Durban - Tributes have continued pouring in for the late anti-apartheid activist Mahalingum “Dhaya” Govender, who many have described as being disciplined, hard working, dedicated and committed to the fight against the apartheid government.
Govender, 61, died in a car accident on Sunday and is set to be laid to rest on Wednesday.
National Assembly Deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli, who worked closely with Govender in the struggle against apartheid, said Govender’s work included ensuring the establishment of socially active youth groups to take up community issues and the setting up of civic structures when the Durban Action Group was organising in areas around the north-west of Durban and the entire Durban region.
“Those are areas in which he was a very critical part of the work that was happening. He also constituted part of the underground around Durban, for all intents and purposes, and we know his activities as part of a core group of activists who operated across the entire Durban Functional Region, as we called it.
“He was a very passionate and disciplined activist who made it his job setting up youth groups with the purpose to provide them with political education, with opportunities to be active in their communities, to understand why it is important for them to be seen to be doing something to help solve problems in areas where they lived.
“This is the passion he had and this is why we think it’s quite a loss,” Tsenoli said.
The Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) also expressed shock at Govender’s passing and described him as a true champion of workers, and teachers in particular.
Govender was a former teacher who served as the former general secretary of the executive office of the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) while he was also one of the founding members of the PSCBC.
When he left the teaching profession, Govender went on to serve in numerous roles including taking up a position in the United Democratic Front-affiliated Durban Housing Action Committee, described as a federation of civic organisations to make a contribution in the anti-apartheid struggle.
The PSCBC said Govender’s activism also saw him being involved as an active member and shop steward of the South African Democratic Teachers Union.
“Dhaya will be remembered for his great sense of humour and his willingness to serve people. He was an individual who was well liked by all, ” the PSCBC said.
“We are eternally grateful for the contribution that Dhaya has made to the bargaining councils, labour relations, public service and the country at large.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Govender family during this difficult time. We pray that the Lord grants you courage and strength. Any funeral arrangements, or memorial or remembrance service will be communicated at the appropriate time,” the PSCBC said.
Dr Ela Gandhi described Govender as a “very good, committed and dedicated activist” who worked on a non-racial basis and gave his all to the work he was engaged in during the anti-apartheid struggle.
“I knew him during the years of apartheid and he worked very hard in the communities to educate the communities about apartheid, about the tricameral system which we objected to in those days, and mobilising the communities against the government of this tricameral system.
“He was also instrumental in doing house-to-house work on issues of housing that the communities experienced as he was working in the Durban Housing Action Committee to mobilise the communities around issues of housing.
“He worked closely with comrades like Lechesa Tsenoli and other comrades from Hambanathi, Lamontville and those areas as well,” Gandhi said.
Political Bureau