Muniamma Family members who attended Isaac Govender's funeral in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday, Sept 23 (2017)

SAVUNDALAY AUNTIE OF DUNDEE, WHO IS 90-YEARS-OLD, WAS ONE OF THREE SURVIVING MUNIAMMA AND COPPOOSAMY FAMILY ELDERS WHO ATTENDED THE FUNERAL OF OUR ISAAC MAMHA. THE OTHERS WERE AMOY AUNTIE (81) OF CHATSWORTH AND SOUNDLER GOVENDER(87), PERCY MAMHA'S WIFE. THEY WERE JOINED BY SCORES OF NEPHEWS, NIECES AND SOME OF THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS.

FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS TURN UP IN THEIR NUMBERS FOR THE FUNERAL OF FAMILY ELDER – 95-YEAR-OLD ISAAC GOVENDER

By Subry Govender Family members and friends of the late Ruthinsamy Munsamy Isaac Govender descended from far and wide on the city of Pietermaritzburg in South Africa on Saturday, September 23 (2017) to pay their last respects to their beloved elder. The funeral service of Mr Govender, who passed away at the age of 95 at his home in Northdale, Pietermaritzburg on Saturday, September 16 (2017), was held at the local Bethlehem Baptist Church in Northdale. In addition to his own children, grand-children, great-grand-children and members of his Christian fraternity, Mr Govender’s two surviving sisters, a sister-in-law, and scores of nephews and nieces and their families also attended the service. His sisters, Mrs Savundalay Padaychee (90) of Dundee and Mrs Amoy Moodley (81) of Unit 3 Chatsworth, and sister-in-law, Mrs Soundler Govender, also of Chatsworth, were brought to the funeral of their brother and brother-in-law respectively by their children.

Members of all of Uncle Isaac’s 10 brothers and sisters who are resident all over Durban, Johannesburg, Dundee and other areas in the country represented their respective families. They included family members of Patcha Govender of Chatsworth; Nadasen Govender of Port Shepstone, Licky Govender of Chatsworth; Valiatham Dick Govender of Isipingo; Soobramoney Sooboo Govender of Isipingo; Percy Govender of Chatsworth; Salatchie Subramoney of Ottawa/Verulam; Savundalay Padaychee of Dundee; and Amoy Moodley of Unit 3 Chatsworth. Tributes were paid to Uncle Isaac by members of his Christian church, two grand-children, Mrs Andrea Chetty, who is the daughter of Meryl Nagaroo; and Mrs Michelle Munsami, who is the daughter of Uncle Isaac’s youngest daughter, Dayanithie. Uncle Isaac’s only son, Able Devadasen, who lives in Lenasia, Johannesburg, read out the obituary and one of Able’s sons, Jeremiah, who also lives in Johannesburg along with three of his brothers - David, Obiah and Joel and their respective families - passed the vote of thanks. A woman member of church also sang a beautiful song in Tamil to honour Uncle Isaac’s love for his Tamil culture and traditions.

