Durban’s spice king passes away
Affectionately known as Vinoo, Vinodrai Harie was born in Durban and raised in Beatrice Street.
HUNDREDS of tributes poured in from all over the world following the passing of Vinodrai Harie, a well-known Durban spice trader.
Affectionately known as Vinoo, Harie was born in Durban and raised in Beatrice Street. He was the eldest brother of five siblings, Tara, Kishore (Rocky), Vijay (Carlos) and Suresh (Tom). He attended school at Gandhi Desai and by the late 1960s had joined his father in his shoe business. In 1976, he married Chandrika Haribhai, and it was not long before he started working with his father-in-law who had pioneered the importing of grains and pulses at K. Haribhai & Son’s.
From this, the concept of the immensely popular Spice Emporium in Pine Street took shape, and locals and tourists flocked to the store. Spice Emporium catered to specific cultural needs with their range of products including dried goods, frozen foods, snacks, condiments, kitchen ware and, a wide range of spices. His business flourished with branches in Gateway and Reservoir Hills and branded spice stations in supermarkets in Johannesburg.
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Brother, Kishore Harie, who gave the eulogy at the cremation ceremony on June 7 said: “Vinoobhai so gracefully assumed and took the mantle as the elder in family after our father passed away. He did so with such grace and ease, caring for us and nurturing us. His passing has created a huge void in our lives: in our Harie family, in the Kuntawala family, in the Gopal family as well as the extended families. In Vinoobhai we’ve had the privilege of being with a beautiful soul – a husband, a father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend; he will forever be in our thoughts and in our hearts.”
Close friend, Wendy Nell, who also spoke at his cremation ceremony, said: “Vinoo was kind, he was inclusive, he was generous, he was hard working and huge hearted and he loved life.”
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Another tribute came in the form of a message from Dr Jayraj Naidoo who wrote “Nothing was too much for him. We will forever treasure the happy moments that we had with him.”
Harie is remembered by his wife Chandrika; his children Rajesh, Punam, Mitesh and Mira and his beloved grandchildren, Seth and Soha, and to all of those who will miss their soul brother with a golden heart.
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