ANGAMMA (CHAPANY) WAS PART OF A LARGE FAMILY OF FIRST GENERATION DESCENDANTS OF INDENTURED LABOURERS

A GOUNDER FAMILY'S LINKS TO DAMAL VILLAGE IN TAMIL NADU, INDIA

(Munien Govender and his wife, Kaniamma. Munien came from the village of Damal in Tamil Nadu at the age of eight to start a new life in South Africa in the 1880s.) (MR MUNIEN GOVENDER WITH HIS WIFE, KANIAMMA, AND THREE OF HIS DAUGHTERS. THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN IN CATO MANOR IN THE EARLY 1960S)

(The eldest son, Subramoney, with his mother, Kaniamma, and some older generation of the extended family)

(Chapany with her husband, Johnny Chetty)

(Mrs Angamma Chetty - known as Chapany to family members - while on holiday on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa) By Subry Govender Mrs Angamma Chetty (known as Chapany), who passed away in Phoenix, Durban, on Friday, February 12 at the age of 82, was a first generation South African descendant of Indian indentured labourers whose roots go back to a rural village in Tamil Nadu in India. A culturally-rich and traditionally-strong individual, she was born on February 1 1934 in the former mainly-Indian residential area of Cato Manor in Durban. The last of two surviving siblings of a large family of three brothers and six sisters, she mainly communicated with family and community members through the Tamil language. She understood a spattering of English but her Tamil mother tongue was the main medium.

(The daughters of Munien Govender with his eldest daughter-in-law, Mrs Salatchie Subramoney)

(Chapany with her mother, Kaniamma) Her father, Munien Gounder (Govender), arrived here in the former Port of Durban, which was then under the former British Natal Colony, at the age of eight in the early 1880s. He joined his auntie (name unknown) from the village of Damal in the Kanchipuram District of the former Madras Colony (now Tamil Nadu), which was also ruled by the British at that time. He and his auntie worked as indentured labourers on a sugar plantation near Durban for a period of 10 years before they moved to the Cato Manor area of Durban. Here Munien Govender's auntie married and started her own family, while the young man did odd jobs and even worked a small garden to earn a living. Munien also soon married a young woman, Kaniamma, introduced to him by his auntie. The young couple set up home in Cato Manor and over a period of time had nine children - three sons and six daughters. Mrs Angamma Chetty was the sixth born. Their other children were:

(Subramoney at work)

(Subramoney with his grand-daughter, Seshini) 1. Subramoney Munien (born 11th May 1918. He died at the age of 69 at his home in Lotusville, Verulam, on August 16 1987);

2. Muniamma Papathie Naidoo (born 15th October 1924. She died on 29th April 2012 at the age of 87 in her home in Unit 5, Chatsworth);

3. Poongavanam Bombie (Born 1st October 1928. She passed on at the age of 75 on October 27 2003 in her home in Tongaat); (With her is her eldest sister, Papathie)

4. Saragano Naidoo - number 1 in the pciture from the left - (who died at the age of 64 at her home in Phoenix);

5. Ganas (who died at the age of 75 at his sister, Chapany's home in Phoenix);

6. (Angamma Chapany Chetty);

7. Meenachie (at the back on the right) (only surviving child now, aged 76 (Born 15th July 1938); 8. George (who died at the very young age of 34 while at the Clairwood Hospital);

(Manna's husband, Moodley) 9. Pushpumma Manna Moodley (born 2nd April 1942 who died at the age of 64 on 17th March 2006 at her home in Phoenix).

Three of the elder children - Subramoney, Papathie and Bombie - moved out of Cato Manor in the early 1940s and 1950s after they married. Subramoney first moved to Isipingo with his family before settling in the village of Ottawa on the North Coast. He later moved to Lotusville in Verulam where he died on 16th August 1987. Papathie athaa, whose marriage was arranged at the tender at the age of 13, first lived with her husband at Magazine Barracks in Durban before finally moving to Unit 5, Chatsworth, after being affected by the notorious Group Areas Act. Indian, coloured and African people were forced out of Durban and suburbs such as Cato Manor which were reserved for whites-only by the former apartheid regime since the 1960s. Bombie athaa, who I was told married at the age of 16, started life at Brake Village, Tongaat, after tying the knot. She and her children later moved to a house in Tongaat town.