The writer also delivered a tribute on behalf of the extended Muniamma and Coopoosamy family. This was the speech: A PROUD SECOND GENERATION DESCENDANT OF INDENTURED SUGAR CANE LABOURERS “I shall pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not deter it, or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” This message by one of the greatest world humanitarians and leaders, Mahatma Gandhi, best describes the person we have come here to say our final farewell to. Master of ceremonies and family members thank you very much for giving me a few minutes to say farewell to our beloved and respected ELDER on behalf of our extended family. Vanakkam, Namaskaram, Namasthe, Sanibonani and Good afternoon. We have assembled here to pay our last respects to an elder, who we as members of his extended and greater Muniamma Coopoosamy Govender Family, refer to as our Mamha, uncle, anna or elder brother, father, grand-father and great-grand-father. Our Mamha or Uncle, Mr Ruthinsamy Munsamy “Isaac” Govender, better known as Isaac Mamha or Isaac Uncle, has had a very interesting journey during the course of his long life --- lasting 95 years until he passed on, on Saturday, Sept 16 (2017). He was born on the 23rd of August in 1922 to Muniamma and Coopoosamy Govender at Dayal Road in the former “Indian” village of Clairwood, south of Durban. His maternal grand-parents came from a little village called Navalpore in the North Arcott District of Tamil Nadu in South India in the early 1880s to work as indentured labourers at the Blackburn Sugar Estate near Mount Edgecombe on the North Coast. His mother, Muniamma, and his mother’s younger sister, Yellamma, were born in the late 1880s at the Blackburn Sugar Estate. His paternal grand-parents also came as indentured labourers from the North Arcott District of Tamil Nadu. Isaac Mamha/Uncle was part of a large family of 14 children, eleven of whom had survived to give birth to the greater and extended Muniamma family. His siblings were: eldest sister, Baigium or Periamma, eldest brother, Nadasen Govender ( or Port Shepstone uncle), Licky Govender of Unit 7 Chatsworth, Soobramoney Govender of Isipingo, Valiatham Dick Govender of Isipingo, Salatchie Subramoney of Ottawa/Verulam, Savundalay Padaychee of Dundee, Patcha Govender of Unit 3 Chatsworth, Percy Boya Govender of Merebank/Chatsworth, and Amoy Moodley of Unit 3 Chatsworth. Only two of his sisters, Mrs Savundalay Padaychee, of Dundee who turned 90 on July 8, Mrs Amoy Moodley, who is 81-years-old and one sister-in-law, Mrs Soundler Govender (Percy uncle’s wife), who is in her 80s, are still around today. Uncle Isaac, who lived in Northdale, Pietermaritzburg, in his early days at Dayal Road in Clairwood he helped his father, brothers and sisters in cultivating their market garden. They cultivated a number of vegetables, including strawberries, which they used to sell at the historic early morning market in Warwick Avenue in Durban. After a few years at primary school, Isaac Mamha did odd jobs before taking up catering and being a top class chef at several hotels in Durban as his main occupation. While still a young boy, Uncle Isaac, who used to attend Tamil classes and visit the local temples on a regular basis, also became interested in the Christian religion. He and his siblings only communicated through the medium of the Tamil language when growing up in Dayal Road. He adopted the Christian faith at the young age of 17. Isaac Mamha did experience some problems at home because of his action and had to leave home for nearly three years. When he returned home, his eldest sister, Baigium, made arrangements for him one day to visit the home of a family friend in Merebank to pray for a person who was apparently sick. Here he met his future wife, Aunty Kurpa Grace. One of his sisters, Aunty Savundalay, who is still around today, aged 90, was the brides-maid. Isaac Mamha tied the holy “Thali” string because of his own traditional and cultural background and because Aunty Kurpa’s family were strong Catholic people who respected their family’s traditions and cultures. After their wedding, Isaac Mamha and Aunty Kurpa stayed at Aunty Kurpa’s parents’ home for a while. Two of his children – Ruth and Able – were born here. Isaac Mamha at this time was working at one of the hotels in Durban and he arranged for his brothers, Dick and Percy, to also work with him as page boys and waiters. Then in the early 1960s, Isaac Mamha moved to Pietermaritzburg where he found a job at one of the top hotels. Here another three daughters – Selvie, Meryl and Dhaya were born. After living in the central district of Pietermaritzburg for some time, Isaac Mamha and his family moved to Northdale after they were also affected by the notorious Group Areas Act, which was enforced by the former apartheid regime to separate the residential areas according to race – that is into white, coloured, Indian and African group areas. Isaac Mamha had lived at this house with Aunty Grace, who passed on nearly eight years ago, and the rest of his family for more than 50 years. Although he has been involved in the Christian religion for some time, Isaac Mamha has never forgotten his Tamil background, cultures and traditions. He managed to obtain a Tamil Bible and up to the time of his death he continued to sing religious songs in the Tamil language. On several occasions when we visited him here in Pietermaritzburg, he always made a point of singing religious songs in the Tamil language for us. I have recorded some of these songs and would gladly share them at another occasion.

