Elsie Nair

Elsie Nair honoured

By Subry Govender
A woman of integrity and dignity who not only stood behind her husband fully but also a person who totally supported the struggles for a free and democratic South Africa.
This is how KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Dr Zweli Mkhize, other government leaders and former anti-apartheid activists described Mrs Elsie Nair, who died last Wednesday, January 26 at the age of 83.
Mrs Nair, who lived at La Mercy Village, was the wife of Billy Nair, the former veteran ANC Umkhonto We Sizwe commander, Robben Island Prisoner, Natal Indian Congress and United Democratic Front leader and Member of Parliament who died two years ago.
Dr Mkhize and other leaders were speaking at her funeral held at the Brake Village Temple Hall on Sunday, Janaury 30.
In addition to Dr Mkhize, other prominent leaders who attended the funeral service included Mrs Maggie Govender, MEC for Human Settlement; Mr Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Finance; Mr Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim, Deputy Minister of International Affairs; Mr Logie Naidoo, Deputy Ethekwini Mayor; Mr Mac Maharaj, former Minister of Transport; and former Natal Indian Congress and UDF activists, Paul David; Dr Farouk Meer; Dr Dilly Naidoo; Swaminathan Gounden; Sunny Singh; and Ms Ela Gandhi.
Condolence messages were sent by, among others, former Robben Island prisoner, Ahmed Kathrada, and some of Mr Nair's family members living overseas.
Tongaat activist, Siva Naidoo, was the programme director at the funeral.
"She was a remarkable woman who kept her integrity and dignity despite all the challenges she and Billy Nair faced at the hands of the former apartheid regime," said Dr Mkhize.
"The characteristics and attributes she possessed should be emulated by the people today."
Finance Minister, Mr Pravin Gordhan, arrived at the funeral after attending the World Economic Conference in Davos, Switzerland.
In his address, Mr Gordhan thanked all the activists from Tongaat and other areas who had assisted Billy Nair and Elsie Nair after Nair was released from 20 years imprisonment on Robben Island in 1984; and thereafter for the next ten years during the period when Billy Nair was arrested, detained, tortured and harrassed by the former apartheid regime.
"Elsie had her own views and never for one moment was she afraid of expressing them," said Mr Gordhan.
"She kept us on our toes and always made it clear that we must concentrate our efforts in helping the poor and the less privileged," he said.
"She left us a legacy of commitment, dedication, equality, and concern for the poor and under-privileged."
Mr Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim said Elsie Nair was a wife who stood solidly behind Billy Nair in his struggles for a free and democratic South Africa.
"She never gave up on Muna(Billy Nair) despite his many years in jail, detention, and in the underground," he said.
"She and hundreds of other wives and partners of political activists and leaders are the unsung heroines of the struggle. They supported their husbands even when the situation looked bleak," said Mr Ebrahim.
Tongaat activist, Mr Siva Naidoo, spoke about the support that many people in Tongaat and Durban had provided for Billy and Elsie Nair during their last days.
"The death of Elsie Nair and Billy Nair two years is a sad loss to all those who looked to them for political inspiration and advice. We know that their remarkable lives will live on in our democratic country," said Naidoo.
He said that a Billy and Elsie Nair Trust Fund had been established to promote education among the less privileged.
Elsie Nair, who was born in Newcastle in 1928, moved to Durban at an early age. She met Billy Nair in the late 1950s and they married in 1960. But barely three years after their marriage, Billy Nair was arrested, charged and sentenced to Robben Island for 20 years for being a member of Umkhonto We Sizwe.
After his release in 1984, they settled at La Mercy Village with the support of activists from Tongaat. Elsie Nair continued to support her husband during the dark days of the struggles in the 1980s and early 1990s. They only enjoyed life together after he was elected to parliament in 1994 for a period of 10 years. During this period they made their only trip outside South Africa when they went on holiday to Mauritius.
Their lives of sacrifice and commitment should be cherished for time immemmorial. - Subry Govender
Condolence messages were sent by, among others, former Robben Island prisoner, Ahmed Kathrada, and some of Mr Nair's family members living overseas.
Tongaat activist, Siva Naidoo, was the programme director at the funeral.
"She was a remarkable woman who kept her integrity and dignity despite all the challenges she and Billy Nair faced at the hands of the former apartheid regime," said Dr Mkhize.
"The characteristics and attributes she possessed should be emulated by the people today."
Finance Minister, Mr Pravin Gordhan, arrived at the funeral after attending the World Economic Conference in Davos, Switzerland.
In his address, Mr Gordhan thanked all the activists from Tongaat and other areas who had assisted Billy Nair and Elsie Nair after Nair was released from 20 years imprisonment on Robben Island in 1984; and thereafter for the next ten years during the period when Billy Nair was arrested, detained, tortured and harrassed by the former apartheid regime.
"Elsie had her own views and never for one moment was she afraid of expressing them," said Mr Gordhan.
"She kept us on our toes and always made it clear that we must concentrate our efforts in helping the poor and the less privileged," he said.
"She left us a legacy of commitment, dedication, equality, and concern for the poor and under-privileged."
Mr Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim said Elsie Nair was a wife who stood solidly behind Billy Nair in his struggles for a free and democratic South Africa.
"She never gave up on Muna(Billy Nair) despite his many years in jail, detention, and in the underground," he said.
"She and hundreds of other wives and partners of political activists and leaders are the unsung heroines of the struggle. They supported their husbands even when the situation looked bleak," said Mr Ebrahim.
Tongaat activist, Mr Siva Naidoo, spoke about the support that many people in Tongaat and Durban had provided for Billy and Elsie Nair during their last days.
"The death of Elsie Nair and Billy Nair two years is a sad loss to all those who looked to them for political inspiration and advice. We know that their remarkable lives will live on in our democratic country," said Naidoo.
He said that a Billy and Elsie Nair Trust Fund had been established to promote education among the less privileged.
Elsie Nair, who was born in Newcastle in 1928, moved to Durban at an early age. She met Billy Nair in the late 1950s and they married in 1960. But barely three years after their marriage, Billy Nair was arrested, charged and sentenced to Robben Island for 20 years for being a member of Umkhonto We Sizwe.
After his release in 1984, they settled at La Mercy Village with the support of activists from Tongaat. Elsie Nair continued to support her husband during the dark days of the struggles in the 1980s and early 1990s. They only enjoyed life together after he was elected to parliament in 1994 for a period of 10 years. During this period they made their only trip outside South Africa when they went on holiday to Mauritius.
Their lives of sacrifice and commitment should be cherished for time immemorial.- Subry Govender

