M N PATHER – ONE OF THE DOYENS OF THE STRUGGLES FOR NON-RACIAL SPORT DURING THE DARK DAYS OF THE APARTHEID ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA BY SUBRY GOVENDER

                                                       M N PATHER

                                      INTRODUCTION

One of the legends who struggled for non-racial sport in South Africa despite harassment, threats and intimidation by the apartheid security police and denial of passports was Mr M N Pather of Durban. Mr Pather, who passed away in 1984 at the age of 62, was highly-recognised and respected by the local and the international anti-apartheid fraternity, including the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid and the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa. Veteran journalist, Subry Govender, recalls Mr Pather’s involvement in the struggles for the promotion of non-racial sport in the country. 

                               (M N Pather with Hassan Howa, George Singh and Jakes Gerwel) 

In 1979 when the British Sports Council Fact-Finding Mission visited South Africa to see in which way they could help white South Africa back into international sport, the immediate former secretary general of the internationally-recognised South African Council of Sport (SACOS), Mr Manicum Nadarajan Pather, made arrangements to meet the delegation in Durban.

The delegation included the president of the Sports Council, Mr Dicky Jeeps, and former South African cricket star, Mr Basil D’Oliviera. Mr Pather, who was at this time in the forefront of the fight to isolate apartheid sport, invited me along to meet the British delegation “just to see what these colonialists are up to”.
 At this time, I was working for the Daily News situated at 85 Field Street (now Joe Slovo Street) in central Durban and had become a close confidante of Mr Pather since the early 1970s.
The conversation with the British delegation started off with all the necessary pleasantries and Mr Jeeps gave his version of why they were carrying out the fact-finding mission. After a while when he found he was not having any joy in convincing Mr Pather about the sincerity of his fact-finding mission, Mr Jeeps jumped up from his seat and thumped his hands on the table. “Now tell me Mr Pather what do you people want? Are you people only interested in one man, one vote?”
Without losing his cool, Mr Pather in a calm and diplomatic manner replied: “You can interpret our demands whichever way you want. All we are interested in, is in seeing that our sportsmen and women are treated on equal terms and given full rights in the land of their birth.
“Until such time we achieve our goal, delegations such as yours will be a sheer waste of time. We are not interested in assisting the white man to get back into international sport without our demands first being met.”
Mr Jeeps, visibly shaken, picked up his documents from the table and walked away in an angry mood.
But Mr D’Oliviera, being “one of us”, apologised to Mr Pather and said: “Listen, I am with you people totally. I only came along because I wanted these chaps to be told in my presence of what you people really want.”
Such was the calibre of Mr Pather that he dealt in a similar forthright manner with other international delegations and during this period earned himself the admiration of the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid, the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa, and Third World countries such as India and Nigeria.
Born into a large extended family in Durban in 1922, Mr Pather’s interest in sport began in 1944 when at the age of 22, he joined the Clairwood Lawn Tennis Club. His administrative involvement began a year later when he became an official of the club.
 His anti-apartheid philosophy and commitment to non-racialism began in 1958 when he joined the first non-racial tennis body, the Southern African Lawn Tennis Union. He was elected General Secretary of the non-racial South African Council on Sport (SACOS) in 1973 when he was secretary of the Tennis Association of Southern Africa. 

(M N Pather with Fatima Meer, her husband, Ismail Meer,   George Singh, Monty Naicker)

During the period of his involvement in the promotion of non-racial sport and until his death in 1984 at the age of 62, Mr Pather also served as the International Correspondent of the South African Amateur Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Federation; executive member and representative of the Eastern Province Soccer Board at the level of the South African Soccer Federation (SASF); a management committee official of the Federation Professional Soccer League (FPL) and an executive member of the SASF.
In one of his campaigns Mr Pather in 1973 called on the then Wimbledon champion, Arthur Ashe, and two Japanese tennis players, Jun Kumiwazumi and Toshira Sakai, not to take up an offer to play in the SA Open Championships at Ellis Park in Johannesburg from Nov 14 to 27. 

