One of South Africa’s top-flight black lifesavers who
was forced to migrate to Australia in the mid-1970s is one of the sportsmen I
had covered regularly while working for the Daily News in Durban between the
early 1970s and 1980.
When researching through my files recently, I came
across several articles that I had written about Mangla Munsami of
Asherville in Durban who captured the headlines because of his struggles
against racial discrimination in surf lifesaving at that time.
Although he was just a sportsman, he was
discriminated not only by those who controlled the sport in Durban and the rest
of the country but also had to battle to obtain his passport to travel to
Australia.
I came into contact with Mangla when he called me at
the Daily News to inform me about the problems he was encountering to further
his sport in Australia. At this time he was being assisted by one of our
anti-apartheid and Natal Indian Congress stalwarts, Dr Kesaval Goonum.
“INDIAN LIFESAVER WAITS FOR VISA”
The first story I wrote was about Mangla Munsami
waiting for his visa to travel to Australia. It was published under the
headline: “Indian lifesaver waits for visa” on December 28 1973.
The story read:
South Africa’s 1973 black Lifesaver of the Year, Mr
Mangla Munsami, who is due to leave for Australia late in January
(1974) is still waiting for his Australian visa.
The 21-year-old Durban Indian lifesaving member who
is also South Africa’s black paddle-ski champion applied for his visa two
months ago.
Mangla has been invited to Australia by the Manly
Lifesaving Club in Sydney. While in Sydney, Mangla will attend Sydney
University to study physical education.
Mangla, who crashed race barriers in whites-only
lifesaving competitions by taking part unofficially, said today that he was
worried about the visa.
“I have sorted out everything on my side. It seems I
will have to send them another reminder.” Ends – Daily News Reporter 28
December 1973
“NON-WHITE
CANOEIST HAD TIME TO ENTER”
Then in January 1974 I wrote a story about Mangla
Munsami deciding to compete unofficially in the white-run Pietermaritzburg to
Durban canoe marathon.
Mangla decided to compete unofficially despite
statements by the white organisers that he had sufficient time to enter the
event as an official participant.
The story was published under the headline:
“Non-White canoeist had time to enter” on January 8 1974.
The story read:
The Natal Canoe Club (NCC), organisers of tomorrow’s
(January 9 1974) Pietermaritzburg to Durban canoe marathon, gave non-white
paddle ski champion, Mangla Munsami (21), every possible chance to
enter officially this year’s marathon on the Umsindusi River.
This was disclosed today by Mr Fox Ledeboer, chairman
of the NCC, who said Munsami had not responded to their approaches for him to
enter the race officially.
He is to take part in the race as an unofficial
entrant.
It had been reported that Munsami was not allowed to
take part officially, even though the event had been declared multi-national by
the Government.
Mr Ledeboer said: “We went to a lot of trouble to
make it possible for him to enter. He didn’t go through the proper channels to
enter officially. There is nothing we can do.”
Entries closed on December 31, but if Munsami had
joined a recognised canoe club in time he would have been able to enter
officially.
Mr Ledeboer said Munsami would have to arrange his
own permits to enter the African reserve through part of which the marathon
takes place.
In an interview today, Munsami said: “I am taking
part in this race because in previous whites-only events in which I have taken
part, I received tremendous encouragement from my white friends.
“In tomorrow’s race I don’t want to beat anybody, I
just want to complete the event.”
Munsami, who is due to leave for Australia at the end
of the month to study physical education in Sydney University, has been
encouraged to enter the race by Natal canoeist, Rob Stewart.
“I am very grateful to Rob for all the assistance and
encouragement,” he said. Ends – Daily News Reporter January 8 1974
“NO
VISA YET FOR INDIAN SAVER”
One of the giants of the anti-apartheid struggles in
the early years, Dr Kesaval Goonam, came to the assistance of Mangla Munsami in
his quest to leave for Australia to further his surf life-saving skills.
I wrote this story and it was published on March 29
1974 under the headline: “No Visa yet for Indian saver”.
