Community celebrates agreement on 1860 indentured labourers’ monument design

After years of contention and dialogue, the design of a monument dedicated to South Africa’s Indian indentured labourers has finally been agreed upon.

One of the issues was the monument having a bell which many felt was a symbol of oppression.

Seelan Achary, who chaired the initial monument committee, said they submitted the design to the premier’s office for over 11 years.

The design constitutes a sugar cane cutter, a male, a female, carrying the sugar cane on her head with a child on her back. That figure, which would be about two metres high, will be put on a 3m high plinth. On the plinth must be a plaque that was unveiled by Dr Zweli Mkhize in 2010, on another side of that will be the South African flag and on another side must be the national anthem. 

“These bells represent slavery. These were the slave masters’ bells that were used to control the workers to get up and go to work and when it was shut down for the day. I further argued that the bell was used or rang when there were cane fires.

“That bell was a symbol of oppression. You can’t put up a monument which is a symbol of oppression and then have us put a garland on it,” Achary said. 

Prince Ishwar Ramlutchman Mabheka Zulu, who was also part of the initial committee, said the monument is a true reflection of the hardship faced by indentured labourers.

“More so for future generations to come, we’ll be leaving a legacy that they will be inspired by when they look at this monument because this monument resembles that hardship and from where they were and where the Indians are now,” Prince Zulu said.

He said that after four or five generations, descendants of indentured labourers are now professionals in a variety of fields, including politics.

“This is a real victory for the Indian community to have the Indian labourers honoured by the government, which is the true reflection of that hardship that they went through and what they have sacrificed in the country,” Prince Zulu said.

“And we thank the government for having the year to listen to the community and their cry because there came a time where we were not heard, you know, the bell design was just thrown at us, not even put out into public, but just thrown out to us to accept it.”

Global Girmitiya Centre South Africa's secretary, Pradeep Ramlall, said: “You cannot destroy the ethos of the suffering of the indentured people that came to South Africa and you cannot represent it by symbols that don’t bring out our cultural heritage, our beauty, and also our struggle against colonialism."

Ramlall said that at last month's public meeting, they objected to what was being proposed. 

“We are now satisfied with what we are putting in the monument that reflects the aspiration of the indentured communities, who came here at that time.

“There was a unanimous decision calling for the removal of the bell and installing a monument that showed an Indian woman with a baby and a man carrying sugar cane on his head and also with a knife, representative of the culture at that time,” Ramlall said.

1860 Indentured Labourers Foundation, Verulam former exco member Anand Jayrajh said: “I’m happy to hear that there’s some compromise that has been made.

“I’m looking forward to the completion of the project because that’s the most important thing.”

KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport, Arts and Culture spokesperson Ntando Mnyandu confirmed MEC Mntomuhle Khawula intervened in a long-standing dispute between two factions around the use of a bell.

“The agreed-upon design will depict a male sugar cane cutter, a female sugar cane cutter carrying a child on her back and a bale of sugar cane,” Mnyandu said.

“All matters related to the design and accessing the site for the purpose of erecting the monument have since been resolved and finalised.”

This month Khawula is expected to lead a sod-turning ceremony signalling the beginning of this historic project that has seen a series of turbulences and delays. 

thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za