                     “DON’T PLAY HERE, ASHE URGED” 

 I wrote this article and it was published under the headline: “Don’t play here, Ashe urged”, on November 9 1973. 

 Ashe, who was refused a visa in 1969 by the apartheid Government, confirmed he had received a visa to participate in the 1973 Open Championships. But Mr Pather sent him and the Japanese players a six-page memorandum as to why they should not play in the championships. Mr Pather told this correspondent:
“We have informed both Ashe and the Japanese Union that there is no mixed tennis between Blacks and whites at all. White tennis players do not play with or against Black tennis players. “Merely allowing a half of a dozen black players to compete against white players once a year is not tennis but a clever trick to fool the outside sporting world.”
This was one of the first articles that I had written about Mr Pather’s struggles against apartheid sport.
From 1973 to the end of December 1980, I had written scores of stories about his involvement and got these published in the Daily News. 

                  “MEETING ON ‘UNITY’ IS POSTPONED” 

 In August 1973, Mr Pather, who was the International Correspondent of the non-racial South African Amateur Weightlifting Federation, told me about a move by the international federation to promote unity between his organisation and the white South African Amateur Weightlifting Federation.
But this move was postponed indefinitely after the secretary of the world body, Mr Oscar State, who was to have been chairman of a “unity” meeting, informed Mr Pather that he was unable to travel to South Africa.
I wrote an article after being given the information by Mr Pather and this was published under the headline: “Meeting on ‘unity’ is postponed” on August 21 1973. 

Mr Pather made it crystal clear that they were struggling not only for non-racial sport but also for the creation of a non-racial and democratic South Africa. sport.  And he demonstrated this commitment nearly a year later when Mr Pather told me that they had no intention of promoting unity at a “federal” level with the white weightlifting federation. 

                       

  “THEY WILL NOT LINK UP WITH WHITE LIFTERS” 

This was in June 1974 when Mr Pather weighed in against the call by the International Weightlifting Federation that the non-racial South African Amateur Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Federation should affiliate to the white South African Amateur Weightlifting Union.
Mr Pather informed me about this call by Mr Oscar State, the secretary of the International Federation, and the response of the non-racial Federation. I wrote the story and it was published on June 26 1974 under the headline: “They will not link up with white lifters”. 

 Mr Pather told me that he had informed Mr State in a letter that there was no possibility of the non-racial Federation affiliating to the white union. He said his Federation found it extremely difficult to believe that the world body had made such a suggestion at a time when the whole world denounced racialism in sport.
“We have pointed out to Mr State that we would not gain anything. In fact, it we affiliated, we would only be helping to maintain racial sport in the country.”
The non-racial Federation, he said, believed that all athletes – black or white – should compete on the same platform without any discrimination.
“Multi-national competition is not our cup of tea because this only allows black and white athletes to get together occasionally, instead of meeting regularly.
“We firmly believe that for athletes to rise to the top they must be allowed to compete at all levels.”
Mr Pather said the International Federation was asked if the suggestion by Mr State was the consensus of opinion of the member countries of the IWF.
“We find it extremely odd that such a suggestion should come from a world body.” 

             “TENNIS – CALL FOR CHANGE” 

 At the same time, I wrote another story on June 26 1974 that Mr Pather’s Southern Africa Lawn Tennis Union had called on its white counterparts to work in the interests of all tennis players if it wanted to avoid international harassment.
Mr Pather spoke to me after the International Lawn Tennis Federation stated in London that South Africa faced expulsion from the Davis Cup.
The story was published under the headline: “”Tennis – call for change”. 

 Mr Pather said South Africa could no longer afford to “window dress” and bluff the world because the international tennis nations were fully aware of the situation in the Republic.
“The white union must declare a policy of non-racialism and work towards the betterment of all players, not just white players. The white union must meet us to work out a formula for the implementation of non-racial play at all levels. There is no substitute for non-racial play because the world will not accept any other mode of play.
“Now that the South American countries have aired their views against playing with South Africa, the white Union must make drastic changes to survive internationally.”
Mr Pather said South Africa not only faced expulsion from the Davis Cup competition but also from the International Lawn Tennis Federation at its meeting in Paris on July 11.
 The north African country of Sudan would be proposing South Africa’s expulsion because of its apartheid policies in tennis. 

