History of the Shree Pretoria Hindu Seva Samaj

Part 2: 1980 – 2021

Background
Part One of the History of the Samaj covers the period 1932, when the Shree Pretoria Hindu Seva Samaj
was officially formed, to 1980 when many of the older generation of Samaj leaders gave way to the
younger generation. The Samaj was fortunate that its previous secretaries had meticulously recorded the
minutes of meetings that also captured some major events of the day. It was these records that the author
of this article used to write up Part One.
Part Two covers the major events that occurred from 1980 to 2021. This was a time when there was great
turbulence in the country as well as in the Samaj. Both lurched from one crisis to another. The author was
also a role-player during much of this latter period in the life of the Samaj. While an attempt has been
made to record events as “objectively” as possible, it is possible that some bias might have crept in.
Readers should keep this in mind and are welcome to send through any corrections which they feel need
to be made to the Samaj office.
A Community in Distress – Formation of the Pretoria Hindu Organisation (1981)
As sanctions against Apartheid in the 1970’s bit deep, there was widespread hunger. Many poor Hindus
were unable to put food on their tables or to service municipal charges on their homes. In addition, there
were concerted efforts by sections of the Abrahamic faiths to use this crisis to convert Hindu’s to
Christianity and Islam. The Gujarati-, Tamil- and Hindi-speaking Hindu organisations of Laudium decided
to unite in 1981 to form the Pretoria Hindu Organisation, an umbrella body representing the Pretoria
Tamil League, the Shree Pretoria Hindu Seva Samaj, the Pretoria Sanathan Vedh Dharam Sabha and the
Laudium Tamil League to fight this scourge. The Samaj played a leading role in this new organisation. In
the PHO’s first 2 years, its first Chairman was Jivanbhai Kalyan who was also the chairman of the Shree
Pretoria Hindu Seva Samaj. Under his leadership a fund-raising drive was undertaken. In its second year
of existence, Sathia Pillay of the Pretoria Tamil League, took the reins and he focused mainly on creating
a constitution that would satisfy all the different communities. For the next 30 years, under Rameshbhai
Chhagan’s leadership, the organisation raised further funds which it used to set up soup kitchens, provide
grocery hampers to indigent Hindu families and paid the rates and taxes of those facing eviction from
their homes. For the first time, a joint Diwali Show was held annually in the Samaj Auditorium where all
communities participated. Another uniting initiative was the introduction of the Shivratri Yatra in 1988
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where all sections of the Hindu community created floats and marched in procession to the three temples
in Laudium, paying their homage to Lord Shiva. It was this effort of uniting the Hindu community that
served to prevent the large-scale religious conversion of many Hindus of Pretoria to the dominant
Abrahamic faiths. Sadly, due to apathy, but only after another momentous achievement of which more
will be said later, the Pretoria Hindu Organisation was formally disbanded in 2014, thus bringing an end
to all its charitable activities, the annual Shivratri Yatra and Diwali Show. However, the Samaj took up the
cudgels again in 2015 to restart the Diwali Show as a Samaj event. Today, the Diwali Show has grown into
the Tshwane Diwali Festival and Fireworks Display held annually at the Laudium Sports Stadium. This
event has become a premier event of note in the cultural life of the Pretoria community and attracts not
only thousands of spectators but dignitaries such as the High Commissioner of India, cabinet ministers
and mayors of Tshwane (Pretoria).
The Samaj Auditorium & Grand Bazaar (1981-1982)
Under the leadership of Chaganbhai S. Jivan and Jivanbhai Kalyan, the construction of the auditorium
began in earnest. As a community, we are extremely grateful to Ramanbhai Rama, Chunilalbhai Chhagan
and Naginbhai Bhana, who formed the core fund-raising team that worked tirelessly to raise much of the
needed funds. After completing the construction of the Samaj Auditorium in 1980, the Samaj still owed
the bank a princely sum of R67 000 which it had “blackmailed” First National Bank (FNB) to loan it.
