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
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
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