politicsweb |language=en}}
In the 2014 general election, Singh was elected to the KwaZulu-Natal caucus of the National Council of Provinces. He served a single term there and co-chaired Parliament's Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests.{{Cite web |date=2018-05-31 |title=Parly disciplinary hearings loom for Bongo, Manana |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2018-05-31-parly-disciplinary-hearings-loom-for-bongo-manana/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} He left Parliament after the 2019 general election{{Cite news |date=17 May 2019 |title=ANC sheds 19 seats, but ‘tainted’ remain |work=IOL |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/anc-sheds-19-seats-but-tainted-remain-23395478 |access-date=18 May 2023}} and retired from frontline politics,{{Cite news |date=23 May 2021 |title=Sending India a breath of fresh air |work=IOL |url=https://www.iol.co.za/sunday-tribune/news/sending-india-a-breath-of-fresh-air-2ddabc58-14d1-4471-94ba-6dcffe6d3e95 |access-date=18 May 2023}} though he was active as president of the KwaZulu-Natal International Business Association,{{Cite web |date=2022-03-08 |title=KIBA: Two years and still going strong |url=https://risingsunoverport.co.za/114693/kiba-two-years-and-still-going-strong/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=Rising Sun Overport |language=en-US}} as well as active in community organising in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal.{{Cite news |date=19 March 2023 |title=Phoenix community ‘ready to defend themselves’ against threats of violence |work=IOL |url=https://www.iol.co.za/sunday-tribune/news/phoenix-community-ready-to-defend-themselves-against-threats-of-violence-d9be5e20-eae8-4c54-a0b8-382881ddcda7 |access-date=18 May 2023}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{People's Assembly (South Africa)|aumsensingh-singh|Mr Aumsensingh Singh}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Omie}}
Category:African National Congress politicians
Category:Democratic Party (South Africa) politicians
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 1999–2004
Category:Members of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature
Category:Members of the National Council of Provinces
Category:Politicians from Durban