Apparently, the bank was initially reluctant to grant the Samaj a loan or overdraft facility because the
Samaj was unable to provide a decent collateral, but the bank eventually did so when it received a threat
from over 15 Gujarati families that they would switch their personal and business bank accounts to rival
banks if the overdraft from FNB was not forthcoming. The loan helped complete the auditorium project,
which for decades was regarded as one of the premier auditoriums in Laudium. Samaj officials decided
to celebrate the completion of the auditorium and clearing its debt by hosting a grand bazaar. A car was
raffled at the bazaar, the proceeds of which was used to settle the overdraft amount.
Building of the Samaj Marabastad Centre (1983-1984)
As the community grew its roots in Laudium after their forced removal from Marabastad, the question of
what to do with the property owned by the Samaj in Marabastad started gaining traction. The old
premises, situated on 4 stands, comprising of a mandir, some classrooms as well as a few residences, was
slowly dilapidating due to neglect. The Samaj, under the leadership of Jivanbhai Kalyan, resolved to fully
develop these stands by constructing a shopping center with 11 businesses, whilst retaining the mandir
for the businesspeople of Marabastad to attend daily. Through the efforts of many officials, especially
Diarbhai Govind, who managed the project, a new center was built which today provides the Samaj with
a steady income that helps it in meeting and furthering its cultural and religious mandate.
The Smell of Freedom (1988-1990)
In the late 1970’s, the United Democratic Front, made up of progressive internal forces, was established
to ramp up internal resistance to the Apartheid regime. The Samaj auditorium became a favourite venue
for prominent activists in “Transvaal” to address the public. Well-known amongst these were Tokyo
Sexwale, the Reverend Frank Chikana, Pravin Gordhan and our very own local heroine, Maniben Sita.
Maniben who, together with her late father, Nanabhai Sita, had a long history of struggle against
Apartheid and became a tough and vocal critic of Apartheid. She had been taken into detention several
times.
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As pressure mounts both internally and externally, the Apartheid government eases some stringent
Apartheid laws (at times called Petty Apartheid) and allows some small freedoms (eating in White
restaurants, movies, etc.) but insists on Grand Apartheid i.e.,separate homelands for different groups and
tribes. However, by 1989, with the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union, the South African
Government, which had been under immense international and local pressure to abandon Apartheid,
suddenly succumbs. The diehard president of the National Party, PW Botha, suffers a stroke and is
replaced by the moderate FW de Klerk in 1989. De Klerk releases former President Nelson Mandela and
all other freedom fighters in 1990, and thereby facilitates the commencement of negotiations towards a
peaceful transition.
In 1990, Laudium establishes an ANC Branch to which several local Hindus and Muslims are elected.
Rameshbhai Chhagan, secretary of the Samaj and Chairman of the Pretoria Hindu Organisation, is elected
its first Vice-Chairman.
The Samaj Mandir is Bombed! (1993)
The first major event that impacted on the Samaj in the next decade was the destruction of the Babri
Mosque in Ayodhya, India in December 1992 by a group of Hindus who believed the mosque was built
several centuries ago upon a destroyed temple. The Hindus regarded this temple as especially auspicious
as it was built to commemorate Lord Ram’s birthplace and wanted it restored. In January 1993, bombs
are placed at the front and back doors of the Seva Samaj mandir in Laudium by unknown persons.
Fortunately, only the front bomb explodes. The resultant explosion results in the shattering of the temple
door and front entrance as well as glass panes in the temple, school, and neighbouring houses. Although
some structural damage was caused, the mosaic tile display of a dancing Shiva (symbolizing the creation
of the cosmos) behind the shattered door was miraculously undamaged, as was the case with the murthis
in the main section of the mandir. A group of prominent local Muslim leaders seek an audience with
Samaj officials in the immediate aftermath of the blast. The then Samaj President, Tapidasbhai Bhana,
asks his secretary, Rameshbhai Chhagan, to meet with them. The delegation expresses their regret at
what happened and offer to pay for the damage caused to the mandir. Rameshbhai refuses the offer but
agrees to work with them to calm tensions.
We Are Free at Last! (1994)
On 24 April 1994, South Africa held its first democratic national elections. There is widespread hope and
joy from the younger generations but confusion and fear from the mainly conservative older generation.
In 1994, Rameshbhai Chhagan and Aboo Burma are nominated by the ANC to serve on the first non-racial
Transitional City Council of Pretoria. They assist the Council to prepare for the first non-racial City Council
elections that take place the following year. After serving as Vice-Chairman of the ANC for several years,
Rameshbhai becomes disillusioned with the increasing levels of corruption within the ANC which began
with the arms deal under President Thabo Mbeki, and steps aside from active politics in 1998.
