A pioneer of South African Indian theatre, Durban-born Govender passed away of age-related illnesses Thursday at the age of 86.
Some of his notable works include Black Chin White Chin, Song of the Atman, and At the Edge and Other Cato Manor Stories. His book, At the Edge and other Cato Manor Stories, won the 1997 Commonwealth Writer’s Prize for best first book, Africa, and was used as a school set-book.
His most celebrated theatre piece is The Lahnee’s Pleasure, based on characters in a hotel in apartheid SA, it became one of SA’s longest-running plays.
Govender was a recipient of the Government of South Africa's Order of Ikhamanga in 2008 for his contributions to democracy, peace, and justice in the country through his work in the theatre.
He is survived by his human rights and gender activist daughter, Pregs Govender, who will no doubt deeply miss her “radical playwright” father with whom she had "very lively debates about everything from religion to politics.”
Govender will be buried in Cape Town.
May he RIP.
