TELECOMS FIBRE COMPANY APOLOGISES FOR THE RECENT FREQUENT WATER AND ELECTRICITY INTERRUPTIONS IN OTTAWA

 

 

The fibre company that has been blamed for the recent water and electricity disconnections in Ottawa will immediately stop the digging of trenches in the village.

The company, Telecoms, will now only complete the fibre installations and cover all trenches and holes.

At the same time Telecoms has given an assurance that it will work with residents of Parkgate when it continues with its fibre installations in the area.

Telecoms officials gave this undertaking at a meeting with residents at the Ottawa Town Hall on Wednesday (Sept 29) afternoon.

(Mr Rory MacPherson - DA councillor who has been assisting the residents)

The meeting was convened and chaired by DA councillor, Mr Rory MacPherson, at the request of the Ottawa Environmental Forum and other role players.

Residents pulled no punches when they accused Telecoms of failing to consult and interact with the communities before embarking on the project just over three weeks ago.

Spokespersons for the Ottawa Environmental Forum, other concerned community people and representatives from Parkgate said Telecoms should take responsibility for all the damages caused and the loss of food items during the breakdown in electricity supplies.

They said Telecoms had failed to put up sign boards and other notifications to inform the communities about the fibre installations.

The workers involved in the project were not properly identified, there were no toilet facilities for the workers, and supervision of the workers seemed to be non-existent.

The underground electricity cables and water pipes were prone to being damaged because there appeared to be no scanning process that had taken place.

Because of the shoddy work, the lives of residents and their families were now at risk.

The residents demanded that plumbers and electricians should be on site when Telecoms continues with its fibre installations.

(Four Telecom officials from right)

The representative of Telecoms, Isiah, apologised for the all inconvenience caused to the residents and said they experienced problems because the digging of trenches had been branched out to sub-contractors.

He said they would now interact with residents through Mr Rory MacPherson and ensure that the fibre installations would be carried out without any further problems. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com Sept 29 2021 (22:00)

 

 

OTTAWA RESIDENTS UP IN ARMS

 

                 

 

The residents of the village of Ottawa, near Verulam – north of Durban - are up in arms and have reached the end of their tether over the disruptions to their water and electricity supplies on a daily basis.

The interruptions escalated just over two weeks ago when constant damages had been caused to water pipes and electricity cables by workers employed by a fibre company.

On Sunday (Sept 26) the residents, mainly from Riverview and Munn Roads, vigorously condemned at a meeting the lack of work supervision by the contractors.

The residents pointed out the there has been no communication with the residents about the installation of the fibre cables and they have not been informed about the contractors carrying out the digging on the verges of the roads.

“What we are concerned about is the shoddy work being carried out by the contractors and their labourers, the frequent service disruptions the community has to endure due to their shoddy workmanship,” said Andisha Maharaj, convenor of the Ottawa Environmental Forum.

The Ottawa Environmental Forum has submitted a lengthy document to the municipality about the problems. It has also sought the assistance of a helpful councillor, Mr Rory McPherson.

“We are concerned that we as ratepayers are not being taken seriously. We cannot put up with this kind of oppressive treatment,” said Ms Maharaj.

Ms Maharaj said the community must be consulted when major plans and development projects are to be undertaken in Ottawa and other residential areas.

One of the organisers of the meeting, Captain Newpaul said another issue of major concern was community and public safety.

“Approximately one-metre-wide holes were dug on both sides of Riverview Road and Munn Road intersections last week before the start of the long weekend. There were no safety barriers or reflective tapes around these holes. There were no warning signs erected.

“Electric cables and water pipes were left exposed. Heaps of sand were left on the road which became a driving hazard.

“We the community have no idea who the contractors are and who authorised such work,” he said.

He said they wanted greater communication between the residents and contractors before any further work could be carried out.

