By Subry Govender
Family members and friends of the late Ruthinsamy Munsamy Isaac Govender descended from far and wide on the city of Pietermaritzburg in South Africa on Saturday, September 23 (2017) to pay their last respects to their beloved elder.
The funeral service of Mr Govender, who passed away at the age of 95 at his home in Northdale, Pietermaritzburg on Saturday, September 16 (2017), was held at the local Bethlehem Baptist Church in Northdale.
In addition to his own children, grand-children, great-grand-children and members of his Christian fraternity, Mr Govender’s two surviving sisters, a sister-in-law, and scores of nephews and nieces and their families also attended the service.
His sisters, Mrs Savundalay Padaychee (90) of Dundee and Mrs Amoy Moodley (81) of Unit 3 Chatsworth, and sister-in-law, Mrs Soundler Govender, also of Chatsworth, were brought to the funeral of their brother and brother-in-law respectively by their children.
Members of all of Uncle Isaac’s 10 brothers and sisters who are resident all over Durban, Johannesburg, Dundee and other areas in the country represented their respective families. They included family members of Patcha Govender of Chatsworth; Nadasen Govender of Port Shepstone, Licky Govender of Chatsworth; Valiatham Dick Govender of Isipingo; Soobramoney Sooboo Govender of Isipingo; Percy Govender of Chatsworth; Salatchie Subramoney of Ottawa/Verulam; Savundalay Padaychee of Dundee; and Amoy Moodley of Unit 3 Chatsworth.
Tributes were paid to Uncle Isaac by members of his Christian church, two grand-children, Mrs Andrea Chetty, who is the daughter of Meryl Nagaroo; and Mrs Michelle Munsami, who is the daughter of Uncle Isaac’s youngest daughter, Dayanithie.
Uncle Isaac’s only son, Able Devadasen, who lives in Lenasia, Johannesburg, read out the obituary and one of Able’s sons, Jeremiah, who also lives in Johannesburg along with three of his brothers - David, Obiah and Joel and their respective families - passed the vote of thanks.
A woman member of church also sang a beautiful song in Tamil to honour Uncle Isaac’s love for his Tamil culture and traditions.
The writer also delivered a tribute on behalf of the extended Muniamma and Coopoosamy family. This was the speech:
A PROUD SECOND GENERATION DESCENDANT OF INDENTURED SUGAR CANE LABOURERS
“I shall pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not deter it, or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
This message by one of the greatest world humanitarians and leaders, Mahatma Gandhi, best describes the person we have come here to say our final farewell to.
Master of ceremonies and family members thank you very much for giving me a few minutes to say farewell to our beloved and respected ELDER on behalf of our extended family.
Vanakkam, Namaskaram, Namasthe, Sanibonani and Good afternoon.
We have assembled here to pay our last respects to an elder, who we as members of his extended and greater Muniamma Coopoosamy Govender Family, refer to as our Mamha, uncle, anna or elder brother, father, grand-father and great-grand-father.
Our Mamha or Uncle, Mr Ruthinsamy Munsamy “Isaac” Govender, better known as Isaac Mamha or Isaac Uncle, has had a very interesting journey during the course of his long life --- lasting 95 years until he passed on, on Saturday, Sept 16 (2017).
He was born on the 23rd of August in 1922 to Muniamma and Coopoosamy Govender at Dayal Road in the former “Indian” village of Clairwood, south of Durban.
His maternal grand-parents came from a little village called Navalpore in the North Arcott District of Tamil Nadu in South India in the early 1880s to work as indentured labourers at the Blackburn Sugar Estate near Mount Edgecombe on the North Coast. His mother, Muniamma, and his mother’s younger sister, Yellamma, were born in the late 1880s at the Blackburn Sugar Estate.
His paternal grand-parents also came as indentured labourers from the North Arcott District of Tamil Nadu.
Isaac Mamha/Uncle was part of a large family of 14 children, eleven of whom had survived to give birth to the greater and extended Muniamma family. His siblings were: eldest sister, Baigium or Periamma, eldest brother, Nadasen Govender ( or Port Shepstone uncle), Licky Govender of Unit 7 Chatsworth, Soobramoney Govender of Isipingo, Valiatham Dick Govender of Isipingo, Salatchie Subramoney of Ottawa/Verulam, Savundalay Padaychee of Dundee, Patcha Govender of Unit 3 Chatsworth, Percy Boya Govender of Merebank/Chatsworth, and Amoy Moodley of Unit 3 Chatsworth.