He was also a Patron and active member of our extended Muniamma Family society and attended most of our gatherings that we used to hold in Durban and on the South Coast. At these functions he always offered his prayers in the Tamil Language. He was also a regular at extended family weddings and other functions. We want to tell Isaac Mamha that he has been a great human being and wherever he is today, we in the Greater Muniamma Family, will miss him a great deal. We are certain that those family members who had gone before him would have received him with warmth, love and kindness. We want Isaac Mamha to know that he led a beautiful life – full of kindness, love, and respect for all. His rich life – which includes a great deal more of his early life - makes up part of our Muniammma Family History book that we are publishing and will be launching soon. We will miss Isaac Mamha at the launch.

Isaac Mamha you lived your life according to what once a great Indian philosopher said: “Nobody and nothing will follow you after death. Only your deeds – good or bad - will follow you when you leave this world for the next.” Isaac Mamha, according to our extended Muniamma Coopoosamy Family, you have only led and demonstrated good deeds to all people, all your life. You have been a role model for all of us and we want to say that you have now left a big void in our extended family. When you meet Aunty Kurpa and the rest of the family members, please tell them that we miss all of them dearly and they must take care of all their descendants down here in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, England, Germany and the United States. Ladies and gentlemen, that’s my message on behalf of the greater Muniamma and Coopoosamy Govender family. Thank you very much and once again our deepest condolences to Ruth, Able, Selvie, Meryl, Daya, grand-children and the great-grand-childen. A big thank you to his grand-son, Roland, and his wife, Desire, for taking care of Isaac Mamha in the last days of his life. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com

SECOND GENERATION DESCENDANT OF INDENTURED LABOURERS WHO WAS ATTACKED BY HIS FATHER FOR TURNING TO CHRISTIANITY IN THE MID-1930s AT THE AGE OF 17 PASSES ON AFTER ATTAINING THE RIPE-OLD AGE OF 95

By Subry Govender

(RUTHINSAMY MUNSAMY ISAAC GOVENDER WITH HIS WIFE, KURPA, AT THEIR HOME IN NORTHDALE, PIETERMARITZBURG, IN SOUTH AFRICA) A second generation descendant of indentured labourers who had to flee his home at the age of 17 after being attacked by his father for “praying to a white man’s God”, has passed on at the age of 95 at his home in Bombay Road in Northdale, Pietermaritzburg, in South Africa. Mr Ruthinsamy Munsamy Isaac Govender, who grew up in Dayal Road in the historic “Indian” village of Clairwood, in the city of Durban, passed on, on Saturday, September 16, only three weeks after attaining the ripe-old age of 95. Mr Govender, who was also known as Wally to his “Christian” colleagues, was born on August 23 2017. He recalled his early life growing up in Dayal Road in several interviews with this correspondent over the past few years.

(MR GOVENDER WITH HIS DAUGHTERS, MERYL AND DAYA, NIECE, THYNA, AND SOME OF HIS GREAT-GRAND-CHILDREN AT HIS HOME IN PIETERMARITZBURG ON HIS 95TH BIRTHDAY ON AUGUST 23 2017)

(MR GOVENDER WITH HIS WIFE, KURPA, AND CHILDREN - RUTH, ABLE, SELVIE, MERYL AND DAYA) He was interviewed for a book that was being written about his indentured family’s history. He was born to Muniamma and Coopoosamy Govender, who were market gardeners at Dayal Road until they were affected by the development of the Durban Port in the early 1950s. His mother and his mother’s younger sister, Yellamma, were born at the Blackburn Sugar Estate, near Mount Edgecombe, on the North Coast of the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa.