                   “PATHER’S TELEGRAM CAUSES UPSET”

 In September 1974, Mr Pather was criticised by some of the people in the white sporting fraternity when he sent telegrams of condolences “on behalf of all sports people in South Africa” to Mrs Kirk on the death of her husband, Mr Norman Kirk, who was the Prime Minister of New Zealand at that time.
After speaking to Mr Pather, I wrote a story and it was published under the headline: “Pather’s telegram causes upset”.
Mr Pather sent the telegram on behalf of SACOS, the Southern Africa Lawn Tennis Union and on behalf of all sports people in the country.
A white sportsman living in Westville, Mr R V P Clark, questioned Mr Pather’s action because he did not represent the white sportsmen of the country. He said Mr Pather, therefore, had no right to send telegrams on behalf of all sports people in South Africa. 

                    “BOYCOTT CUP, SAY INDIANS” 

 And then a month later in October 1974, Mr Pather again captured the headlines when he sent urgent telegrams to then Prime Minister of India, Mrs Indira Gandhi, and the Indian Sports Minister asking them to stop the Indian Davis Cup tennis players from playing South Africa in Davis Cup final.
 I spoke to Mr Pather and wrote an article which was published on October 8 1974 under the headline: “Boycott Cup, say Indians”.
 In his telegram, Mr Pather said: “We have for years requested the white South African Lawn Tennis Union to abolish its racial tennis but all our efforts and that of the sporting fraternity within this country and abroad supporting our views have been in vain.
 “Although you may be requested to consider India’s participation in Davis Cup final, your respected opinions over past years on such matters must be maintained.” 

                   “TENNIS BLAME ON WHITES” 

 Soon after Mr Pather’s call to Mrs Gandhi and her Sports Minister, the Indian Government stopped the Indian tennis team from playing South Africa in the Davis Cup final. Mr Pather informed me about this and I got the article published on October 11 1974 under the headline: “Tennis blame on whites”.
Mr Pather supported the Indian Government’s stance and said it was because of the failure of the white tennis union to enter into meaningful discussions to bring about non-racial tennis that India pulled out of the final against South Africa.
Mr Pather agreed with the secretary of the All-India Lawn Tennis Association, Mr Raj Khanna, that there was no real mixed tennis in South Africa. Mr Khanna said in Bombay:
“We do not consider it multi-racial if whites and blacks play separately and selections are made on the basis of each individual performance by a committee that is wholly white.
 “It is an eyewash.”
Mr Pather told me that his non-racial tennis union had been prepared to disband had the all-white union considered selection on merit and had accepted the norm that selection on merit was only possible from mixed play at club level.
 “It is ironical that the officials of the South African Lawn Tennis Union and the secretary of the International Lawn Tennis Federation, Mr Basil Reay, should now make overtures to the Prime Minister of India to get India to play the all-white team.
“It will be a wonderful piece of work on the part of these people if they make representations to the Prime Minister, Mr John Vorster, for the introduction of mixed play in the country.
“After all, India does not practise discrimination in sport.”
Mr Pather said his union had been negotiating since 1957 for the introduction for mixed play from club level.
“All our efforts were in vain simply because the white union believed it only had the right to administer and the right to play. And as we were not its equal, we were offered federal membership, and on each occasion told that there would be no mixed play.” 

 “MEXICO WILL NOT PLAY SA IN DAVIS CUP” 

 In April 1975 Mr Pather disclosed to me that Mexico had refused to play South Africa in the Davis Cup following India’s decision in 1974 not to play against South Africa in the Davis Cup final. I wrote an article about this development and it was published in the Daily News on April 22 1975.

