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Foundation To Honour MJ Naidoo - Veteran of the Anti-Apartheid Struggle
By Marlan Padayachee

FORMER veteran Natal Indian Congress leader and lawyer MJ Naidoo will be honoured at a public debate in Durban on Youth Day, Monday, June 16.
Naidoo died on a significant day ten years ago, aged 67, formerly known as Soweto Day when he and the Natal Indian Congress came to the political and community aid of thousands of schoolchildren and parents who became embroiled in the student revolution against the teaching of Afrikaans as a medium.
Therefore, the MJ Naidoo Foundation for Social Justice, launched by family members, including his son Jayendra Naidoo, former NEDLAC strategist and leading businessman at the J&J Group with former Cosatu trade union leader and former minister, Jay Naidoo, his daughter Melanie Naidoo and several social activists, felt it was appropriate to honour the brave lawyer on one of SA's most defining days in the resistance to apartheid.
A Public Debate on the "current challenges and opportunities for democracy in South Africa and the Region" takes place at the University of KwaZulu Natal's Westville Campus T Block Lecture Theatre at 10.30am and culminating in drinks and snacks.
Naidoo, who lived in Merebank and continued practicing at his law firm in the Grey Street CBD, died at a Durban hospital on 16 June 1997. He was born in Umkomaas followed his brother, Advocate MD Naidoo, into politics. MD Naidoo was also persecuted and imprisoned before fleeing to exile in London in the 1960s.
"It's important that people get involved in the foundation's vision because my father's work epitomized moral and social justice, human dignity and fairplay. In his life and career, he championed the human rights of the poor," his daughter said in an interview from Johannesburg.
The Foundation was established on16 June 2007 as a tribute to the former NIC president, whose ideals of non-violence, racial equality, and peace, have served to inspire generations of social activists. Naidoo who lived the last years of his life in Merebank, once a NIC and ANC stronghold, and his lawyer colleague and former NIC president , George Sewpershad, who died last year, were a formidable pair that resisted the government's apartheid policy and the House of Delegates as proxy representation of the Indian community.
Sewpershad was recently honoured posthumously by the Mbeki Presidency with the Order of the Luthuli Award.
The Foundation will host the first of many forums next week to encourage debate on building democracy in a country that is at the crossroads of its transformational challenge and the quest for peace and nonracialism.
Leading personalities taking part in the debate will be Roy Padayachi, Deputy Minister of Communications, Logie Naidoo, Durban's Deputy Mayor Jayendra Naidoo, and several former activists are expected to attend the inaugural event.
"We have invited individuals and organizations with a keen interest in social justice and those who demonstrate and contribute to the spirit of humanity in our society to become part of the activities of the Foundation and contribute to the debates that will be hosted each year on June 16. We are creating a Social Justice Blog, (http://www.socialjustice.org.za/) that will be launched on 16 June, Youth Day," said Melanie Naidoo.
"This event will include inputs from youth of four different schools, that will be followed by presentations from political commentators, from within and outside of government, who will respond to the issues raised by the youth. "
The organisers have asked participants and guests to respond via email to: info@socialjustice.org.za
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