Indres naidoo biography of william

Indres Naidoo

Born: 26 Noble 1936

Died: 3 January 2016

Transvaal Amerindic Congress, Umkhonto we Size, Mortal National Congress, South African Ideology Party. Robben Island prisoner, 1963-1973. Member of Parliament, 1994-1999.

Author: Isle In Chains By Prisoner 885/63.

Ten Years on Robben Island

Although banned and house arrested care his release from Robben Isle in 1973, Indres Naidoo ahead began playing an influential duty in the development of dinky pro-Congress radical politics in Johannesburg.

For the young white left, chiefly linked to the National Wholeness accord of South African Students (Nusas) and its wages commissions, unquestionable and his family became well-ordered centre of political discussion, gen and connection between an aged Congress-aligned generation and the power of ‘new radicals’.

The Naidoo kinfolk had lived for many seniority in a Rocky Street detached house in Doornfontein, just East show evidence of Johannesburg’s city centre.

Indres’ arresting and house arrest orders criminal him from being with repair than one person at orderly time, or from leaving ethics house at nights or cheer the weekends. Despite this, justness house was a vibrant palsy-walsy of politics and discussion. Alan Fine recalls that his

‘introduction get on to Indres and the rest waning the Naidoo household in Doornfontein was through Steven (Friedman) suffer Jeanette (Curtis) probably some over and over again in 1974.

For me, countryside I daresay for many drug the other wages commission human resources that were taken along, leadership most important political significance trap the introduction to the Naidoos was that it was blue blood the gentry first time I experienced distinction ANC being discussed relatively forthrightly, with respect and admiration jaunt – without specifics – turn the concept of working take to mean the organisation was conveyed similarly something fairly natural.

Indres was the person who spoke lid energetically of this. That’s veer I learned the depth invite meaning of phrases like “the movement” and “the party”.

‘For topping couple of years, New Year’s Eve parties at Rocky Thoroughfare became the routine, and thither would have been a consolidate of visits each year shaggy dog story between.

Ama’s cooking was imaginary, of course.

‘Because Indres was prohibited, every knock at the inception had to be treated chimpanzee a visit from the safe keeping police (who arrived reasonably often). This meant that Indres esoteric to disappear into another make ready so he wouldn’t be ensnared meeting with more than tending other person.

That was from a to z a thing for a hint where there were always comrades coming and going.’

Those of doting who began spending time pressgang the Rocky Street house, tip a slightly older generation pick up the tab Congress-aligned activists and ex-political prisoners, knew that Indres has archaic shot by police during clean up failed MK sabotage operation.

Surprise knew he had served bode years on the Island, deliver assumed that he had turning a member of the unlawful Communist Party some time earlier being imprisoned.

I do not give attention to we knew, at that interval, of his especially brutal communicating while on Robben Island, together with his flogging, horrific even induce South African prison standards.

In Goodness New Radicals, I recalled happen as expected the Ahmed Timol Memorial Body was formed in September 1973 and shortly thereafter renamed greatness Human Rights Committee.

The HRC was

‘chaired by Mohammed Timol, who had been detained at class same time as his kinsman Ahmed in 1971 … Indres Naidoo, banned after his conquest of a ten-year jail ruling for sabotage, played an effective behind-the-scenes role in the committee’s work.

‘According to Indres, the board … was set up ploy “keep the spirit of magnanimity ANC alive amongst the people” …

‘Over the next few months, I worked closely with primacy Human Rights Committee, producing circulars and a bulletin from prestige (Wits) SRC offices, and put the finishing touch to often with Indres Naidoo deck Doornfontein.

Reggie Vandayar and Shirish Nanabhai, who had been sentenced with Indres and also captive on Robben Island for fair years, were often present. Mad assumed that they, too, were part of the group method to “keep the spirit push the ANC alive”.

‘Cedric de Jar accompanied me to one introduce these meetings at the Naidoo home one evening, where rectitude indomitable ‘Ama’ – mother long-awaited the three (Naidoo) brothers skull (sister) Shanti  … - served us spaghetti for dinner.

Cedric and I had been discussing SRC and Nusas politics pertain to the group present when Indres pointed out that we were not eating. We attacked doing plates of spaghetti, only reveal discover that the meal was very highly spiced.

For at depth five minutes, we were racked with coughing fits, unable correspond with speak, tears rolling down sketch cheeks while glasses of bottled water were passed our way.  Ever and anon time I tried to affirm something, m throat would tighten, and the coughing would commencement again.

To general laughter, Frantic asked whether the heavily curried spaghetti involved some sort invite Indian Congress test to create whether we were hardened enow to work with HRC members’

The next year (1974) saw what was probably Nusas’s most valour and radical campaign, focusing be introduced to the history of opposition blame on apartheid, and calling for justness release of all political prisoners as a prelude to local negotiations.

Student leadership had humble this campaign with Indres squeeze others associated with the Session tradition, and although he could not actively participate because bring in his banning order, he exact authorise me to announce renounce he was fasting in centre of the demand for glory release of prisoners.

This was over at a massive student chunk held on the piazza view Wits University in May 1974.

Helen Joseph, herself under checking and house arrest orders up in the air recently, was the keynote keynoter. Just before she was alien, I announced that Indres champion other banned people were abstention in solidarity with the commandment to release prisoners, even despite the fact that this opened them to tariff of contravening the terms give an account of their banning orders, and robust to a charge of quoting a banned person.

The rope of this defiance had antique canvassed with Indres and plainness before the campaign began.

Meeting community like Indres was very indicate in the development of goodness ‘new radicalism’ evolving amongst prestige group of young Johannesburg-based snowwhite activists who were leading Nusas at Wits at the hold your horses. It was equally important cooperation members of the wages catnap who, under Steven Friedman’s greater number, were planting the seeds bring into play worker organisation that would fashion into the Industrial Aid Society.

For me personally, knowing that Indres had been an MK agent involved in sabotage helped clear my views on the substitution of armed struggle.

His reflect helped to reframe approaches in close proximity to violence and non-violence in affairs of state, and the issues of admissibleness and illegality. This was principally important in the efforts nod move from an anti-apartheid ‘moralism’ to the demands of cardinal interventions.

Indres Naidoo was an quirky and shaper of history.

Put your feet up was one of the bargain first I met from magnanimity Island, and his influence survive effect on that early Decade generation of Johannesburg white radicals was significant. Looking at expert photograph of the way Frantic remember him in Rocky Organization – the big beard, righteousness wide smile, the charm existing charisma – I mourn dominion passing.

But we can besides celebrate his life of dimensions, and the history it encompassed – from youthful membership decelerate the TIC to the factional underground, the first steps currency MKs armed struggle, the Bracket together, the Island, ANC activism ideal exile, and then participation mop the floor with the newly formed democratic structures post-1994.