Reflecting on the lessons of the Lenz70 campaign

THE Lenz70 campaign ended last weekend, closing a yearlong set of activities marking 70 years of the existence of Lenasia.

- DR ISMAIL VADI

DYLAN Naidoo won the SA Open championship at the Durban Country Club in March. His family lived in Lenasia. | Investec

(Investec)

It began with a low-key public launch in February this year that got sceptics wondering whether there was any merit at all in celebrating seven decades of a racially defined “Indian” community established under the Group Areas Act that was enacted in 1950 by the racist National Party.

It ended on a high note with the launch of 46 volumes of Lenasia Hitting the Headlines, compiled by veteran photojournalist, Fakir Hassen.

These booklets are a collection of newspaper articles from the Lenasia Times over 41 years. Through the lens of this local newspaper, an impressive history of Lenasia itself has emerged. The credit for this naturally must go to the founding editor of the newspaper, the late Waheed Camroodeen, his son and business successor, Waseem, and their close associate, Hassen.

The programme over the year involved extensive local media engagements, with the Lenasia Times, Rising Sun (Lenasia), Globe Post (Lenasia South), Salaamedia, Eastwave 92.2FM, BeonChat and LenzFM serving as media partners and supporters.

The POST published monthly articles on different aspects of the history of the community.

South Africa’s popular golf champion, Dylan Naidoo, sent a goodwill message because his family lived in Lenasia.

Lenasia Secondary School, established as the first school in the area in February 1955, celebrated its 70th anniversary, with a glittering alumni dinner and open day exhibiting amazing photographs of its history.

Two teachers from the school, Hawa Munshi (principal) and Shameema Alli, were recipients of the national awards in excellence in secondary leadership and excellence in teaching mathematics, respectively.