Several residents said they had lodged their complaints regularly with the municipality but it seemed that their concerns were not being tackled with any urgency. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com  Sept 27 2021  10:20

REFERENCE TO “WHITE” SWIMMING ASSOCIATION IN MY REPORTS DURING MY STINT AT THE DAILY IN THE 1970s STIRRED ANGER AMONG WHITE SPORTS LEADERS

 

 

When researching through my files when I was working for the Daily News from the late 1960s to the end of 1980 I came across one incident in which the sports leader of a swimming association complained to my editor about referring to them as a white organisation.

At this time the Daily News was situated at 85 Field Street (now Joe Slovo Street) in central Durban.

In my work for the Daily News at this time, I covered mainly struggle stories involving anti-apartheid sports organisations, extra-parliamentary organisations such as the Natal Indian Congress, the South African Students Organisation (SASO) and independent trade union movements.

When covering anti-apartheid sports organisations, I went the extra mile to report on almost all sides of the struggles by non-racial swimming, soccer, cricket, tennis and table tennis organisations.

Mr Morgan Naidoo, who was the president of the non-racial swimming federation even while being banned by the former apartheid regime, led the struggles for non-racialism along with giants such as Archie Hulley and D K Singh.

In my reports on Morgan Naidoo and the non-racial swimming federation, I always made it the point that they were struggling for the rights of all swimmers – irrespective of race, colour or creed.

And when referring to the establishment swimming association, I did not shy away from calling it a white union.

This led to the Natal Amateur Swimming Association, which catered for only white swimming athletes, to complain to my editor, Mr John O’mally, about my reportage in September 1973.  The president of the association at that time, Mr Mike Mortimer, wrote to my editor and said that I was not being fair by referring to his swimming body as a white organisation.

Mr O’mally asked me for my response, and this is what I wrote on September 2 1973:

 

“Letter from Natal Amateur Swimming Association”

 

I am surprised that Mr Mike Mortimer, being the president of the above body, does not know his swimming facts. Before criticising us about our factual reporting he should have checked the facts himself.

The South African Amateur Swimming Union was in fact expelled and this decision was taken by the FINA (world swimming body) Bureau in Belgrade on August 30 (1973).

The resolution reads: “The SAASU be expelled from FINA until such time as an integrated single body is constituted, which in fact controls and governs the sport of swimming.”

The resolution became effective upon notification of same by the FINA Bureau to SAASU in a letter dated August 31, 1973.

The three-man commission that visited South Africa was, according to our files headed by Dr Harold Henning, president of FINA.

The South African Amateur Swimming Federation, headed by Mr Morgan Naidoo, is a non-racial body because it does not admit clubs that discriminates against members on the grounds of race, colour or creed. Its constitution is open and the doors are open even for whites to become members.

The South African Amateur Swimming Union, on the other hand, does not admit members of the different race groups to affiliate to it. Some of its clubs constitutionally restrict membership to whites only. Therefore, we refer to it as the white body. – M. Subramoney – ends subrygovender@gmail.com Sept 16 2021

UMZIMKULWANA SHRI SIVA SOOBRAMONIAR TEMPLE – A HISTORICAL RELIGIOUS MONUMENT STILL GOING STRONG IN THE RURAL AREA OF LANGALIBALELE, ABOUT 15KM WEST OF PORT SHEPTSONE

(The Umzimkulwana Shri Siva Soobramoniar Temple – which is part of the historical temple site in the rural area of Langalibalele, near Port Shepstone)

 

By Subry Govender

(Veteran Political Correspondent)

 

When our ancestors were brought down from India to work as sugar cane indentured labourers in the former Natal Colony from 1860 to the early 1900s, they settled in a number of sugar estates and settlements on the north and south coasts of the region.

Recently I found myself in one of the rural areas where they had settled on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast when attending the wedding ceremony of a fourth-generation family member on Sunday, September 4 2021.

The wedding took place at the historical Umzimkulwana Shri Siva Soobramoniar Temple in the Langalibalela rural area, about 15 kilometres west of Port Shepstone.