Are you not patriotic if you don't support the national cricket team?

By Subry Govender
Senior Political Journalist and Editor

The Cricket World Cup is with us and supporters in the cricketing world are looking forward to some spectacular and nail-biting contests over the next six weeks.
While the nationals of India, Australia, Sri Lanka, England, West Indies, Bangladesh and Pakistan will automatically support their teams, here in South Africa this is not a certainity.
Noting this, the Minister of Sport, Fikile Mbulala, had to make a special plea to South Africans to rally behind the Proteas.
He said in a statement on Wednesday last week: "All South Africans must come out and support our boys. We want them to bring the cup home when they return."
Support for the Proteas has always been a point of discussion ever since South Africa was re-admitted into international cricket in the early 1990s after the release of Nelson Mandela from 27 years in prison. India was the first team to visit South Africa to play the then national team in a series of matches. The Indian team even called on Mandela at the ANC headquarters in Johannesburg.
During a press conference, Mandela was asked who he would support in the series between India and South Africa.
He responded by saying: "I regard both India and South Africa as my teams. I will support both teams."
At that time Mandela was very diplomatic as he knew that there were anti-apartheid forces in the country who wanted to see the development of non-racial sport in the country before they could switch to supporting the national teams.
Over the past 17 years, while the new ANC Government has been pushing unity in sport and urging all citizens to support the national teams, there were many others who continued to support countries such as India, Pakistan, West Indies and Sri Lanka against South Africa. Many of these people included anti-apartheid activists who fought for non-racial sport.
And this was highlighted recently when the Indian cricket team visited the country once again to play test, one-day and 20-20 internationals. A great deal of debate developed after some people of Indian-origin supported the visitors.
Questions were asked as to their patriotism - whether it was with India or South Africa? Some white spectators in particular threw abuses against Indian-origin spectators during the India-South Africa matches at Kingsmead in Durban.
It was pointed out that 17 years into our new democracy, all South Africans should support the national cricket team. It was stated that the past racial situation should be forgotten and the Indian-origin supporters should demonstrate their new patriotism.
This is all very good and nice-sounding advice. But it seems it does not go down well with those who supported the ideal of "no normal sport in an abnormal society" during the anti-apartheid struggles against racial sport.
Many of these people find it difficult to change even 17 years into our new democracy.
They happen to be mainly those in the age group of 50 and above who had experienced the excessive and aggressive racial inequalities and injustices of the past.
During the days of the struggles, they had been used to supporting visiting teams against the all-white teams. And when South Africa was re-admitted into international cricket in the early 1990s, many anti-apartheid activists began to support India, West Indies, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka against South Africa. They pointed out that they could not see themselves supporting an almost all-white national cricket team against India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and West Indies - four of the top black teams in the international cricket arena.
This attitude was in direct contrast to the sentiments expressed during the struggle period when it was made clear that in the new South Africa - the composition of the teams should not be an issue.
One of the greatest anti-apartheid sports leaders of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s era, Mr M N Pather, who was the secretary general of the South African Council of Sport(SACOS), was one of those who expounded this view. He said in an interview at that time that as far as he was concerned his struggles would be over once South Africa was free.
He had stated: "When we win our freedom, I will be happy with an all-white team as long as it is chosen on merit."
But in reality many people find this hard to follow. Most feel that the cricket team, despite the inclusion of our own home boy, Hashim Amla, and four other players of colour in the current cricket team to play in the Cricket World Cup in South Asia, is still "too white".
Whatever the reasons for some saying that they will not be supporting the Proteas, it must be made very clear that as citizens in a democracy we all enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of choice.
If people in a democratic society feel that they want to support a particular team in an international sporting competitition, then it should be their right to do so.
They should not be forced to support a particular team by terms such as "show your patriotism".

