Trailblazer leaves a lasting legacy
Through hard labour and creative entrepreneurship, he enjoyed a successful business career until his retirement.
The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed the life of an outstanding son of the soil, who was a trailblazer and selfless individual in the Port Shepstone community, Len Hufft, who was as called to rest on Tuesday, January 12 at the age of 82 years old.
Len was the descendant of Norwegian and Zulu parentage.
Although the family was economically well off in his youth, Len, his brother and sister were left destitute on account of his epileptic dad losing their farms through treachery and legal subterfuge.
This then made his life a journey from extreme poverty.
Through hard labour and creative entrepreneurship, he enjoyed a successful business career until his retirement.
Throughout this journey, he always worked towards the welfare of his extended family, all of whom managed to extricate themselves from the poverty trap.
Throughout this journey, he was a trailblazer in the struggles against race, class, ethnicity and patriarchy.
He was a fighter for social cohesion and good human relations.
Len had a friendly, respectful, charismatic, humorous personality that endeared him to all.
He was always ready to assist those in need, in a selfless manner.
It was these endowments that led to his appointment as an assessor in the magistrate’s court in Port Shepstone.
But his forté was in sport.
He was outstanding at soccer and cricket and among the fore-runners in the Black Professional Soccer League, right from its inception, in the 1960s.
He actively promoted non-racial soccer with the likes of Solly Haffejee, TB Molefe and Strini Moodley, amongst others, and played for Panama FC, and Port Shepstone United, that brought glory to the town on many occasions.
Len was a wonderful host, whose home was always open to all and sundry, and was a great favourite with all children whom he loved dearly.
Fortunately his children, and all the offspring in the family, in whose lives he played no small part, are all high achievers professionally, locally, nationally and internationally.
Len was a brother to many of us, and a second dad to our children.
He will always remain in our lives.
May his immediate family be blessed with the strength to sustain this loss. May his soul rest in peace.
(Tribute by Dr Dilly Naidoo)
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