               “ANTI-SA MAN TO BE INVITED” 

 Two weeks after this development in May 1975, Mr Pather told me that the South African Council of Sport (SACOS) would invite a top-ranking international anti-apartheid sports leader to address its conference in Durban in June 1975. This article was published under the headline “Anti-SA man to be invited” on May 1 1975. The likely candidates were Peter Hain, leader of the British Anti-Apartheid Movement; Trevor Richards, chairman of the New Zealand Halt All Racial Tours Movement (HART); Mr Tom Newham, head of Australia’s Association for Racial Equality; and the Rev David Sheppard and Mr Lesly Huckfield of Britain. 

 “GARY SHOULD CAMPAIGN FOR CHANGE HERE, NOT ABROAD” 

 A month after being denied his passport to travel to London with his son, Kooselan, Mr Pather spoke out against Gary Player who made an allegation that “a militant Durban group” was feeding wrong information to anti-apartheid organisations outside South Africa about the country’s sport.
Player made the allegation after making a donation of R10 000 to the London-based Committee for Fairness in Sport, which used to carry out extensive propaganda campaigns to show that there was no discrimination in sport in South Africa.
I interviewed Mr Pather about Gary Player’s charges and wrote an article in which he said Gary Player should concentrate on problems inside the country rather than financing foreign propaganda agents of apartheid. This article was published under the headline: “Gary should campaign for change here, not abroad”, on November 5 1975. 

 Mr Pather said in a statement that it would shock everybody to know that there was not a single decent 18-hole golf course for blacks in South Africa.
 “Instead of spending a lot of money on overseas propaganda to show that there is no discrimination in South African sport, such as is being done by the Committee for Fairness in Sport to which Gary Player has donated R10 000, would it not be better to concentrate on the problems in South Africa?” He said he was not aware of any “militant group” among sports people in South Africa, and more particularly in Durban, which had fed wrong information to anti-apartheid organisations in other countries.
“The South African Council of Sport and all its affiliates representing all the major sporting codes merely clamour for equal opportunity and merit selection. “There is no militancy attached to this plea from the Black sports people and the statement by Gary Player is therefore rash and misinformed. “SACOS is not anti-white. It merely cries for equal opportunities for all sportsmen and women, irrespective of race, colour or creed.” 

 “FATHER AND SON BARRED FROM TRAVEL” 

 But because of this kind of total commitment to the upliftment of the black sportsmen and women, Mr Pather paid a very heavy price for his principles. He had been refused a passport more than six times, and when finally he was issued with one in 1979, it was withdrawn after being interrogated by the then notorious security police. He had his telephone and mail tapped, his home shot at by unknown gunmen and made to suffer when his family members were refused passports.
His younger son, Kooselan, was refused a passport in 1976 to travel to London to study veterinary science; and his eldest son, Harisagaran, was refused a passport to travel to London and India in September 1977. I wrote an article about Mr Pather and his son, Kooselan, being denied their passports and this was published in October 1975 under the headline: “Passport Ban” and sub-headline: “Father and son barred from travel”. 

 Mr Pather was also forced to forego overseas invitations, including one from the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid; the Quebec Council of Peace and the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa to visit Algeria during the All-Africa Games in 1978.
Mr Pather and the then president of SACOS, Mr Hassan Howa, were invited to address the three-day conference of the Supreme Council on Sport in South Africa.
Mr Pather was granted a passport suddenly in 1979 when the British Jeeps’ Commission was visiting the country. This was at a time when he was invited to address the United Nations in New York. He was invited to spend three months with the UN Special Committee Against Apartheid but on the eve of his departure his passport was seized by the security police.
In all his years as a non-racial sports administrator, Mr Pather was, on the one hand, highly respected and admired for his courage by black news persons, but on the other, he only met with nasty comments from most white sports writers.
HE WAS ASKED: “ARE YOU NOT PLAYING POLITICS?” 