I became interested in the history of the temple and the people who had settled in Langalibalela when I found that the temple was built in 1939. Speaking to some of the former residents and current officials who were at the temple, I found that Indian-origin people had settled in the area since the early 1900s as farmers. Many of them had also worked in the nearby lime factory.

During the period from the 1920s to the 1970s there were nearly 100 Indian-origin families in the area.

But since the early 1970s, most of the Indian-origin people had moved out and re-settled in Port Shepstone, other areas on the South Coast, in Durban, Johannesburg and other parts of South Africa.

There are now only two Indian families living in the area. One person, living in Port Shepstone, is engaged in  farming in the district.

 

(The refurbished original temple which was built in 1939)

 

The temple was originally a small one room, wood and iron hut, when built 82 years ago. Today the original temple, which was re-furbished into a brick building, is still in existence but a new little larger temple was also built next to it about 30 years ago. The temple officials have also built a hall for weddings and other functions.

The main festival, however, is the annual Kavady ceremony which is held in January every year. Another Kavady ceremony is also held during the month of April annually. The Kavady ceremonies attract participants from Port Shepstone and also some former residents who are living in Durban, Johannesburg, and other parts of the country.

The current chairman of the temple, Mr Deven Govender, told me that they did not hold the Kavady ceremonies for the past two years because of the Corona pandemic. But they are hoping that they would be able to hold the religious ceremonies once again next year.

“The Kavady ceremony is a vibrant occasion that attracts participants from Port Shepstone, Durban and Johannesburg. It brings back memories of the rich history of our ancestors who lived and farmed in this area,” he said.  

The Indian-origin people first settled in this distant rural area since the early 1900s and earned their livelihood as farmers and market gardeners. They used to travel to markets in Port Shepstone and Durban to sell their goods.

(One of the pioneers who was part of the people who built the

 original temple was India-born, Mr Perumal “Rokard) Govender, 

is seen here with his wife, Unamalla.)

 

(Mr Govender and wife at the wedding of their son, Soobry)

Some of the pioneers of the area were Mr Perumal “Rokard” Govender and his wife, Unamalla, and their large family of 12 children – seven boys and five girls; Mr Manickum “Zoy” Naicker, his wife, Janaki, and their seven children of five sons and two sisters; Mr Palish Naicker; Mr Gundaan Naicker; Mr Appalsamy Naidoo; Mr Kaniappan Pillay; and Mr Nadas Subramoney Naicker.

Mr Perumal Govender, who was born in Tamil Nadu, India, arrived in the Port Shepstone area with his mother when he was just six months old. At the age of three, the young Govender boy joined his family in the early 1900s to move to Langalibalele. He lived all his life in this farming area and continued to reside here even after marrying his wife, Unamalla.

Mr Perumal Govender and the other pioneers were not only culturally and religiously conscious but also ensured that their children attained some education.  They built a primary school for their children. Those who finished their primary education travelled to Port Shepstone to attend high school.

The primary school building, which is still intact, had been in existence for more than 50 years and only closed down after the families began to move out and re-settle in Port Shepstone and other areas in the 1970s.

 

(Another pioneer, Mr Manickum “Zoy” Naicker, and his wife, Janaki, - right - at the wedding of one of their sons, Nanda, and his wife, Veni, at the temple more than 35 years ago)

 

Mr Manickum “Zoy” Naicker, another pioneer,  was also a Tamil school teacher at the temple. He made this contribution to the community for more than five decades. He only stopped teaching Tamil after they were given notice to quit the land they farmed after the owner sold his property to the National Portland Cements (NPC) company.

(The functions hall next to the 

historic temple)

The marriage ceremony that I attended at the temple involved one of Mr Naicker’s grand-daughters, Nelo, who followed in the footsteps of her father, Nanda Naicker, who also married at the temple more than 35 years ago. The descendants of the Naickers and the Govenders still continue to help in the operations of the temple along with younger members of other families. They also travel from Port Shepstone to Langalibalele on a weekly basis to  clean and prepare the temple for weddings and other functions.