Establishment of a Student Study Loan & Bursary Fund (1996)
In 1996, the Pretoria Navyug Mandal, the youth wing of the Samaj, under the leadership of Vineetbhai
Rama, decide to celebrate the Navyug Mandal’s 50th anniversary by hosting a bazaar. The event was
successful in that it realized a profit of R250 000. The Navyug members felt that the future of the youth
and the Gujarati community lay in the youth pursuing professions rather than remaining small-time
businesspeople. Consequently, it was agreed to use the funds to commence with a bursary fund to ensure
all deserving Gujaratis had the means to pursue their studies. Under the Navyug chairmanship of
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Shirishbhai Kalyan in 1997, the bursary fund kicked off. In 2006, to celebrate the Navuyg Mandals 60th
anniversary, the Navyug Mandal under its then chairman, Sanjaybhai Govind, decided to invite Anoop
Jalota to South Africa. Not only were tickets to his performances sold in Pretoria and Johannesburg but
other Hindu communities, throughout South Africa, were also offered the opportunity to host him. At a
fee, off course!! This bold venture was so successful that the Navyug Mandal realized a profit of about
R750 000, thus boosting the bursary fund to over R1 million. The success of this initiative later inspired
the family of Narsaibhai Manga, a former Samaj Chairman and one of the leading families in Laudium, to
start a Narsai Manga Family Bursary Fund after his death by way of a donation of R100 000. The Samaj
was asked to manage this fund and currently offers study loans and non-repayable study grants to all
deserving students of the Gujarati community of Pretoria. At the time of writing, the community can be
proud that the Navyug and Samaj has awarded over more than R1 200 000 in study loans and awarded
study grants of over R90 000 to more than 50 students from the greater Pretoria area to obtain degrees
in pursuit of their careers. What an achievement indeed!!
The Building of the Pretoria Hindu School (1997)
After 1990, as part of the normalization process, the government took the decision to rescind the racial
segregation of schools. Laudium schools, like many others in the country, experienced a surge of
applications for admission from thousands of Black learners from surrounding townships, who were
desperately seeking a better education for their children, away from dysfunctional township schools. The
government dramatically increases classroom sizes to accommodate these learners but, in the end,
achieves only to create a sense of disillusionment and frustration amongst Laudium teachers as overcrowding becomes a huge problem. There is a prevailing view that educational standards are dropping
fast. The Muslim community of Laudium react quickly to this new situation and by 1996 had already built
three private Muslim schools. This resulted in Laudium public schools becoming even more empty, thus
enabling more township children to attend schools in Laudium. Due to the previous system of inequality,
many of the township children’s level of education was not at the same standard as the Laudium schools
and when enrolling, the belief that academic standards were fast declining took firm root and the desire
to find alternatives grew. The Hindu community of Laudium was worried as they had no alternatives!
Ramanbhai Rama and Chunilalbhai Chhagan, prominent stalwarts of the Seva Samaj and the Pretoria
Hindu Organisation, prevailed upon Rameshbhai Chhagan, to spearhead the building of a Pretoria Hindu
School (PHS), under the banner of a new organisation called the Pretoria Hindu Society. Despite some
misgivings on starting such a venture, the PHO commissioned the Navyug Mandal to conduct a survey on
the need for such a school. The response was overwhelmingly positive. In 1997, the Shree Pretoria Hindu
Seva Samaj was approached to allow the PHS to run Grades 1, 2 and 3 classes from its premises. In 1998,
because of demand from the community, grades 4, 5, 6 and 7 were also introduced. This unplanned
growth brought with it many operational problems, including the need for more classrooms. Fortunately,
the Pretoria Tamil League agreed to rent its premises on Bengal street to the school.
