David Landau Community Centre History

By Marimuthu Subramoney A community centre in Durban that has its links to early descendants of indentured labourers and which has been a base for the struggles against the former apartheid regime may become a Heritage site. The David Landau Community Centre in the Asherville-Springfield area of Durban was started as the Springfield Community Centre more than 62 years ago after descendants of indentured labourers were forced to move from the then Magazine Barracks, Tram Barracks and the Botanical Gardens Barracks in the city centre. At the height of the anti-apartheid struggles in the 1970s and 1980s, the centre was a base for organisations such as the then banned African National Congress; the Natal Indian Congress; the Durban Housing Action Committee; the United Democratic Front and a number of anti-apartheid sporting organisations. "Now we want this historical community centre to be granted its rightful recoginition by being declared a Heritage site," said Mr Swaminathan Gounden, a trustee and former management committee member of the Centre. "Ever since the early descendants of indentured labourers were forced to move from Magazine Barracks, Tram Barracks and Botanical Gardens Barracks to the Springfield housing scheme, the people have taken a keen interest in promoting their social, civic, community, educational and sporting interests. "At first a doctor employed at the King George V Hospital, Dr David Landau, took a keen interest in the welfare of the disadvantaged people and started a centre to provide free health. "Then Mr Ramoutar who owned the Ramoutar Centre in Asherville made available a three-roomed flat behind his shop free of charge for the Springfield Community Centre promote the health, educational, social, sporting and cultural advancement of the former barracks people. "In 1948 when Dr Landau died, the community decide to re-name the centre as the David Landau Community Centre," said Mr Gounden. Over the next two decades, several community leaders, including Mr Gounden, embarked a fund-raising campaign to build a hall which was not only for social, sporting and community activities, but also as a base for liberation movements. The community leaders who made their mark included Vasi Nair, K P Naidoo, Johnny Naicker, Ranjith R. Gopaulsingh, Caroonduth Rughubar, H. Kissoonsingh, R.O.S. Kettle, Pauline Morel and R.C. Woodville. Mr Gounden said a band of women from the Springfield-Asherville area also rallied around to raise funds to build a pre-school. Some of these stalwarts included Mrs Manoharie Singh, Rookmoney Naicker, Sashma Moodley and Sarojini Nair. Although the pre-school building is not being used today, the centre still provides pre-school education for about 150 children. At the height of the anti-apartheid activities, some of the local leaders who played significant roles at the centre included Vasi Nair, D.K. Singh and K.P. Naidoo. "These leaders allowed, without any hesitation, the liberation movements to use the David Landau premises for their meetings at the risk of being arrested by the then special branch or security police," he said. "In 1975 when the Umgeni River burst its banks through heavy rains , more than 5 000 people at the TinTown shanty settlement were flooded out of their homes. These people were accommodated at the centre until they were provided with alternative accommodation in Phoenix. "Looking back to the 150 years of the arrival of our indentured forefathers, we at the centre want to emulate the sacrifices made by our forefathers and continue to contribute to the social, cultural, educational, sporting and civic activities of the people," said Mr Gounden. ends - ptsa@global.co.za