THE HUMANITARIAN SIDE OF SOUTH AFRICANS - THE CORONA VIRUS LOCKDOWN IN EARLY 2020 SHOWS THE GENEROSITY OF THE PEOPLE OVER THE DECADES

South Africans have once again demonstrated their humanitarian side to help the poor, the unemployed, poverty-stricken and those living on the margins of society during this period of Corona Virus lockdown in early 2020. A wide variety of individuals and organisations have come out in their numbers to supplement the assistance being provided by President Cyril Ramaphosa and the government. While acknowledging the humanitarian work of organisations such as the Gift of Givers, the Hare Krishna Movement, the Divine Life Society, the Saiva Sithantha Sungum, the Denis Hurley Catholic Centre in Durban, I want to, at the same time, highlight the enormous and divine work done by individuals and organisations during the 1970s and 1980s. At this time, I was working for the Durban Daily News. While researching my files during this lockdown period in March/April/May 2020, I found a number of articles that I had written about the humanitarian work done by individuals and organisations during times of disasters, poverty, unemployment and hunger. IN CHATSWORTH IT’S OPERATION SANDWICH (25 February 1980)

In the late 1970s and early 1980s when many families in Chatsworth, Durban, were affected by poverty and hunger, a number of organisations and individuals came forward to provide food for school children.

These organisations included the Chatsworth Child Welfare Society; Helping Hands Society established by political veteran, Dr Kesaval Goonum; and the Saiva Sithantha Sungum.

The Sungum group prepared more than 1 500 lunch packs daily for children attending the Depot Road and the Truro primary schools. The driving force behind this project were three retired men in their 60s and 70s. They were retired Provincial Administration worker, Mr V S Moodley (76); a retired police sergeant, Mr K Govender (67); and Mr A V Moodley (76). In addition to running the feeding scheme, the Sungum also provided lunch to all under-privileged people of all races who called at their headquarters in Chatsworth between 11:30 and 12:30 daily. If Mr V S Moodley and Mr A V Moodley were alive today they would have been 116-years-old; and Mr Govender would have been 107-years-old. RELIEF FOR MARKET STALL HOLDERS LEFT DESTITUTE BY SUSPICIOUS FIRE

Then early in 1973 more individuals and organisations came to the fore when the popular Durban Indian Market in central Durban was destroyed by a suspicious fire in the early 1973. The market was a major tourist attraction and every day thousands of people used to visit the top market to do their buying of essential fresh vegetable, meat and fish foods. A number of fresh vegetable, meat and other dealers suffered greatly after the fire and they were left destitute to such an extent that they could not support their families. Once again individuals and organisations came forward to supply them with food parcels. At first a three-person relief committee was established to provide relief for the affected stallholders. The three-person committee comprised Mr Rajendra Chetty, a journalist at the old Golden City Post of that era; Mr N G Moodley, who was associated with the Durban Indian Child Welfare Society; and Mr Dharma Nair, who was secretary of the South African Indian Teachers Association (SAITA) at that time. Mr Moodley was the father of Strini Moodley, who was imprisoned on Robben Island after being arrested in connection with organising the Frelimo Rally at Durban’s Currie’s Fountain in September 1974.

Other individuals who also became involved, included Professor Fatima Meer, D K Singh, and George Singh. The Durban Indian Benevolent Society was one of the humanitarian organisations that became involved.

They started the Victoria Street Relief Committee to provide food to the affected market stall holders and their families. In addition to the relief committee, the Victoria Street Indian Market Citizens Action Committee was established at a public meeting in Durban on March 30 1973.

Professor Fatima Meer, who was a sociology lecturer at the former University of Natal at that time, was elected the chairperson. Other members of the 15-person committee were Dr Anusah Singh; Natal Indian Congress leader, Dr Kesaval Goonam; trade union leader, Mrs Hariet Bolton; Indian Teachers Association president, Mr R S Naidoo; business leader, Mr A M Moola; community leader Mr M E Sultan; Mr Louis Nelson, who used to be the manager of the Lotus Club situated in a building in Prince Edward Street; Mr H Dhupelia; activist Dr Khorshed Ginwala; Mr Daddy Moodliar; Mr N G Moodley of the Durban Indian Child Welfare Society; businessman Mr Dhanpal Naidoo; Mr Dharma Naidoo of SAITA and businessman Mr J T Bhoola.

At this time a number of people came together to raise funds for refugees in the Bengal state of India. The initiative was called the Bengal Refugee Relief Fund and raised about R10 000. The Indian Government refused to accept the money and the leaders of the fund, led by Dr M B Naidoo, donated the money to the Mayor’s Relief Fund to assist the affected stallholders.

The fire that destroyed the market was very suspicious and many alleged at that time it was the work of the city council itself which wanted the market stall holders to move to Chatsworth’s Unit 3 Market.

Then in 1971 community leaders like D K Singh and Professor Meer once again came to the fore when major floods destroyed several parts of Clairwood and the Tin Town settlement in Springfield.

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Professor Meer led a major campaign to assist the hapless people of Springfield and ensured that most of the people were re-housed in decent accommodation in Phoenix. Professor Meer was chairperson of the Tin Town Relief Committee.

Professor Meer was even bestowed with an award in July 1976 by the then white Durban City Council for her work in Springfield. This was quite an unusual action on the part of the white City Council because they had never in the past recognised the humanitarian and community work by black people.

Then in the early 1980s, Professor Meer and other leaders such as A M Moola, D K Singh, J N Reddy also came to the fore in the name of humanity to help build schools for the African community in several parts of the province. They collected more than R500 000 in this project under the banner of the Natal Education Trust.

The former Chief Minister of the KwaZulu homeland, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, and a prominent religious leader, Rev Alpheus Zulu, were trustees of the Natal Education Trust. There is no doubt whatsoever that many South Africans in their individual capacities and as part of charitable organisations have for decades provided humanitarian aid during times of natural disasters, poverty, unemployment, and hunger. They were in the forefront to help the affected people just as organisations and individuals are helping the people during this disastrous Corona Virus pandemic in 2020. Ends – May 19 2020 (subrygovender@gmail.com)