(MR GOVENDER WITH HIS SISTERS, SALATCHIE AND SAVUNDALAY, AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS AT A MUNIAMMA GATHERING) His grand-parents, Kandasamy and Thanji, came as indentured labourers from the village of Navalpore in the then North Arcott District of Tamil Nadu in South India in the early 1880s. They worked as indentured labourers on the sugar estate for 10 years. Mr Govender was part of a large family of 14 children but today only he and two sisters are still around. His sisters, Savundalay Padaychee, who lives in Dundee, turned 90 on July 8, and Amoy Moodley, who resides in Chatsworth, celebrated her 82nd birthday on August 10. He also has one surviving sister-in-law, Soundler Govender, who is in her 80s and lives in Chatsworth. Mr Govender has come a long way from his early days at Dayal Road in Clairwood where in his youth he helped his father, brothers and sisters in cultivating their market garden. After a few years at primary school, he did odd jobs before taking up catering at several hotels in Durban as his main occupation. While still a young boy, he used to attend Tamil classes and visit the local temples on a regular basis. But when he became interested in the Christian religion at the tender age of 17, he faced attacks and rejection from his father and one of his elder brothers. They accused him of transgressing the family’s belief system.

(MR GOVENDER WITH FAMILY MEMBERS AT A FAMILY FUNCTION IN DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA) On one occasion, after visiting a local shop in Clairwood, he purchased a photo of Jesus Christ for two pence (this was the currency at that time until the late 1960s). When he took the photo back home, he was confronted by one of his brothers who asked him this question: “Why do you bring a white man’s God to our home?”. But he said he was not intimidated by his brother’s disapproval and instead retorted as follows: “Listen here Anna (big brother) I have paid for this photo and it belongs to me. It has nothing to do with you. You are not going to tell me what to do.” Then on another occasion, after secretly converting to Christianity at the age of 17, his father found him praying on the side of his bed. His father was furious and grabbed a spear and started to run after him. His mother, Muniamma, tried to stop Coopoosamy Govender but he pushed her aside and shouted: “It’s because of you he is acting like this.” He said his father shouted: “He is praying to a God we don’t approve of.” Noticing the serious trouble he had found himself in, young Govender jumped through the window and ran to a neighbour’s home for safety. He stayed the night at the nieghbour’s home and the next morning escaped to Durban. He went to the home of a pastor in Beatrice Street where he stayed for a few years while working as a chef. His mother, brothers and sisters were not too happy about him leaving home and spoke to Coopoosamy Govender to change his mind about young Govender.

(MR GOVENDER WITH HIS ELDER BROTHER, NADASEN, AT ONE OF HIS BROTHER, LICKY GOVENDER'S HOME IN CHATSWORTH, SOUTH AFRICA)

(MR GOVENDER WITH HIS YOUNGEST BROTHER, PERCY GOVENDER) While he was working at the Athlone Hotel at Riverside in Durban, he got a surprise visit from his father one day. His father wanted to talk to him about returning home in Dayal Road. “You have been away for three years and it’s not nice that you are staying away. I want to you to come back,” he said his father told him. Young Govender agreed to return home to Dayal Road on condition that he did not interfere with his religious affiliation. But when he returned home, he got a shock. “My father made a special room for me in the verandah where a separate plate and cup were provided for me. My father told me that I must eat on my own and that during weddings and other functions, I must not get involved. “But of course this only applied when my father was not around. My mother and other brothers and sisters were very concerned about me and made sure that I was not treated separately.” However, young Govender suffered more frustrations and inconveniences when his elder sister arranged for him to meet a young girl in the Merebank area. That girl, Kurpa, turned out to be his future wife. Although his father did not oppose his marriage, he insisted that he would not attend. At the same time he warned his wife and his children not to attend the wedding.

(MR GOVENDER WITH HIS WIFE, KURPA, AND ONE OF HIS SISTERS, SALATCHIE GOVENDER) But some of the brothers and sisters informed the old man that they were going to watch a Tamil movie at the Rani Theatre. “I was 22 at this time and my father was totally opposed to me marrying a Christian girl. He never accepted the fact that I became a Christian. “So when I got married he never turned up and he made certain that my mother also did not attend. But four of my sisters and two brothers were there. They bluffed my father that they were going to Rani cinema for a show. My sister, Savundalay, was my bride’s maid. “One of my elder brothers did not want to have anything to do with me because I became a Christian. “I tied the ‘thali’ because my wife’s family were strong Catholic people who respected their family’s traditions and cultures. The ‘thali’ my wife converted to rings later in our married life.

