Banned, detained, undeterred: Subry Govender's journey as a Struggle journalist

AT the age of 79, veteran journalist Marimuthu Subramoney, also known as “Subry Govender”, has documented South Africa’s Struggle against apartheid despite surveillance, detention and banning orders.

- NADIA KHAN

SUBRAMONEY, far left in the back row, with his matric class at Verulam High School, in 1965.

In his autobiography Coolie Journalist, Subramoney recounts how his humble beginnings led to a career giving voice to the oppressed, covering Nelson Mandela's release and presidency, and becoming a target of the security police.

His story reveals the critical role journalists played in fighting for South Africa's freedom.

Subramoney, who lives in Umdloti, is a third generation indentured descendant from his maternal family.

His maternal great-grandparents, who were from a village in Tamil Nadu, in India, arrived in South Africa in the early 1880s.

"When they came to Natal, they worked at the Blackburn Sugar Estate, near Mount Edgecombe. After their 10-year indentureship, they were recruited to work for a white family and moved to Ladysmith with their two daughters; my grandmother and her sister."

He said during this time, his family experienced a traumatic incident. His grandmother and her sister nearly lost their lives after they were washed down a flooded river. They were saved by a man who was passing by and noticed the young girls in trouble. He jumped into the fast-flowing waters and saved them from drowning.

"However, after the ordeal, the family returned to Natal, and lived in the Congella Barracks, before moving to Clairwood. At around the age of 11, my grandmother was married and had 14 children, of which 11 survived. My mother, Salatchi, was one of six daughters."

Subramoney said his paternal great-grandparents were also indentured labourers.

"They lived in the Magazine Barracks, and later moved to Cato Manor.