Tribute to a fallen wordsmith Sathish T Jaggernath

Anti-apartheid activist dies in the line of duty for democracy

By Marlan Padayachee

KZN TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS IN PLANE CRASH
The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Mr S'bu Ndebele, has expressed his shock at the death of Mr Sathish Jaggernath (50), Acting Director of Communications in the KZN Transport Department, who was killed in a plane crash at about 19h00 just outside Pietermartizburg last night.
Mr Jaggernath, together with four other colleagues from the KZN Department of Transport, were on their way back from a cultural festival in Limpopo Province. The plane crashed near Wartburg just outside Pietermartizburg in rainy, misty and overcast weather conditions. The exact cause of the crash is still unknown and is being investigated by the aviation authorities and the South African Police Services.
Visiting the family at their home in Merebank today, Ndebele described Sathish "a writer, a social worker, a communicator, an intellectual, a freedom fighter and moreover, a committed community worker".
The injured are Mr Chris Hlabisa - Chief Director: Implementation, Mr Thabang Chiloane - Chief Director: Public Safety and Communication, Mr Howard Bennett: Director - Research and Ms Nomthi Xaba - Manager: Office of the HOD. The pilot of the plane was also injured.
All the injured were admitted to St Annes Hospital in Pietermartizburg where they are reported to be in a stable condition.
Mr Jaggernath is survived by his wife, his mum and two children. MEC Ndebele has also expressed his condolences to the family of Mr Jaggernath and wishes those injured a speedy recovery.
Mr Jaggernath's funeral will be held tomorrow (Sunday, 2002-12-01) at the Merebank Community Centre, Dharwar Road, Merebank, Durban commencing at 12h30 and will be later cremated at the Mobeni Crematorium. Key speakers at the funeral will include MEC Ndebele and other activists who will pay their last respects to a close confidant.
SATHISH JAGGERNATH: TRIBUTE BY MARLAN PADAYACHEE, FRIEND, WRITER AND FELLOW RESEARCHER
It is with great sadness and grief that we received the news of the tragic death of Sathish Tirubeni Jaggernath, son of the soil, a true South African, a non-racialist and internationalist, who earned widespread respect and admiration for his work in journalism, the political resistance movement and in the social welfare and the teacher union sectors.
In short, Sathish Jaggernath was a brilliant wordsmith and a concerned South African, who inspired people in his company. He was multi-skilled as a writer, activist, speaker, lecturer, negotiator, conflict-resolution exponent, a friend and confidante, and most importantly a caring and compassionate son, brother, husband and father.
He was an advocate for non-racialism, social justice and democracy, having been inspired by some of the world's greatest human rights champions, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Oliver Tambo, Monty Naicker, Yusuf Dadoo and Nelson Mandela.
In his life, his quiet diplomacy, lovely sense of humour and deep grasp of compassion and concern for South Africa, particularly the role of country's Indian community in the emerging, non-racial democracy.
Having great respect for the independence and power of the media, Sathish Jaggernath contributed immensely to good and analytical journalism through his weekly column in the Post newspaper, Flip Side.
He wrote with passion and jealously guarded his independence though he was not a permanent member of the press corp and he conducted himself with integrity and honesty.
In his public life, Sathish Jaggernath was a born activist, champion of the underdogs and a firm freedom fighter who did not let up during his long stint in the front-line of the struggle for peace and democracy in South Africa.
He was steadfast in his criticism of reactionaries in the apartheid political era and often offered cogent arguments in political and social debates.
Internationally, Sathish was so appalled by the discrimination meted out to the Tamil people in Sri Lanka by the ruling Sinhalese elite, that he wrote critically about this internecine civil war which many journalists steered clear off.
Overall, in his own brand of wisdom and intellectualism, Sathish Jaggernath, a visionary, contributed powerfully to the social-welfare and the teacher-union movements, with resistance politics being his forte. He was regarded as a sounding board to many of the young political activists in Merebank and Chatsworth and only last year he stood up at the reunion function of the Merebank High School, alma mater of many anti-apartheid political activists, and offered to launch the Krish Rabilal Memorial Fund for previously disadvantaged in memory of the Merebank-based ANC cadre who was killed during a South African Defence Raid on an ANC camp in Matola, Mozambique in the 1980s.
Sathish Jaggernath learnt his writing skills in a community newspaper, The Sentinel, in Merebank, and went on to produce the Tasa Newsletter, during his term as secretary-general of the Teacher Association of South Africa (Tasa) and was among the prime movers together with Pat Samuels and Poobie Naicker. Before that he developed his activism at the South African Swimming Federation where he worked alongside Morgan Naidoo and Vasie Nair, and played a strong advocacy role in the forums of the South African Council on Sport, before resurrecting the Natal Indian Congress branch in Merebank, linking up with the United Democratic Front, and while maintaining his independence and integrity, he was a loyal cadre of the African National Congress.
He proved outstanding leadership at the Durban Child and Family Society, under SA ambassador to Italy, Dr Khorshed Ginwala, and the Natal Blind and Deaf Society.
At the birth of the new democracy, he was keen to continue his role-playing function and joined Northern Province Premier Popo Molefe's communications team alongside another media activist Neil Lewis; and had brief stint at the Outer West Inner-City Council at Kloof, before joined Transport Minister Sbu Ndebele's communications team as an acting director.
Sathish Jaggernath has also been a highly respected member of the government's Film and Review Board where he worked alongside eminent constitutional lawyer Professor Karthy Govender, and the Indian epic film, Mother India, was his all-time favourite, and he loved Indian music and cuisine.
His passion was to rewrite the history of South Africa, particularly the enormous contribution made by the Indian and African communities to the liberation struggle, and was had recently completed a new research on the 1946 Passive Resistance Movement with political writer Marlan Padayachee.
His dream was to turn his newspaper columns into a book with a truly African theme and title.
In essence, Sathish Jaggernath has been an institution in our society, a true South African who was unashamed of his Indian heritage, legacy, culture and rituals.
The once hotbed of politics in Merebank, and well as Durban and South Africa has been left poorer without his intellectual spark, brilliant writing skills, larger-than-life and warm and friendly personality.
Hamba Kahle, Comrade STmarlan@nn.independent.co.za 083 796 1762
Contact: Mlungisi Ndhlela on 082 5666 781
Issued by KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport
30 November 2002