(MR GOVENDER WITH SOME OF HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS) “My father mellowed his attitude a little only after my eldest daughter and son were born.” Mr Govender and his young family moved to Pietermaritzburg in the late 1950s after he found a job as a chef at one of the top hotels. They lived in the “Indian” district of central Pietermaritzburg for some time and moved to his present home in Northdale after being affected by the notorious Group Areas Act, which was enforced by the former apartheid regime to separate the residential areas according to race – white, coloured, Indian and African.

(MR GOVENDER WITH HIS DAUGHTER, RUTH, AND WIFE, KURPA, AT ONE OF THE MUNIAMMA FAMILY GATHERINGS)

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(MR GOVENDER WITH HIS WIFE, KURPA, AND SOME OF HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS)

(MR GOVENDER WITH FAMILY MEMBERS AT ONE OF THE MUNIAMMA FAMILY GATHERINGS) He and his family have been living at this house for more than 50 years. Although he has been involved in the Christian religion for some time, Mr Govender has never forgotten his Tamil background, cultures and traditions. He managed to obtain a Tamil Bible and continues to sing religious songs in the Tamil language.

(MR GOVENDER WITH ONE HIS SISTERS, PATCHA, AND ONE OF HIS BROTHERS, PERCY, AT A FAMILY GATHERING) He also kept in close touch with his extended family by attending most of the weddings and other functions. He was a patron and senior of the Muniamma Family Social Club, which was established to keep alive the close bond of the extended family. He attended the family gatherings and getaway and at these occasions he always addressed his family members in the Tamil language and sang religious songs in Tamil. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com

MANGLEN PILLAY – A SOUTH AFRICAN FIRST GENERATION DESCENDANT OF INDENTURED LABOURERS WHO HAS ACHIEVED THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 100

MANGLEN PILLAY - WHO SET ASIDE HIS ENTIRE LIFE TO THE PROMOTION OF THE TAMIL CULTURE, LANGUAGE AND TRADITIONS.

(MR MANGLEN CHETTY WITH THE AWARD GIVEN TO HIM BY THE CKAIRWOOD TAMIL INSTITUTE) By Subry Govender

(Manglen Pillay with his surviving brother, Dennis Pillay, and sisters, Dulcie and Mammy) A first generation descendant of early Indian immigrants, who grew up committed to the promotion of the rich language, music, culture and traditions of his forefathers and mothers and who has been a strict vegetarian all his life, will reach the golden age of 100 on September 18. Mr Manglen Pillay was born in Grangetown, Verulam on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast along with an elder brother to his parents, Subramaniam and Meenachie Pillay. When he was two-years-old his parents moved to an area at the corner of Essendene and East Streets in Durban before settling in the then historical “Indian” district of Clairwood. The rest of his siblings, five brothers and five sisters, were born in Clairwood. All of them were brought up as strict vegetarians and musicians, committed to the Tamil language, culture and traditions.

(Manglen Pillay with members of his band From (l to r) A Govindsamy, S V Freddy Naicker, C N Naidoo, M. Subramani, Manglen Pillay , K Govindsamy.) “I am still a vegetarian and I continue to play the Sithar, Harmonium and Violin at functions in a nearby temple,” Mr Pillay told me in a recent interview at his humble home in Overport, Durban, where he has been living for the past 70 years. Although he has reached the ripe-old age of 100, Mr Pillay, a bachelor all his life, is still healthy, strong and has clear memories of his roots, his early life growing up in Clairwood, his involvement in music and sport, his work as an architect and artist, and his association with his struggle activist cousin, Kay Moonsamy, who passed on recently at the age of 91 on June 21. Mr Pillay’s father came to the then Natal Colony in 1898 at the age of 12 with his father and mother and another brother from the village of Orathur in the district of Kancheepuram and Changalpattu in Tamil Nadu in South India. “I was told that another four brothers and one sister of my father were born here after he, his brother and mother and father came down on the ship, Congella, in the late 1890s. “After my father worked in odd jobs, he specialised as a chef and worked in many establishments before joining the Marine Hotel in Durban. After my father married in the early 1900s, he settled down in Grangetown in Verulam. But when I was two-years-old my parents moved to an area in Durban before settling in Clairwood. “Although my father worked as a chef he did not earn enough to feed and educate such a huge family of 12 children. We were very poor and had to make do with whatever our parents provided us. But I was fortunate that I attended school in Clairwood and completed my education as a draughtsman and architecture at the Sultan College in Durban.” He taught as a locum teacher in Clairwood for a short while before joining an architectural company, known as Raman and Company, in Durban as a plan drawer in 1933. He worked here for 10 years before starting his own company in 1946 with offices in Hoosen’s Building and later moved to Rajab Building in the former “Grey Street” complex. “I can recall that I drew plans for the Vijay and Rani theatres and also for houses in Asherville, Merebank, Mobeni Heights and other areas in Durban.”