Show of wealth and ego - what a waste of taxpayers' money?

What a show of wealth and ego?

By Subry Govender
Editor and Journalist

They came from all over the country to Cape Town. They were MPs, Premiers, Speakers of provincial parliaments, traditional leaders and other invited elite.  They flew down first or business class. They were fetched in special shining Mercedes Benzs' or hired their own top of the range cars.
They wore the best of designer-made clothes - dresses, suits and hats. Of course a number also dressed in the most expensive traditional wear. They did not spare the rand.
Even the leader of the DA opposition, Helen Zille, who goes about talking about working in the interests of the poor, outdid her ANC pokers.
She appeared in sequins, chiffon and beading in the bold blue colours of her party.
She told the media: "It is an election year and I asked the DESIGNER, De Villiers Beukes, to make me something in blue. Look, I even painted my nails in blue."
While some paid their own way to Cape Town, most enjoyed the privilege of being at the opening of parliament and President Jacob Zuma's station of the nation address at tax payers' money.
In addition, they flaunted their wealth and egos during the pomp and ceremoney - all the military displays and the fly past by the air force added to the jamboree.
When they sat down in parliament to listen to President Zuma's speech, you could notice that they all appeared to be well-fed and well-nourished. There was no poor among them.
And after the speech, they got down to sipping the most expensive, wines, whisky and other liquor, and gulping delicious dishes of meat, crayfish and other fineries.
All these flamboyance, show and wasteage, at a time when President Zuma talked of getting South Africans down to work and the Government providing nearly R40-billion for the creation of jobs.
He said: "Our goal is clear. We want to have a country where millions more (people) have decent employment opportunities, which has a modern infrastructure and a vibrant economy and where the quality of life is high."
When the ruling ANC was leading the struggle for liberation and a non-racial democracy, it always maintained a code of high values, morals and principles. Now that it is in power, it seems the once principled ANC has lost its moral fibre?
There seems to be no limit to the millions it is prepared to spend on lavish parties and ceremonies, while at the same talking of uplifting the poor, improving service delivery, cracking down on fraud and corruption, eradicating crime and generally promising to create a better life for all people - for those in informal settlements, those in the rural areas, and those who have been left behind - not just for the black and white elite.
The question that one has to ask: Is the flaunting of all the top of the range cars, clothes and hats and the consumption of the finest wines and delicious food really necessary? Shouldn't the MPs, other politicians and their invited elite show some humility in the manner in which they travel, dress and eat, especially  at a time when millions more are without jobs and in dire straits?
I was always under the impression that my former comrades would be an example to those who have lost the way in  this made rush to accumulate and splash wealth?
I am certain that former President, Nelson Mandela; and others like him would not be comfortable with the wasteage of our taxpayers' money? The leaders of the calibre of the late Professor Fatima Meer, Billy Nair, Oliver Tambo, and Walter Sisulu - wherever they are now - would be embarassed at the glitter, glamour and the show of ego as seen in Cape Town on Thursday evening last week.
- Subry Govender, Senior Editor and Journalist.