 

(Mr Soobry Govender and his wife, Yogi, with their grand-children at the temple)

 

One of the sons of Mr Perumal Govender, Mr Soobry Govender, who lives in Port Shepstone, said growing up in Langalibalele was a joy to be remembered despite the tough living conditions.

“I know our parents worked very hard in the fields to ensure that they provided food for the large family,” he said.

In addition to the primary school, he said, the local temple was also used as a place for children to attend pre-primary classes and for the teaching of Tamil.

“During our spare time and at weekends, we, as young boys, used to go fishing in the nearby river and also do hunting,” he said.

 

(At least one farm near the temple site is still in operation)

 

In the early days when he started work at the Umzimkulu Sugar Mill in Port Shepstone he used to walk more than 25km daily from Langalibalele to wotk. He used to leave  home in the early hours of the morning and walk through several rural areas to reach Umzimkulu Sugar Mill. He used to return home only late in the evenings. This kind of life was also common with other younger members of the community.

He and his fellow brothers, sisters and other community members started to move out of Langalibalele in the early 1970s after the owner of the land, Mr G Mungaroo, gave them notice to leave. Mr Mungaroo had been forced to sell the land to the Natal Portland Cements (NPC), which had opened two factories in the area.

(The rural area of Langalibalele visible from the temple)

“We miss our early lives because we all lived like one big family. We had no problems. Only now we are experiencing all kinds of issues,” said Mr Soobry Govender.

The Umzimkulwana Shri Siva Soobramoniar Temple is one of three temples still in operation in the rural areas of Port Shepstone. The others are the Shri Siva Soobramoniar temple in Umbango and the Amsongis temple in St Faiths. Another historical temple, Masnge, in Oatlands has ceased to operate because no people of Indian-origin  reside in the area any more. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com September 16 2021

 

 

MRS ALICE LOUISE GOVENDER – A TIRELESS AND COMMITTED COMMUNITY ACTIVIST WHO IS FIGHTING FOR THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF PHOENIX AND ITS PEOPLE

 

    (Community Activist Mrs Alice Louise Govender)

By Subry Govender

Veteran Political Correspondent 

 

In mid-2000 a woman resident of Unit 10 in Phoenix became concerned at the construction of houses in open spaces and children’s playlots in their area by contractors in collusion with the new democratic Ethekwini municipality.

The resident, Mrs Alice Louise Govender, also raised her concerns about the decision of the municipality to allow the sporting grounds of a nearby school to be confiscated for housing developments.

Today, 16 years later and at the age of 55, Mrs Govender is still fighting the social and economical cause of the local people. She has found that the socio-economic conditions of the poor and those living on the margins of society in Phoenix have in fact deteriorated over the past 27 years.

In order to interact directly with the municipality about the general degradation of the township, she has now agreed to calls by residents to contest the local government elections on November 1.

She has not joined any one of the established political parties to contest the elections but in fact will be contesting Ward 52 as a member of the community organisation, Active Citizens Coalition. The ward includes the areas of Redfern, Whetstone, Westham, White City, part of Lenham and part of Bhambayi.

“Phoenix is a township rich in history and culture but sadly after 27 years of freedom there is a general atmosphere of social and economic degeneration and degradation all over,” Mrs Govender told me in an interview.

“There’s filth, litter and rubbish everywhere; the Gandhi-Luthuli Park, named after two iconic leaders, is in a shocking and neglected condition with all sorts of nefarious activities taking place there; drug lords and gang leaders are destroying the future of our young people; open spaces and play lots are being confiscated for housing development in already congested areas; and generaly there’s a climate of neglect all over.”