(Manglen Pillay playing the harmonium with band members, Ratty (thubla), Maggie (vocalist) and Nanda (violin)) At the same time while working as an architect and artist, Mr Pillay also concentrated much of his time in promoting Tamil music and culture. “I started playing the Sithar from the age of 12 because my father, who was also a musician, encouraged all his children to take a keen interest in music. Later in life I also started to play the violin and the harmonium. “In 1935 I launched the Odeon Band with Shunmugam Peters, who I met while training as a wrestler and boxer. I remained in this band for 10 years and thereafter in the late 1940s I became a founder-member of the Thirukural Society of South Africa, which we established in my office in Rajab Building. “Up to this day I still participate in functions. I played the harmonium during Sivarathrie for eight hours last year and in June this year I played at the Ramdass Temple again here in Overport.”

(Manglen Pillay (third from left adults) with students and fellow teachers at the Lingham Tamil School in Wentworth.) Although not politically-involved, he did, however, make available his office in Durban to be used as a half-way house for the storage of political literature and books that were scheduled for organisations such as the Natal Indian Congress and the South African Communist Party. “This arrangement for me to make available my office was made by my cousin, Kay Moonsamy, just before he left the country and went into exile. I would pass on the books to Mr G S Naidoo, who was an attorney, and Mr George Naicker, who was a political activist at that time. They would then pass on the books and political literature to Dr Monty Naicker and the other people.

(Manglen Pillay with his late cousin, struggle veteran Kay Moonsamy, and Mr Moonsamy's daughter, Ragini.) “But sooner or later the security police came to know about the goings-on and my office was raided by them on several occasions,” he said. The recipe for his long life? “I believe being a vegetarian, being involved in sport, hard work and playing the sithar, violin and harmonium has contributed to my long life. I also did not meet the right woman. I don’t know how long I am going to live but I want to say that my philosophy has always been: ‘be good and do good’.” Despite his strong attachment to the Tamil culture, language, music and tradition, Mr Pillay has not made any trips to visit India or his roots in Orathur village in Tamil Nadu. “I don’t know why I did not think about visiting the land of my parents but I did send my nephew on two occasions to India. I think I am now not at an age where I can travel freely.”

(Manglen Pillay - a drawing by artist M R Pillay of Manglen Pillay working in his office in Hoosen's Building, Queen Street, Durban in 1950.) Mr Pillay is very saddened at the high rate of violent crime that people have to put up with in his neighbourhood and other areas in and around Durban. “I stay with my nephew and you know we cannot leave our house or we cannot leave anything outside our home. There are criminals all over and the attacks on homes is very high.

“In our early days we could go everywhere and there was no problem. Life was really a pleasure in our days but now we live like hostages in our own homes. We have to lock up and live like prisoners. We have been living here for 70 years but now we are thinking of selling this place and moving out,” he said with sadness written on his face. Mr Pillay is one of four members of his large family of 12 siblings still around today. He has one brother, Dennis Pillay, who is 92-years-old and lives with his family in Silverglen, Chatsworth; and two sisters, Mammy, 80, and Dulcie, 78, who still live in Clairwood. The extended family have organised a birthday celebration for Mr Pillay at the NPS Hall in Asherville, Durban, on October 1. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com Sept 6 2017