Tribute to a Dundee pioneer

A bit of Dundee history died when Savundalay Padayachee (93) passed on last month at her home. As a second-generation descendant of indentured labourers, she regarded Tamil Nadu in India as her second home.

Mrs Padaychee lived her adult life in Dundee after her first-generation indentured parents, Muniamma and Coopoosamy Govender (of Clairwood, Durban), married her off at the tender age of 15 to Shunmagum Sunny Padaychee of Dundee.

Mrs Padaychee, a small-scale businesswoman, became attached to India after she made her first visit to the land of her ancestors in the early 1980s. She travelled by ship on her first visit, but thereafter made regular aircraft trips to purchase Indian clothing to sell to family and friends in South Africa. During these trips, she also had the privilege of meeting a number of Tamil movie actors, including Rajnikanth and Sivaji Ganesan.
Her maternal grandparents, Kandasami Naiken and Thanji, arrived as indentured labourers from the village of Navalpore in the North Arcott District of Tamil Nadu in January 1882. They worked as indentured sugar cane labourers at the Blackburn sugar estate, near Mount Edgecombe, for 10 years. Her mother, Muniamma, and her aunt, Yellamma, were barely 11 or 12 when they were married. Savundalay was born on July 8, 1927, in Clairwood, along with 13 other siblings, 11 of whom survived to give birth to the greater Muniamma family that numbers more than 500 descendants and stretches back six generations today.

Life was tough for Savundalay and her four sisters and six brothers. She was not allowed to go to school, as her parents and elder brothers were of the view that girls should get married as soon as they reached adulthood. Although she did not go to school, she became fluent in the Tamil language and taught Tamil to children in the Clairwood area. She also helped her father and brothers in the family market garden.
During her married life, she continued with her gardening profession and used to travel door-to-door in the Dundee area to sell her vegetables.

All the extra pennies went towards helping her husband support the family and seven children. Two of her children became teachers, while others became skilled workers. One of her 24 grandchildren graduated to become a medical doctor, while most of the others and 23 great-grandchildren entered various trade, business and professional occupations. Most of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren have migrated to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, other parts of the country and even Europe.

Mrs Padaychee also took a great interest in the welfare of the extended Muniamma family and was a regular visitor to the homes of her brothers and sisters in Durban, the North Coast and Port Shepstone.
She is survived by six children – Saro Govender, Jayce Padyachee, Margie Nair, Kogie Naicker, Nelson Padyachee and Raja Padaychee. One of her sons, Nickel, passed away some years ago. She is also survived by 24 grandchildren, 23 great-great-grandchildren, three great-great-great-grandchildren; and more than 400 nephews, nieces and their descendants.

During her long life, Mrs Padaychee was not only an independent and strong person, but also ensured that she was there for all in times of stress and strain.

In a speech read out at her funeral on behalf of the greater Muniamma family, one of her nephews, Sadha Subramoney (who is also known as Subry Govender), said that Mrs Padaychee’s love for her family and the greater Muniamma family had been ingrained in her roots, culture and history. “She told me many times that if she had had her way, she would have settled in the land of her ancestors because of her love for the language, culture and traditions.”

She will be sadly missed not only by her immediate family members, grandchildren and other descendants, but also by members of the greater and extended family.

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