(Five of the Munien sisters at a family function) All the others - Saragano, Angamma, Ganas, Meenachie, Manna and the family of George were forced to move out of Cato Manor to finally settle in the Phoenix township. Manna and her family first stayed in Isipingo, then moved to Ottawa where they stayed at the former home of her eldest brother, Subramoney. Manna and her family, thereafter, moved to Phoenix. The first generation families expanded and grew over the next few decades with the eldest, Subramoney having seven children; Papathie six; Bombie 5; Saragano 5; Angamma Chapany 1; Ganas two; Meenachie 1; George two; and Manna three. Angamma (Chapany), who worked as a domestic assistant for white families near Cato Manor in her early teens, also used to join her mother to sell fruits and vegetables to white families. She later worked in a clothing factory in Durban where she met her husband, Johnny Chetty. Although the nephews and nieces of the extended family have moved to different suburbs and parts of South Africa and even to countries such as Australia and New Zealand, a large number of them turned up for the funeral of Angamma Chetty. The funeral was held at the home of her niece, Mrs Ambiga Govender, in Unit 10, Phoenix, where Angamma lived for the past 10 years.

(Munien's wife, Kaniamma, with one of her grand-children)

(One of the brothers, Ganas, with his sisters and Murugas Govender) One of her nephews, Mr Subry Govender, a veteran struggle journalist, paid the following tribute to her: "Do not shed tears when I have gone but smile instead, because I have lived. You can remember me and grieve that I have gone or you can cherish my memory and let it live on." "These appropriate words, by American author David Harkins, we are certain apply to our our Athaa, Auntie, neighbour and friend, Mrs Angamma Chetty. "Mrs Chetty - known to family members as Chapani - passed away peacefully early yesterday (Friday, Feb 12 2016) morning at the age of 82. "In the last few days she was not well and according to close family members and neighbours she knew that she would leave us soon. "Despite her failing health - our Athaa joined us at a family gathering two weeks ago and then a week ago, joined us to attend a memorial service and also visit the home of her late eldest sister's home in Unit 5 Chatsworth. "Mrs Chetty came from a large family of six sisters and three brothers - who were all born in the former Cato Manor area to parents who had direct roots to indentured sugar cane labourers. Her father, Munien Govender, came to South Africa from a rural village called Damal in the Kancipuram District of Tamil Nadu, India, at the age of eight, while her mother was born here in a sugar cane estate near Durban. "Mrs Chetty has now joined per parents, four sisters, her three brothers; husband Johnny Chetty; daughter, Rani, and six nephews and nieces who have passed on. "She is survived by her younger sister, Meenatchie Athaa; her grandson - Denzyl, grand-daughter - Leevashni; son-in-law - Stanley Govender; and scores of nephews and nieces. "We in the extended family - remember our Athaa as a person who possessed a friendly and warm personality and one who was always in a jovial mood.

(Ganas uncle with his eldest sisters, Papathie and Bombie) "She always joined us at family gatherings and during these occasions she interacted in a happy and boisterous way with both young and old. She enjoyed life to the full despite the hardships she had to face. "We are certain that now that she has left us she would say: 'I know your heart will be empty because I am no longer here, but still I want you to be full of the love and time we shared.' " "On behalf of the family, we want to say a big thank you to all family members, neighbours and friends who have come to pay their last respects to Mrs Chetty. "Finally I want to leave you with something very inspiring from the father of India's freedom, Mahatma Gandhi: 'Life and death are but phases of the same thing, the reverse and obverse of the same coin. Death is as necessary for man's growth as life itself.' "Gandhi also made this inspiring statement: 'We come into this world only once, whatever good we can do, we must do it now, because we will not pass this way again.' " ends - subry govender Feb 13 2016

DESCENDANTS OF INDENTURED LABOURERS PAY RESPECT TO THEIR ELDERS

(Some of the extended Muniamma family members who attended the family gathering.) THE MUNIAMMA EXTENDED FAMILY GATHERING ATTRACTS MORE THAN 120 PEOPLE It was an extended family gathering to be really proud of. More than 120 descendants of indentured ancestors attended a function in Durban on Sunday (January 31) to pay tribute and respect to five elders of the family who are still alive today. The extended family members, who trace their roots to indenture-born Mrs Muniamma Gounder and Mr Coopoosamy Gounder, run into six generations today and number more than 500. They arrived from as far afield as Dundee in the KZN Midlands, Pietermaritzburg, Port Shepstone, and even Johannesburg to show their respects to the five elders.

( Mr Isaac Munsamy Govender, 94, with his youngest sister, Mrs Amoy Moodley, 80 of Chatsworth; another sister, Mrs Savundalay Padaychee, 80, of Dundee; and his sister-in-law, Mrs Soundler Govender, 80, of Chatsworth. Mrs Govender is the widow of Mr Isaac Govender's younger brother, Mr Percy Govender.)