The story read:
South Africa’s 1973 black lifesaver of the year, Mr
Mangla Munsami, who was to have to left for Australia in January, has
still not been granted a visa for that country.
The 21-year-old Durban Indian Surf Lifesaving Club
member, who is also South Africa’s black paddle ski champion, applied for his
visa in October last year.
The ruggedly-built Indian lifesaver, who crashed race
barriers in whites-only lifesaving competitions by taking part unofficially,
has been invited to Australia by the Manly Lifesaving Club of Sydney. While in
Sydney, Mr Munsami will attend Sydney University to study physical education.
NO RESPONSE
Mr Munsami’s mentor, Dr K Goonam, said today that she
could not understand why the Australian Government was delaying the issue of
the visa.
“We applied five months ago and still there is no
response. It seems we will have to send someone to Cape Town to inquire at the
Australian Embassy,” she said.
She said everything had been arranged for his
departure to Australia and a shipping company had offered him a free passage.
“Mangla has been stemmed in his progress in South
Africa and if there is any delay his chances of furthering his knowledge in
surf lifesaving might be jeopardised.
“If granted a visa, Mangla will be in Australia for
about three years,” she said.
Dr Goonam said Mr Munsami might work in Australia to
support himself during his three-year stay.
“Of course, we will do our best to help him all the
way,” she said. Ends – Daily News Reporter March 29 1974
“BLACKS
WILL CONTEST SURF MARATHON”
While waiting to leave for Australia, Mangla Munsami
at the same time continued to make his intentions known to participate in local
paddle-ski competitions controlled by the establishment sector.
Mangla was one of three Durban paddle-ski athletes
who had applied to contest a paddle-ski marathon from Port Elizabeth in East
London.
I wrote the story and it was published under the
headline: “Blacks will contest surf marathon” on November 13 1974.
The story read:
The participation of three Durban black lifesavers in
next year’s Port Elizabeth to East London paddle-ski marathon is expected to be
the first of many more opportunities for black lifesavers.
The three lifesavers, who will become the first
blacks to compete officially in an event organised by the Surf Lifesaving
Assoiciation of South Africa, are Mangla Munsami of the Durban Indian Surf
Lifesaving Club, and Mr Leonard Pillay and Mr Mahomed Khan of the Tiger Rocks
Surf Lifesaving Club of Isipingo.
The chairman of the Durban Indian Surf Lifesavinf
Club, Mr K T Maistry, said today he believed the official acceptance of the
three lifesavers was the start of “better things to come”.
Mr P J Dreyer, chairman of the Central Natal Surf
Lifesaving Association, said the three blacks would make up a team of 20
lifesavers from Natal for the gruelling 244 race.
“We had no difficulty at all in getting the black
lifesavers accepted as official participants,” he said.
Mr Munsami, the 1973 black life-saver-of-the-year,
took part unofficially in the race in 1972, but did not finish.
Four lifesavers from the British Isles – Tony King,
John Howard, Alan Homes and Peter Gaisford – will take part in next year’s
race. Ends – Daily News Reporter Nov 13 1974
“TOP
BLACK LIFESAVER REFUSED A PASSPORT”
In addition to facing problems about obtaining a visa
to travel to Australia, Mangla Munsami faced more hassles in November 1975 when
the Pretoria regime refused to grant him a passport.
I wrote this story and it was published under the
headline: “Top black lifesaver refused a passport” on November 3 1975.
The story read:
Mr Mangla Munsami, the 1973 South African black
Lifesaver of the Year who has been trying for more than two years for a visa to
enter Australia, has now been refused a passport by the Minister of Interior,
Dr Connie Mulder.
The 24-year-old surf and paddle-ski champion, who
recently obtained an Australian visa after securing a job in that country, has
sought the assistance of the Progressive Reform Party’s Senator, Eric
Winchester, to pursue the matter with the Department of Interior.
Senator Winchester confirmed today that Mr Munsami
had approached him.
“I have asked Mr Munsami to give me all the details
so that I can take up the matter,” he said.
