PAUL DEVADAS DAVID - FUNERAL. CLOSE FAMILY MEMBERS SAY FAREWELL TO STRUGGLE STALWART AT HIS FUNERAL IN KWADUKUZA (STANGER), NORTH OF DURBAN, IN SOUTH AFRICA'S KWA-ZULU-NATAL PROVINCE ON AUGUST 14 2020

(PAUL DAVID AT A SERVICE FOR HIS LATE SISTER, PHYLLIS NAIDOO) The funeral of struggle stalwart, Paul Devadas David, who passed away on Thursday morning (August 13) at the age of 80, was held today (August 14) in KwaDukuza (Stanger), north of Durban, in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. It was a private cremation ceremony attended mainly by his close family members, children, and grand-children. According to his family, Paul wanted a private funeral. When asked whether a memorial service would be held for Paul, the family member said: “Uncle Subry, he did not want any memorials or ceremonies.”

His passing had drawn messages of condolences from former activists and people, far and wide. A former Durban youth activist, Ramola Naidoo, who assisted Paul David’s brother-in-law, M D Naidoo, in New York and London where she was studying for a doctoral law degree in the late 1970s, said she first came to know Paul when he addressed an anti-Indian Council meeting in her home town of Kharwastan, near Chatsworth, in the 1970s. In a note to this correspondent yesterday (August 13), she said: “I knew Paul David when I was still at high school. He came to address the Kharwastan Civic Association of which my late dad, Beema Naidoo, was a founder and trustee. During this time, Paul David and later, Yunus Mohamed, came to give talks on the SAIC. “But I recall the first meetings took place in the 1970s at the Penguin Street Sports Ground. Kharwastan was one of the few suburbs (Asherville and Merebank were the others) which took a firm stance and boycotted the SAIC elections and opposed the SAIC.” Ms Naidoo, who is now resident in Pretoria, said she held Paul David in “very high regard”. “I never met him after this time, although I did meet M D Naidoo in New York in 1980-1 and later in London in 1987. It was M D Naidoo who told me that he had married Paul David's sister, Phyllis. I assisted M D Naidoo in New York when he was organising an anti-apartheid conference. The planned venue was Riverside Church. “I proposed Columbia University where I was studying at the Law School and arranged for the venue with the CLS Black Lawyers' Association. M D Naidoo agreed and this conference was a huge success in 1981. “M D spoke very highly of Paul David. Alas I did not meet Paul David again to share those memories. I also lost contact with M D Naidoo. But I do believe that Paul David was one of the leading anti-apartheid activists long before the major protests of the 1980s which catapulted others into political leadership.” She added: “I wish my dad, Beema, was alive today so that he could share his recollections of Paul David. My dad passed away in 2013 and would have been 100 years old this year. He may well have taken a photo of those meetings in Kharwastan. All our things are now packed away.” Ms Naidoo worked as an advocate at the Legal Resources Centre in Johannesburg after she returned from her studies in the United States. Hundreds of other messages have been published in the social media over the past 24 hours.

Former black consciousness leader and activist and retired Anglican Bishop of Natal, Rubin Philip, said in a message: “Paul was exemplary in every way. He has fought the good fight.” A former resident of Ottawa, Dr Kemraj Sivasunker, who is now living in London, said in his message on the Ottawa what’s up social media site: “Saddened to hear of Paul’s demise. He was a year ahead of me at Verulam High School and an excellent debater.” Mr Ujen Singh in a message on the Verulam 1980s Activists what’s up platform summed up the thoughts of many when he said Paul David had inspired many of them to join the struggles. He said: “Paul David always led with wisdom and a strong passion for justice, never talking down to us younger activists. He always encouraged us to be better and smarter in our thoughts and actions. “A true leader and patriot. He will be missed but never forgotten. Rest in peace, uncle Paul.” In view of the special role that Paul played in the struggles for a non-racial and democratic South Africa, I am re-publishing a radio documentary that I compiled on his life in 2009. Let’s hope that his life will remind us of the sacrifices and contributions made by people of his calibre. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com Aug 14 2020