JUDGE THUMBA PILLAY – ANOTHER STALWART OF THE FREEDOM STRUGGLES

A TWO-PART RADIO DOCUMENTARY COMPILED IN MAY 2009 ABOUT HIS EARLY LIFE, STRUGGLE POLITICS AND CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA BY SUBRY GOVENDER

(THUMBA PILLAY (FOURTH FROM LEFT) IN THIS HISTORICAL PICTURE OF OFFICIALS OF THE NATAL INDIAN CONGRESS)

(THUMBA PILLAY WITH ANOTHER STALWART, SWAMINATHAN GOUNDEN) While the Corona Virus (Covid-19) pandemic has taken its toll on the lives of people, one of the prominent anti-apartheid activists and leaders during the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s – JUDGE THUMBA PILLAY – has been using the time to publish on social media historical material about the struggles. JUDGE Pillay, who has just turned 85, has played a prominent role in the Natal Indian Congress, the United Democratic Front, other political and community organisations and in the struggles of non-racial sporting orginsations. I had known Judge Pillay from 1971 when the NIC was revived and during the struggles thereafter in the attainment of our non-racial democracy in April 1994. I had the privilege of talking to Judge Pillay in May 2009, after our fourth democratic elections on April 22 2009, and compiled this two-part Radio Documentary about his life, his involvement in the struggles and the decision to disband the NIC. PART ONE: His early life in Clairwood, Durban; university education, and political involvement.

PART TWO: His involvement in negotiations prior to the April 1994 elections, disbandment of the NIC and views about the new South Africa.