Only two of his sisters, Mrs Savundalay Padaychee, of Dundee who turned 90 on July 8, Mrs Amoy Moodley, who is 81-years-old and one sister-in-law, Mrs Soundler Govender (Percy uncle’s wife), who is in her 80s, are still around today.
Uncle Isaac, who lived in Northdale, Pietermaritzburg, in his early days at Dayal Road in Clairwood he helped his father, brothers and sisters in cultivating their market garden. They cultivated a number of vegetables, including strawberries, which they used to sell at the historic early morning market in Warwick Avenue in Durban.
After a few years at primary school, Isaac Mamha did odd jobs before taking up catering and being a top class chef at several hotels in Durban as his main occupation.
While still a young boy, Uncle Isaac, who used to attend Tamil classes and visit the local temples on a regular basis, also became interested in the Christian religion. He and his siblings only communicated through the medium of the Tamil language when growing up in Dayal Road.
He adopted the Christian faith at the young age of 17.
Isaac Mamha did experience some problems at home because of his action and had to leave home for nearly three years.
When he returned home, his eldest sister, Baigium, made arrangements for him one day to visit the home of a family friend in Merebank to pray for a person who was apparently sick.
Here he met his future wife, Aunty Kurpa Grace. One of his sisters, Aunty Savundalay, who is still around today, aged 90, was the brides-maid.
Isaac Mamha tied the holy “Thali” string because of his own traditional and cultural background and because Aunty Kurpa’s family were strong Catholic people who respected their family’s traditions and cultures.
After their wedding, Isaac Mamha and Aunty Kurpa stayed at Aunty Kurpa’s parents’ home for a while. Two of his children – Ruth and Able – were born here.
Isaac Mamha at this time was working at one of the hotels in Durban and he arranged for his brothers, Dick and Percy, to also work with him as page boys and waiters.
Then in the early 1960s, Isaac Mamha moved to Pietermaritzburg where he found a job at one of the top hotels. Here another three daughters – Selvie, Meryl and Dhaya were born.
After living in the central district of Pietermaritzburg for some time, Isaac Mamha and his family moved to Northdale after they were also affected by the notorious Group Areas Act, which was enforced by the former apartheid regime to separate the residential areas according to race – that is into white, coloured, Indian and African group areas.
Isaac Mamha had lived at this house with Aunty Grace, who passed on nearly eight years ago, and the rest of his family for more than 50 years.
Although he has been involved in the Christian religion for some time, Isaac Mamha has never forgotten his Tamil background, cultures and traditions. He managed to obtain a Tamil Bible and up to the time of his death he continued to sing religious songs in the Tamil language. On several occasions when we visited him here in Pietermaritzburg, he always made a point of singing religious songs in the Tamil language for us. I have recorded some of these songs and would gladly share them at another occasion.
He was also a Patron and active member of our extended Muniamma Family society and attended most of our gatherings that we used to hold in Durban and on the South Coast. At these functions he always offered his prayers in the Tamil Language.
He was also a regular at extended family weddings and other functions.
We want to tell Isaac Mamha that he has been a great human being and wherever he is today, we in the Greater Muniamma Family, will miss him a great deal. We are certain that those family members who had gone before him would have received him with warmth, love and kindness.
We want Isaac Mamha to know that he led a beautiful life – full of kindness, love, and respect for all.
His rich life – which includes a great deal more of his early life - makes up part of our Muniammma Family History book that we are publishing and will be launching soon. We will miss Isaac Mamha at the launch.
Isaac Mamha you lived your life according to what once a great Indian philosopher said:
“Nobody and nothing will follow you after death. Only your deeds – good or bad - will follow you when you leave this world for the next.”
Isaac Mamha, according to our extended Muniamma Coopoosamy Family, you have only led and demonstrated good deeds to all people, all your life. You have been a role model for all of us and we want to say that you have now left a big void in our extended family.
When you meet Aunty Kurpa and the rest of the family members, please tell them that we miss all of them dearly and they must take care of all their descendants down here in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, England, Germany and the United States.
Ladies and gentlemen, that’s my message on behalf of the greater Muniamma and Coopoosamy Govender family. Thank you very much and once again our deepest condolences to Ruth, Able, Selvie, Meryl, Daya, grand-children and the great-grand-childen.
A big thank you to his grand-son, Roland, and his wife, Desire, for taking care of Isaac Mamha in the last days of his life. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com
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