New exhibition honours photo-journalist GR Naidoo

October 1, 2009 – The Nelson Mandela Foundation has launched a new exhibition in Johannesburg. Entitled GR Naidoo: A Generous Eye it celebrates the work and life of GR Naidoo, a newshound who was committed to reporting on South Africa’s freedom struggle and who, himself, lived the non-racialism he worked to help create.

Following Nelson Mandela’s wish that the Foundation’s exhibitions should focus on the lives of others in the anti-apartheid struggle, Naidoo was an ideal choice. Mr Mandela had his last dinner of freedom with Naidoo and close comrades at his home in Durban before he was arrested on August 5, 1962. Mr Mandela was sentenced to five years for inciting workers to strike and for leaving the country without a permit. He was sent to Robben Island in May 1963 and shortly thereafter returned to Pretoria to stand trial for sabotage in what became known as the Rivonia Trial. On June 12, 1964, Mr Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Raymond Mhlaba, Ahmed Kathrada, Denis Goldberg, Elias Motsoaledi, Govan Mbeki and Andrew Mlangeni were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Naidoo was a well-respected figure in the anti-apartheid movement “who became a legend in his time”, said Kathrada, who spoke at the launch of the exhibition.

Born in on February 26, 1928, Naidoo attended Springfield Methodist School until Standard Six, after which he started working to supplement the family income. Drawn to journalism through photography, his career took off in the 1950s despite the challenges faced by black journalists. In 1969 he became the first black editor-in-chief at Drum magazine. Naidoo died at the age of 53 on February 8, 1982.

Verne Harris, Head of the Foundation’s Memory Programme, spoke of the challenges involved in putting the exhibition together, the biggest being the scarcity of Naidoo’s work.

“There are only a handful of photos from three decades of work,” said Harris.

But what is shown evokes powerful emotion. Nagamma Naidoo, Naidoo’s wife, told of the nostalgia she felt when walking into the exhibition.

“It was as if he was there looking at me,” she said.

She spoke of how when he was arrested at Livingstone in Zambia, he sent her a letter assuring her that he was alright, but, looking at the letters on display in the exhibition, all those memories came rushing back. “I felt like crying; I admired what he wrote,” she said.

Kathrada spoke highly of Naidoo: “He lived the future; he foresaw what was going to happen in this country; his children are able to live [in this country] because of his sacrifices.”

Kathrada spoke of the trials and tribulations black people faced under apartheid and how Naidoo was always there to cover the story.

He said Naidoo was detained under the “90-day” detention law, which was designed to break people’s spirits through both psychological and physical torture. “He suffered tremendously,” said Kathrada. But through all of this, Naidoo still managed to carry on reporting and fighting alongside the activists in the struggle.

It is for this reason, according to Kathrada, that this exhibition is so important. “We cannot allow these people to be forgotten,” he said.

Beata Lipman spoke on behalf of her husband Alan Lipman, who couldn’t attend the event but who was a close friend of Naidoo’s and designed his home in Durban. Lipman described Naidoo as an optimist who was hungry for modernity. “He dreamed of a race-free life,” she said.

Chandra Naidu, one of Naidoo’s daughter’s, thanked the Foundation for mounting the exhibition.

“GR left a legacy reflected in his life and work as a journalist. His work will inform future generations of the struggle and they will be hugely grateful as we are now,” she said.

She described her deep respect for her father’s work and the gift he had for reporting and photography and urged “all those with a creative inclination to use your gifts”.