Surendra “Lenny” Naidu was a fighter of the
underground struggle as a member of the ANC’s armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, a
student activist and a hero to many.
Naidu dedicated his life to advancing the idea of
non-racialism and unity, fighting tirelessly for South African freedom and
striving to improve the quality of life of all people.
Naidu was born on April 12, 1964 to Leo Naidu and Neela Naidu in
Malvern, Queensburgh. His Kammavar Naidu forefathers were migrated from North Arcot district of Composite Madras state, India to Queensburgh.
The Group Areas Act of 1950 meant the Naidu family were
forced to relocate.
They settled in Bayview, Chatsworth, in the late 1960s.
Naidu was a pupil at Fairhaven Primary School and Chatsworth
Secondary School.
He matriculated in 1981 before registering at the then
University of Durban-Westville for a BA degree in 1982.
Within his first year of university, Naidu became a founder
of the Helping Hands Youth Movement, a cause that actively tackled the concerns
of South Africans.
Helping Hands is where he began to involve himself in
developing his community and started to take an interest in the challenges
facing his peers.
Naidu served as the secretary of the Bayview Residents
Association.
Under the banner of the Chatsworth Housing Action Committee
(CHAC), Naidu formed bonds with other community organisations that the
committee closely worked with.
As a member of the Natal Indian Congress (NIC), he
participated in all their campaigns and strived to forward the NIC’s goal for
equal rights for all.
He firmly opposed the tricameral elections of 1984.
Naidu attended the launch of Cosatu in 1985 and this
enlightened him on the difficulties experienced by working class people.
Thereafter he became involved in raising funds for employees
who were unfairly dismissed by the British Tyre and Rubber’s Sarmcol factory.
In November 1986, Naidu became a member of the ANC and
contributed to the underground struggle by joining Umkhonto we Sizwe.
He was subjected to constant harassment from the police,
which forced him into exile.
He departed for Lusaka, where he would receive further
instructions, before reporting to Angola for military training.
In May 1988, Naidu left Angola to head home. He made his way
to Zambia before catching a flight from Mozambique that would see him land in
Swaziland.
Naidu continued to reside in Swaziland as he awaited orders
on how he would go about infiltrating South Africa.
On June 8, 1988 Naidu and MK
comrades Makhosi Nyoka, Lindiwe Mthembu and Nontskilelo June Rose Cotoza were
gunned down near Piet Retief in an ambush co-ordinated by former police
colonel, torturer and assassin under the command of the apartheid government,
Eugene de Kock.
Lenny Naidu's mother Neela Naidu
Jurie
Denver, of the Lenny Naidu Institute, said: “Young as he was, he left such a
significant legacy. His unwavering contribution to the liberation struggle truly
deserved recognition. It’s part of our rich history and we are proud of him.” In
2006, Naidu's friends rallied together to honour his life and the sacrifices he
made by starting the Lenny Naidu Development Institute, to focuses on youth development.
A powerful play commemorating the life of Lenny Naidu is staged
in the Playhouse Drama Theatre in Durban and other cities of South Africa. Written
and narrated by Jayshree Parasuramen and starring Rahul Brijnath, Lenny tells a
story about a man who gave his life to the struggle for freedom of the people
of South Africa.
Lenny Naidu sisters 'Amsha Naidu at Lenny Naidu Drive
Greater recognition for Naidu’s bold efforts came almost
three years later when Bayview’s main street (formerly Pelican Drive) was
renamed Lenny Naidu Drive is next to Bayview and is located in eThekwini Metropolitan
Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