 

(Mrs Alice Govender talking to residents recently)

 

Mrs Govender wants to ensure that the municipality is accountable to ratepayers and there’s economic development in her ward and Phoenix in general so that the unemployment situation of both the skilled and unskilled people are tackled effectively.

“For me service delivery will be of paramount importance because I believe ratepayers must get the services they are paying for. I am concerned about the safety of our residents. We must feel safe when we leave home and return after dark.”

A mother of two adult daughters and grand-mother,  Mrs Govender was born in Durban in June 1966 and grew up in Unit 10 Phoenix. She completed her matriculation at the Northmead High School in Whetstone. She studied business management and is an accredited financial advisor.

While still at high school she became aware of the plight of families in her neighbourhood who struggled to make ends meet. She joined community groups to provide some assistance for the less privileged.

Her community awareness heightened when in 2018 she found that the Redfern/Whetsone sports fields were being graded for housing development.

“A school friend, John Pillay, informed me about this pathetic state of affairs and this touched a sensitive nerve.

“I joined a group of fellow activists and ex-students to try to save the sports fields. Despite turning to various community political leaders, the ward councillor, Housing MEC and the incumbent mayor, the anti-social development went ahead.

“The sports fields are the only available space for communities to use for sporting, religious and community activities. The Redfern/Whetstone sports field is an historic piece of land and has been an integral part of the identity of the community for more than 40 years.

“The Ethekweni Municipality and the developers have failed to take into account the processes and by-laws before confiscating the sports fields for housing development.

“Together with other concerned activists, religious leaders and residents we founded the Phoenix Civic Association to take up the social, sporting, cultural and economic concerns of the people. As a final step we took the matter to court and this matter is still ongoing.”

  

(Mrs Alice Govender and some of her fellow activists)

Mrs Govender said as far as she was concerned the Durban municipality did not care much about the social, sporting, cultural and economic conditions of the people of Phoenix.

“There’s lack of evidence of progress and development over the past 27 years. Unemployment is at an all-time high, social services are always unavailable when in need, and sports fields are being expropriated for high profit housing developments.

“Businesses and residents are plagued by rising crime and municipal services that are contracted out have become a failed system.”

In her interactions with the residents, she had found that the people were badly affected by water and electricity disruptions. The residents were also concerned about the safety of their children walking to and from school because of the lack of road verges. The safety of the children is also of concern because of the dilapidated condition of many of the school buildings in the township.

Mrs Govender said as a councillor she would form strong and healthy networks with all community civic groups and ensure that residents are informed of municipal and government work opportunities.

“The Phoenix community has not benefited from any of these benefits. In addition to keeping in close ethical contacts with the residents, my office will have an open-door policy to assist those in need. Regular meetings with constituents are vital to ensure social and economic upliftment of the people and the residential areas of Phoenix.”

The emergence of Mrs Alice Govender is a clear indication that there’s a need for committed, hard-working and strong leaders to help in the socio-economic development of the working-class and the poor in communities such as Phoenix. Mrs Govender has given her assurance that she would promote the interests of the people just like our progressive leaders and forces of the late 1960s,1970s, 1980s and early 1990s era. As a demonstration of her commitment to community development, she has pledged that once elected the first two months of her salary would be set aside for urgent environmental improvements in Ward 5.  Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com Sept 16 2021

BLACK CRICKET STAR WHO ONLY WANTED TO PLAY FOR SOUTH AFRICA WHEN ALL PLAYERS WERE CHOSEN ON MERIT

 

 

            

 

While our national cricketers currently tour Sri Lanka and enjoy the glory of international participation, they, as the new privileged, must not forget the sacrifices made by cricketers of the calibre of Yacoob Omar, Baboo Ebrahim, Michael Patrick, Jugoo Govender and countless of others in their struggles for non-racial sport.

I was researching through my files for OUR RICH HISTORY series recently when I came across two articles that I had written in 1973 and 1975 about how Yacoob Omar, Baboo Ebrahim, Michael Patrick and the others only wanted to represent South Africa when the cricket authorities chose players on merit -  regardless of race or colour.