Meanwhile, officials of the Durban Indian Surf
Lifesaving Club, of which Mr Munsami is captain, have approached Mrs Helen
Suzman, PRP MP, and Indian Council executive chairperson, Mr J N Reddy, also to
pursue the matter.
Mr Reddy told the Daily News today he would take up
the issue with the Department of Indian Affairs.
The Department of Interior has given no reason for
its decision. Mr Munsami has not been involved in any political activity. He
has only participated unofficially in a number of whites-only competitions.
Mr M N Pather, general secretary of the non-racial
South African Council of Sport, said the department’s action was “absurd” and
an “act of madness”.
“In the case of Mangla Munsami, a lifesaver, who has
made several bids to gain recognition, I cannot see what he has done to deserve
this awful punishment,” he said.
Mr Munsami’s battle to enter Australia began in 1973
when the Manly Surf Lifesaving Club of Sydney invited him to impart his
knowledge of surf lifesaving as a coach.
Repeated attempts to obtain a visa failed because the
Asuralian Government stipulated it would consider an application only if Mr
Musami was offered a job in Australia.
After more than two years of frustration he recently secured a job
as a carpenter. Ends – Daily News Reporter Nov 3 1975
“GERMAN OLYMPIC STAR IN LOVE WITH TOP BLACK LIFESAVER”
Mangla Munsami, as a top sports star,
attracted the media’s attention not only when trying to pursue his talents, but
also in other aspects of life. In March 1975 he drew the attention of the media
when he was found to be in a love-relationship with a visiting German sports
woman. This was at a time when he was waiting for a passport to travel to
Australia.
I wrote the story and it was published under
the headline: “German Olympic star in love with top Black lifesaver” on March 9
1976.
The story read:
West German Olympic canoeist Heidi
Diederichs, who visited Durban for a fortnight in January, has fallen in love
with South Africa’s champion lifesaver, Mangla Munsami.
Miss Diederichs, 20, who represented West
Germany in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, confesses her love for the lifesaver
in a recent letter to a Durban woman friend.
Miss Diederichs, of Lipstadt, says in her
letter that she told her parents about Mr Munsami and they had accepted him
without any fuss.
She added that she was planning to go to
Australia, where she intends to meet him.
“I miss him very much,” she says in the
letter.
Miss Diederichs has won 36 medals for her
canoeing achievements. She won a gold medal at the international canoeing
championships in Holland, medals in France and Switzerland, and also canoed her
way to become the West German champion.
“Good Friend”
Mr Munsami, who is anxiously waiting for a
passport to go to Australia, confirmed that he had received love letters from
Miss Diederichs.
“I can tell you only that she is a very good
friend of mine. I have no plans to marry any one at this stage.
“I first want to further my knowledge in
canoeing and lifesaving before thinking of marriage,” he said.
The 24-year-old surf and paddle-ski
champion, who recently obtained an Australian visa after securing a job in that
country, has re-applied for a passport after at first being denied one by the
Minister of Interior, Dr Connie Mulder.
No reasons were given for the refusal. Ends
– Daily News Reporter March 9 1976
“PASSPORT GRANTED TO BLACK LIFESAVER”
In June 1976 Mangla Munsami, after
persistent interventions by a wide range of role players, was granted a
passport to embark on his trip to Australia.
The story I wrote was published under the
headline: “Passport granted to Black lifesaver” on June 15 1976.
The story read:
Mr Mangla Munsami, 1973 black lifesaver of
the year, has been granted a passport for one year by the Minister of Interior,
Dr Connie Mulder. He has been waiting for more than year for a travel document.
Mr K T Maistry, chairman of the Durban
Indian Lifesaving Club of which Mr Munsami is the captain, said today that Mr
Munsami was granted a passport to travel to Australia to further his knowledge
in lifesaving.
Mr Maistry, who is handling Mr Munsami’s
travel arrangements, said that a letter had already been written to the
Australian consulate in Cape Town for a visa.
He said that negotiations were also under
way with an airline for Mr Munsami’s ticket to be sponsored.
“After more than two years of problems we
are really grateful to all those people who assisted us in acquiring a passport
for Mr Munsami.