However, the public was not satisfied with only a primary school, and applied pressure for a secondary
(high) school for all grades to be provided. To meet this demand, it was decided to buy a 17-hectare piece
of ground in nearby Erasmia in 1998 for R450 000. The school itself cost over R3 million to build. The total
amount collected from the community just exceeded one million rand. Many hardships were experienced
in the building of the school, including Rameshbhai Chhagan and Ramanbhai Rama bonding their homes
to raise funds from banks, but the Gujarati community should be especially proud of their contribution in
having raised more than 98% of the funds needed for the school. The Seva Samaj, under the then
Chairmanship of Trusharbhai Kalan, donated R100 000 towards the project. In 2008, about 11 hectares
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of the remaining land, after being developed as a potential residential site for over 100 homes, was sold
to Oakbay Investments for R15 million. Much of this money was used to clear all debts and to finance the
running costs of the school.
In 2012, the Board of Management of the Pretoria Hindu Society, having valued the school at R10 million,
offered gratis to the Seva Samaj the school and its debtors’ book of R2 million. A public meeting was held
at which some vocal sections of the community raised objections to the Samaj accepting the offer unless
and until a due diligence was carried out. This demand was made despite the presentation of audited
financial statements that indicated the school was a viable going concern. The Board of Management of
the Pretoria Hindu Society, offended by this opposition and interpreting it as stemming from
vindictiveness towards individuals, decided to rescind its offer. In 2013, the management committee of
the Pretoria Hindu Society accepted an offer from Amity International, an India-based educational NGO,
to sell the school to them for R11 million. By refusing this offer, the Samaj lost out on an opportunity to
obtain R13 million in total!! Nonetheless, it is largely because of the generosity and resolve of the larger
Gujarati community, that a non-racial school of exceptional quality now exists to service all the people of
Laudium and surrounds.
Samaj in Major Crisis – Funds are Stolen! (2007-2009)
From 2007 to 2009, the Samaj officials fail to present audited financial statements at its annual general
meetings. Rumours start swirling that funds had been misappropriated by an official. Pressure was
brought to bear on the Trustees and officials to call up a general meeting of the community to explain
what had happened. On 30 July 2009, the officials called up a general meeting and revealed that the
treasurer, Nareshbhai Mistry, had disappeared with over two million rand belonging to the Samaj and the
Navyug Mandal. The meeting, held in a packed auditorium, erupts in anger and demands are made for
the immediate resignation of all officials and trustees. An interim committee is established with the brief
of recovering the stolen funds. After a year, ABSA bank eventually pays back the money after
acknowledging that the funds were irregularly withdrawn. However, some of the new officials were
determined to punish the previous officials and trustees who they felt were negligent in their duties.
Letters of demand and threats of prosecution were served on several of them. These threats were
eventually revoked but it left a lasting taste of bitterness amongst many senior members who thereafter
refrained from participating in Samaj activities.
New elections were held in October 2009 at which Pankajbhai Joshi was elected Chairman of the Trustees
and Prakashbhai Hira as President of the Samaj. The new committee focused on drawing up a new
constitution, a code of conduct and pursuing the return of funds stolen. However, in June 2010, the
Finance Committee, under the leadership of Anielbhai Soma, decided to host a fund-raising dinner at
which non-veg foods and alcohol would be served. However, Pankajbhai and Prakashbhai strongly
opposed this initiative on the grounds that it was “adharmic”. The other faction accused the Chairman
and President of hypocrisy in that the Samaj had historically fund-raised money from all Gujaratis,
including non-vegetarians, for the building of all its structures and functions. The Finance Committee
decided to defy the leadership and continued with its plans, leading to suspensions of officials and threats
of legal action. This war of words between the two factions in the Samaj Executive and Trusteeship
eventually spread to the wider community. The schism in the Samaj only ended when a new committee
was elected in 2011. Pankajbhai Joshi decided not to seek a second term as Trustee.
Samaj Celebrates its 80th Anniversary (2012).
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A major unifying factor after the troubles of the preceding year was the Samaj’s 80th Anniversary
Celebrations in 2012. Celebrations commenced on Friday 21 September 2012 with a dinner for the
elderly. This was followed on Saturday 22 September with a range of activities throughout the day for the
young and old, culminating in a scintillating show by the popular Shashika Mooruth. Some of the activities
included competitions, variety concert, games, and entertainment for the younger crowd. On Sunday, 23
September, the then Minister of Finance, Mr. Pravin Gordhan, and other distinguished guests addressed
the audience and in turn were treated to a dazzling performance of traditional and modern Indian dances.
