The haunted house of Seatides

Rumors of childrens’ laughter echoing within its walls and lights burning in the windows surround the eerie Seatides ‘Ghost House‘.

Situated on the seaside of the M4 next to Beach Bums restaurant and beach bar, the abandoned house has become a playground for graffiti enthusiasts and photographers.

Yet the true and fascinating history of this well known Dolphin Coast landmark is little known.

The house was built in 1926 by a man called Gurusamy Veerasamy Naidu, who came all the way from India seeking new business opportunities in KZN.

“This property has been owned by my family for a 100 years and this house was the first house ever built on the Casuarina Beach area,” said his grandchild, Saantha Naidu, who himself became a property tycoon and owns impressive buildings such as the Coastlands hotels and resorts which are part of the Saanta Naidu Group.

According to Naidu, his grandfather owned over 100 acres of land, which reached inland and is now home to the M4, which was built in the 1960s, lavish housing estates and a squatter camp.

“Initially, it was built as a single storey house with a huge roof garden. In the 1960s the top floor was added. It had lead stained glass windows and doors with pictures of ships, a Victorian- style bathroom and the house was built from teak wood,” said Naidu.

“It was the first house in the area to have a phone and lights,” he said.

But this was not the only property GV Naidu owned.

“He had a palatial home in Umgeni Road and in Tongaat, ” said Naidu.

Krish Govender, a Westbrook pensioner, grew up in the area and remembers the grandeur of the house and its guests.

“It was a posh house with a big veranda around the front and back. The Naidu family used the house over weekends and always had big family gatherings and often had Indian celebrities visit them,” he said.

Govender recalls playing with his friends under the casuarina trees around the house.

He clearly remembered an informal concert at the house, where famous South Indian singers performed, which was a big event in the small town.

Govender said there was a smaller, single storey version of the house that was built where the squatter camp is now, which used to be rented out.

“My uncle used to rent it over Christmas in the 1950s and we would go visit him,” he said.

GV Naidu’s son, Gurusamy joined him in KZN in the 1950s and was the first Indian to sail on the Queen Elizabeth II ship.

Gurusamy became a well known business man and owned butcheries, livestock and of course property.

Naidu’s mom and dad lived in the house with his brothers and sisters in the 1980s, but when his father died in 1994, their mother went to live on the Berea.

“We left the house fully furnished and when we came back about a month later, the furniture was gone and the stained-glass windows had been taken,” said Naidu.

The house was continuously vandalised until it was only an empty shell.

While they have received countless offers Naidu is adamant that the house will stay in the family.

“It is a priceless family treasure and it is not for sale,” he said.