(Mrs Panjalay Naidoo, 80, the eldest grand-child, with some of her younger sisters at the family gathering.) The elders are Mr Isaac Munsamy Govender, 94, who lives in Northdale, Pietermaritzburg; Mrs Savundalay Padaychee, 88, who stays in Dundee; Mrs Amoy Moodley, 80, who lives in Chatsworth; Mrs Soundler Govender, 80, who stays in Chatsworth; and Mrs Panjalay Naidoo, 80, who is the eldest grand-child of the extended family and who lives in Scotborough. Mr Isaac Govender, Mrs Savundalay Padaychee and Mrs Amoy Moodley were part of a large brood of 14 children - born to their first generation parents, Mrs Muniamma and Coopoosamy Govender, who worked as market gardeners in the Dayal Road area of Clairwood. Eleven of the 14 children survived to give birth to the extended family of more than 500 that is today known as the Muniamma extended family. The younger family members, who are today mainly based in Johannesburg and Durban, belong to a Muniamma Family "what's up" group to keep in contact with one another. Some of the younger generation have also migrated to Australia, New Zealand, England and Germany. (Mr Isaac Munsamy Govender, 94, with family members at the gathering. On the extreme right is Mrs Panjalay Naidoo, 80, the eldest grand-child of the Muniamma extended family.) Representatives of the different branches of the extended family also paid tribute to their elders and called for more gatherings to promote unity and pride in their greater family. One of the descendants of the extended family, Mr Subry Govender, who is a veteran journalist, has documented the arrival and early lives of his ancestors and plans to publish the family history book soon He told the family gathering, held at the Japanese Gardens in Durban North, that it was vitally important for every family member to know their roots. "We have a very rich history and it's vitally important that all of us know where we come from," he told his family members. "Our future generations must not only be proud of being South Africans, but they must also know their roots. We must be proud of our cultures, traditions and languages in our new, non-racial and democratic South Africa. "We must cherish the memories of our forefathers and mothers."

Muniamma family gathering held at the Japanese Gardens in Durban on Sunday, January 31 2016 to pay tribute to five of the elders who are still around today

MUNIAMMA FAMILY GATHERING AT THE JAPANESE GARDENS, DURBAN NORTH, ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 31 2016

(Mr Isaac Munsamy Govender, 94, his youngest sister, Mrs Amoy Moodley, 80, and another sister, Mrs Savundalay Padaychee, 88, are the surviving children of the 11 Muniamma and Cooposamy Gounder children who are roots of the extended Muniamma family today. The fourth elder is Mrs Soundler Govender, 82, who is the widow of the late Mr Percy Govender.)

(Mrs Panjalay Naidoo, 80, the eldest grand-child of the Muniamma clan who is still alive today. With her are her younger sisters and other members of her family)

(Mr Isaac Munsamy Govender with some of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth generation descendants of the extended Muniamma and Coopoosamy Govender family)

(Another group of descendants of the extended Muniamma family)

(Another group of family members - representing the late Patcha auntie family)

(Mr Isaac Munsamy Govender, Dundee auntie, her daughters, Saro and Kogie, and Kogie's son.)

(Some family members of Amoy auntie at the function)

(Some family members of Dundee auntie- Kogie's daughter and her family)

(Mrs Dolly Reddy - who belongs to Patcha clan - with Isaac mamha and other family members)

(Mr Subry Govender, Mr Sunny Kumarasamy and Mr Sydney Subramoney - from the Salatchi side of the Muniamma family)

(Family members who are part of Amoy Auntie's side of the Muniamma clan)

(Mr Dennis Naidoo, who is part of the Licky Govindsamy family, with three members of the Patch family)

(Another group of family members at the function)

(The younger generation of the Muniamma family)

(Family members relaxing after the delicious lunch that as provided by Mr Nanda Subramoney of the Salatchie part of the extended family)

(Family members enjoying the delicious food provided by Mr Nanda Subramoney - who is part of the Salatchi side of the Muniamma family)

(Mrs Johnny Govender and her two daughters)

(Sunny and Kistamma (Violet) Kumarasamy Chetty - part of the Salatchi clan)

(The younger generation of the Muniamma clan)

(Members of the Amoy auntie family)

(Members of the Baigium family - great-grand-daughter-in-law, Triza, and her grand-child)

(Some members of the Patcha clan)

(Family members paying tribute to the family and the elders being awarded gifts)

(Mr Subry Govender with Mr Isaac Munsamy Govender)

(Part of the more than 120 people who attended the Muniamma family gathering held to pay tribute to five of their elders who are still around today)