 In one interview with one of the white sports writers he dealt firmly with him when he was asked if he was not playing politics.
 This is how Mr Pather responded: “Everything is politics in this country. The whole structure of South Africa is political. It is not created by us but by your white Government.”
On another occasion when he was asked by a visiting German journalist whether the slogan “No normal sport in an abnormal society” was a hard-line attitude, Mr Pather replied:
“We are committed to the non-racial ideology and we will not deviate from our stance until all discriminatory laws affecting sports and society are removed and all Black people given the vote and have a meaningful say in running the country. “Even the UN has resolved that there should be no sports contact until the liberation forces say so.” 

Mr Pather also expressed similar sentiments on numerous occasions to this correspondent when I used to visit him at his estate agency office situated in a building next to the former Naaz Cinema in the former Queen Street (now Denis Hurley Street) area of Durban. Once when I asked him, “Mr Pather, when will you be satisfied for South Africa’s return to international sport?”, he responded by saying:
“Subry, my fellow anti-apartheid colleagues and I will only be happy when every sportsmen and women are given equal opportunities and rights to rise to the top. When that happens and when every national team is selected on merit, then we will know that we have achieved our goals. We will not care whether the national team that is selected is all black or all white.” 

                      “DAILY NEWS’ ROLE PRAISED”

 Mr Pather appreciated the courage of the Daily News in publishing articles about the promotion of non-racial sport in South Africa at a time when most newspapers and journalists failed to stand up to the apartheid regime.
In November 1976 Mr Pather issued a statement praising the Daily News for its bravery. This article was published on November 12 1976 under the headline: “Daily News’ role praised”.
Mr Pather’s statement came at a time when the Daily News published articles I had written about moves by black and white cricketers to play cricket together. Mr Pather said it was encouraging to note that over the past few days the Daily News had played an important role in encouraging sports administrators to realise the significance of non-racial sport in the country. 

The Daily News even published an editorial on January 9 1976 under the headline: "Faint Praise" about the struggles for non-racial sport. 

This is what Mr Pather said about the Daily News:

“In every country the publication at regular intervals of news reports, editorial opinions and cartoons plays an important role in moulding society. The Daily News in South Africa is a newspaper which certainly does this.
 “The dissemination of sports news, opinions and cartoons were encouraging and the change by some sportsmen and administrators to normal cricket could be attributed to the Daily News.
“Of late the Daily News has played a significant role in getting the cricket administrators to agree to mixed cricket.
“I do hope it will continue to influence the rank and file to participate in non-racial play in this country and that other newspapers will follow this lead.” 

Mr Pather, throughout his years of struggles for non-racial sport, worked with anti-apartheid activists and leaders of the calibre of Mr Hassan Howa, Mr George Singh, Jakes Gerwell, Mr Norman Middleton, Mr R K Naidoo, Mr Don Kali, Mr Morgan Naidoo, Mr Ramhori Lutchman, Mr Cassim Bassa, Mr S K Chetty, Mr Dharam Ramlall, Mr Abdullah Khan, Mr Sam Ramsamy, and Mr Krish Mackerdhuj. (Bring in more articles) 

 In addition to the anti-apartheid sporting arena, Mr Pather was also involved in the cultural sector. At the time of his death in 1984, he served as secretary of the Natal Tamil Vedic Society Trust. Today, Mr Pather who did not give in one inch in his fight for the oppressed sports people of South Africa, is no longer with us. He died on Sunday, November 19 (1984) at Durban’s St Aidan’s Hospital at the age of 62 after suffering a heart attack. 

Paying tribute to Mr Pather at his funeral in 1984, Mr Don Kali, an executive member of TASA who practised as an attorney in Durban at this time, said: 

“M N made sterling contributions in the struggles for equality in sport in particular and social justice in general. 

“In the wider perspective, M N will be remembered for the building of a new South African nation which will be free of racism and exploitation of man by man.” 

 If he was still around today, Mr Pather would have been relieved with the achievement of a non-racial and democratic society in 1994. But it’s certain he would have been disappointed and disillusioned that millions of young people all over the country do not have the opportunities and facilities to rise to the top in most sporting fields. 

 Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com July 7 2020