The evening closed out with a small firework display and the release of hundreds of Chinese lanterns into
the sky.
Samaj in Crises Again (2014).
From 2011 to 2015, Samaj experienced a period of relative calm, although a storm was brewing.
Rameshbhai Chhagan was elected as President in 2013, and his team worked mainly at creating and
entrenching sound governance policies and procedures as well as ensuring that all major Hindu festivals
were observed. However, the Samaj started receiving complaints from various families in Laudium,
Lenasia and Louis Trichardt that the Samaj’s resident priest, Mukeshbhai Joshi, was not only charging
people for his services, contrary to his employment contract, but was demanding excessive sums. The
Executive decided to institute a disciplinary hearing, but some community members were not happy with
this and applied pressure to have it stopped. This was not acceded to. A disciplinary hearing, chaired by
an independent advocate, found Mukeshbhai guilty of gross misconduct. However, before the Executive
could take any decision, Mukeshbhai resigned as resident priest.
At the general election scheduled in 2014, a group of disenchanted individuals got together to oppose
Rameshbhai standing for a second term. Part of their modus operandi was to get many of the recently
arrived Gujaratis affiliated to the Swaminarayan Temple in Laudium and non-Laudium residents bussed in
from different towns to come and vote. As these outsiders did not know who the candidates were, they
were given handwritten notes on whom to vote for. The independent electoral officer, Mihier Tayob,
noted this behaviour and declared the elections null and void. He recommended that a Samaj Membership
Database be established to avoid such an occurrence repeating itself before new elections are held. It
took a year of acrimonious opposition before a proper membership database was created and finally used
in the elections that were eventually held in 2015. Rameshbhai chose not to stand for re-election. The
new President, Pranaybhai Devchand, for personal reasons, decided to stand for one term only and in
2018, Rameshbhai Chhagan was elected unopposed as President of the Samaj for a second term.
Under Rameshbhai’s two terms, many policies were created to ensure uniformity and transparency in all
Samaj’s interactions with the community and in its governance. Prominent amongst these were an
Academic Achievement Recognition Policy; Samaj Service Recognition Awards; Samaj Internal Audit
Policy; Asset Management Policy; Disaster Management & Emergency Evacuation Policy; Financial
Administrative Manual; Health, Welfare & Gender Policy; Samaj Communication Policy; Samaj
Procurement Policy; Weddings & Funeral Support for Indigent Families Policy; Samaj Bursary Grant Policy;
Samaj Complaints & Grievance Policy, and so forth. In addition, the Samaj was for the first time registered
with SARS as a PBO with 18A status, thus permitting the Samaj to issue certificates to donors which they
(donors) could use to claim rebates from SARS for their donations to Samaj. Many new festivals were
introduced and despite the Covid-19 ban on gatherings his team were innovative in using social media to
keep the cultural life of the Samaj alive in 2020/2021. The next elections, scheduled to take place in 2020,
were postponed due to government restrictions on gatherings because of the COVID-19 pandemic. At
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the time of writing, the current officials are still managing the affairs of the Samaj, but it is hoped, should
government regulations permit, to host the delayed elections before end May 2021.
Allocation of 11 Stands to the Samaj (2015)
During Jivanbhai Kalyan’s tenure as President, the Seva Samaj applied to the democratic government for
the restitution of land confiscated by the Apartheid government in the late 1960’s. On 23 June 2013, the
City Council of Pretoria informs the Samaj that they have been allocated 11 stands on DF Malan Drive
(now Es’kia Mphahlele Street). The newly elected President, Rameshbhai Chhagan, and Jivanbhai Kalyan
(the original applicant) attend a meeting with the Council lawyers to give an undertaking that the Samaj
would accept the stands as compensation. In July 2015, the title deeds of the 11 stands, comprising 3, 000
sqm, was formally registered in the name of the Shree Pretoria Hindu Seva Samaj and handed over to its
officials.