I had written my first story in April 1973 about Yacoob Omar, Baboo Ebrahim and Michael Patrick joining the Lancashire League in England. I was at this time working for the Daily News which was then situated at 85 Field Street (now Joe Slovo Street) in Central Durban.

I had just joined the Daily News after working as a free-lancer for the newspaper for more than five years. I was recruited to join the full-time staff after the only black reporter, Mr P M Chetty, had passed on.

As a journalist at this time, I had concentrated my work mainly about the struggles of the people, including non-racial sports administrators and players who wanted to see the country progressing to a society where all sportsmen and women enjoyed equal opportunities – irrespective of race, colour or ethnicity.

 

       BLACK STAR SAYS “NO” TO ROBINS GAME

 

I wrote the story about Yacoob Omar when he declined to play for a “mixed” invitational side against the touring Derrick Robins team in 1975. He said he only wanted to represent South Africa only when all players were chosen on merit - irrespective of race or colur.

I interviewed Yacoob at his work place in Durban and the story was published in the Daily News on March 6 1975 under the headline: “Black star says “no” to Robins game”.

The story read:

Natal non-white cricket captain, Yacoob Omar, said today he would turn down any invitation to play for a “mixed” invitation side against the touring Derrick Robins team.

Natal’s star left arm off-spinner, Baboo Ebrahim, declined to comment when asked if he would accept an invitation to play in the first official South African “mixed” cricket team.

Mr Omar, for his part, told me he would not even consider an invitation because “I am not interested in a once-a-year mixed matches”.

“We have gained nothing so far and I don’t see why we should now open the way for South Africa’s re-admission to world cricket through the back door.

“I will only be interested if mixed cricket is introduced at all levels,” he said.

Mr Omar and Mr Ebrahim are considered to be among the top non-white prospects for an invitation side. They have both played in the Lancashire League in England.

The president of the Natal Cricket Association, Mr Derrick Dowling, has been quoted as saying that Omar, Ebrahim and three other Natal “non-white” players – Jugoo Govender, Sweetie Naidoo and Michael Patrick – could be considered for an invitation side. Ends – Daily News Reporter March 6 1975

          THREE SEEK CRICKET FAME

The story about Baboo Ebrahim, Yacoob Omar and Michael Patrick was published on April 19 1973 under the headline: “Three seek cricket fame”.

 

 

The article read:

Three Natal non-white (players of colour) cricketers – including the man Basil D’Oliviera says would walk into any “Springbok” side – will be playing in the English Lancashire League this year.

The three are Ismail Baboo Ebrahim, Yacoob Omar – both of the Crescent Cricket Club – and Michael Patrick of Pietermaritzburg.

Ebrahim, a left-arm spin bowler who former England test star D’Oliviera says would walk into a “Springbok” side, leaves South Africa on Tuesday to join the Lancashire League club, Radcliffe, as a professional.

He was picked for the non-racial Natal side in 1964 and has retained his place ever since. Ebrahim said he was aiming to reach the top in cricket.

“I will do my best and if I am noticed, I would like to get into one of the county sides. I also want to gain the necessary knowledge and pass it onto my less fortunate colleagues.

“But my prime ambition is to represent South Africa when we choose our side on merit,” he said.

His colleague, Yacoob Omar, tomorrow for Littleborough for his second season and, like Ebrahim, plans to make the most of his opportunity.

“My primary ambition right now is to play in the county league and, like Baboo, I want to represent South Africa,” he said.

Twenty-four-year-old Omar said there was a great deal of potential among players of colour, but it was not being exploited.

“Once South Africa makes use of its future Kanhai’s and Sobers’s, it will be one of the leading countries in cricket,” he said.

Michael Patrick will join Burnley. It will be his first season. Ends – Daily News Reporter April 19 1973