“Our club is now doing everything possible
to see that he gets to Australia before his passport expires,” said Mr Maistry.
“We are confident that Mr Munsami will be a
good ambassador for our club there,” he added.
Mr Munsami’s battle to enter Australia began
in 1973 when the Manly Surf Lifesaving Club of Sydney invited him to instruct
them in surf lifesaving.
Repeated attempts to obtain a visa failed
because the Australian Government stipulated it would consider an application
only if Mr Munsami was offered a job in that country.
After more than two years of frustration he
secured a job as a carpenter early this year. But when he applied for a South
African passport, the minister refused without giving a reason. Ends – Daily
News Reporter June 15 1976
“ANGER OVER LIFESAVER’S R500 DEPOSIT FOR
PASSPORT”
A month after he was informed that he would
be granted a passport, Mangla Munsami’s backers reacted with anger after the
Department of Interior forced him to pay a deposit of R500.
I wrote this story and it was published on
July 12 under the headline: “Anger over lifesaver’s R500 ‘deposit’ for
passport”.
The story read:
After battling for more than a year for a
passport, Durban black lifesaver Mangla Munsami leaves today (July 12 1976) for
London enroute to Australia to pursue a career in surf life-saving.
Munsami, the 1973 black lifesaver of the
year, was granted a passport by the Minister of Interior, Dr Connie Mulder,
after paying in a deposit of R500.
Dr K Goonam, his mentor and financier, today
criticised the Government for asking Munsami to pay a deposit of R500 before
being granted his passport.
“The Government grants passports to most
other people without any bother but Mangla was forced to pay such a high price
for his passport.
“Mangla will spend about two years in
Australia where he will learn to be a coach and become proficient in all
aspects of surf life-saving.
“When he returns, he will coach other black
lifesavers on the finer points of life-saving. We are confident that he will
reach great heights in Australia,” she said.
Mr J L S Fourie, the secretary for the
Department of Interior, said that it was policy to request a deposit from
“certain people” before a passport was issued.
Mr Munsami’s case was not peculiar because
it was done quite often.
“Mr Munsami should be happy he has been
given a passport now,” he said. Ends – Daily News Reporter July 12 1976
“DURBAN MAN HITS THE TOP AS AUSSIE LIFESAVER”
More than a year after Mangla Munsami
arrived in Australia and settled in Sydney, he sent me a note about his
progress in the surf lifesaving field.
Mangla informed me that his life had now
taken a positive note and that he was “truly happy” after a long battle.
I wrote the story and it was published under
the headline: “Durban man hits the top as Aussie lifesaver” on December 2 1977.
The story read:
Mangla Munsami, the Durban man who went to
Australia in July 1976 to further his surf lifesaving experience, is a top
lifesaver of the Bondi Beach Surf Lifesaving Club in Sydney.
Mangla won the black surf lifesaving
championship in 1973.
In a letter to the Daily News, he says he
made the right decision in going to Australia because “at last I am truly happy
here”.
He is employed by the Sydney Water Board at
a salary of R10 000 a year.
He passed three stringent surf lifesaving
examinations – advanced resuscitation certificate, the Australian surf bronze
medal and instructor’s certificate – set by the Surf Life Saving Association of
Australia.
At the Bondi Beach Club, he is the board and
ski captain, a member of the management committee and a member of the tour
committee.
Mangla will be coming to Durban soon for a
few months to coach blacks in surf lifesaving, swimming, canoeing and surfing.
Ends – Daily News Reporter December 2 1977
LETTER TO MANGLA IN NOVEMBER 1977
After I received a communication from Mangla
in November 1977, I wrote to him to inform him about the latest developments in
South Africa, especially the banning of 18 black organisations two months
earlier.
One of the organisations that was banned
included the Union of Black Journalists (UBJ), of which I was the Durban
chairperson at that time.
I also informed Mangla that I had held talks
with Dr Kesaval Goonam, who was now involved with the Anti-SAIC Committee. - ends - subrygovender@gmail.com (Oct 4 2021)
Amazing and heartbreaking to hear these stories
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