The PHS Retirement Homes (2017 & 2020)
After the sale of the Pretoria Hindu School to Amity International in 2016, the directors of the Pretoria
Hindu Society, under the leadership of Rameshbhai Chhagan, hosted a gala dinner for the over 177, mainly
Gujarati, donors to thank them for their support over the years. At this dinner, the question of how the
funds from the sale of the Pretoria Hindu School should be utilized, was raised. Over 73% of the members
that attended, recommended the establishment of a retirement home, to cater especially for the frail and
elderly of all religions and creeds. Ramanbhai Rama offered his properties consisting of three family units
(one double story and a single free-standing house) at a reasonable price of R1,33 million each. After
renovations to make it suitable for the elderly and frail, the Laudium Retirement Home was established
on 1 March 2017. By 2020, the Laudium Retirement Home had filled up and it was clear that another place
was needed to cater for the demand. A sprawling small holding in Centurion was identified as being
suitable and exactly 3 years later, on 1 March 2020, the Raslouw Retirement Home was established.
In 2021, The Board of Directors agreed to extend their offerings and introduced a new service for the frail
and elderly called the Home-Based Care Programme. This programme is specifically aimed at those
members of the public who wish to care for their elderly in their own homes but need the professional
assistance of nurses and qualified caregivers in doing so. This service has also become popular and the
number of families utilizing these services are steadily growing.
The Next Decade (2021 onwards)
From 1995 onwards, the movement of families away from Laudium to Erasmia and other parts of
Centurion, started growing. This was, in part, a reaction to the overcrowding caused by Apartheid laws
that confined Indians to a small area. Laudium’s population demographics is increasingly aging as the
young marry and move out. Nonetheless, a kind of revival is being experienced because hundreds of
Indian expatriates, including Hindu Gujaratis, are moving into the area. Despite this entry of new, young
faces, sadly, the signs of decay are everywhere. The future of the Samaj inevitably lies in the hands of this
new generation from India.
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In the opinion of the writer, there are two major challenges facing the Samaj in the coming decade. The
first, and most urgent, is the development of the Marabastad stands into a business entity that will provide
the Samaj with much needed income to fulfil its religious, educational, and cultural mandate. Despite
some interest shown by a few developers to partner with the Samaj in developing these stands, the stands
remain undeveloped. A group of volunteers, under the leadership of Sanjaybhai Govind, were nominated
in February 2021, to drive the development of these stands. This project is seen as crucial for the Samaj
as its successful development will result in the Samaj attaining financial self-sufficiency.
The slow growth of the economy and the lack of job prospects in the country, suggests an urgent need for
the development of entrepreneurial skills. The second challenge facing the Samaj is therefore to grow
and support the entrepreneurial skills of its members. If there is one lesson our forefathers have taught
us is that as a community, we can only prosper if we educate ourselves and become economically selfreliant. That means the Samaj should start offering mentorship, training, and finance to the youth so that
they can compete and prosper in a tougher economic environment. More start-ups should be supported.
In addition, small traders need to become large-scale wholesalers and industrialists. Most importantly,
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the new economic revolution that will impact our lives for the next few
generations at least. As Rajiv Malhotra has so eloquently argued, as a nation we are doomed if we do not
learn to ride the crest of this next wave of the industrial revolution.
A major but exciting event that needs thorough planning for is the 100th Year Anniversary celebrations of
the Samaj in 2032. Such an event needs to be truly spectacular and some ideas that need exploring would
be: publishing of a history of the Samaj in booklet form (with pictures); hosting events over an entire
weekend; a musical show by a singing sensation from India, the feeding of the entire Samaj community;
a cultural show followed by a fireworks display; a yatra procession to the three temples in Laudium by the
entire community; extensive advertising on light poles and social media; invitations to VIP persons,
including all Samaj’s throughout the country; a grand bazaar with various children’s activities, etc.
Will South Africa survive and prosper into the next decade or will it sink into oblivion as just another failed
state in Africa? There are too many variables that will finally decide our country’s fate. But what is certain
is that, as evolution teaches us, only the fittest, the most agile, the most skilled, the most educated, and
the most entrepreneurial, will survive and thrive into the murky future. I wish the coming generation of
Gujarati Hindus, strength and wisdom in steering the course of the Shree Pretoria Hindu Seva Samaj into
the next millennium.

Hari Om Tat Sat
Rameshbhai Chhagan
President: SPHSS
May 2021

Disclaimer: This article was written by Ramesh Chhagan in his personal capacity and does not necessarily
reflect the views of the officials and Trustees of the Shree Pretoria Hindu Samaj.