Parmananthan "Prema" Naidoo (born Doornfontein, Johannesburg, 30 May 1945) is a member of the African National Congress and former Chief Whip of Council and of the majority party in the Johannesburg Metro.
A leading anti-apartheid organiser in the 1970s, Naidoo was detained on 21 November 1981, under the Internal Security Act, and subjected to beatings and torture.[1] After months in detention he was tried and sentenced on 1 April 1982 to an effective further year in prison on the charge of harbouring Stephen Lee,[2] an escaped convict. Lee and two other political prisoners, Tim Jenkin and Alex Moumbaris, had escaped from the Pretoria Maximum Security Prison[3][4]
On his release in 1983, Naidoo took part in the formation of the United Democratic Front and was detained again for eight months during the State of Emergency of 1985.[5][6] After the first non-racial elections of 1994, Naidoo served in senior local authority positions in Johannesburg, until his retirement in 2016. He is presently a member of the board of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation.[7]
Prema Naidoo is the son of Roy Naidoo and Manonmoney “Ama” Naidoo, grandson of Thambi Naidoo, and brother of Shanthie Naidoo, Indres Naidoo, Murthie Naidoo, Ramnie Dinat.
References edit
- ^ Sam (14 March 2013). "Premanathan "Prema" Naidoo". South African History Online. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
- ^ sahoboss (17 February 2011). "Stephen Bernard Lee". South African History Online. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
- ^ Tim Jenkin (30 July 2013), Escape from Pretoria, retrieved 24 February 2018
- ^ Leander (24 May 2017). "Escape from Pretoria by Tim Jenkin". South African History Online. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
- ^ "Resistance in their blood | Apartheid Museum". www.apartheidmuseum.org. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
- ^ "SAHA - South African History Archive - AKF Leader's Project: Prema Naidoo interview transcript". www.saha.org.za. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
- ^ "Board Members – AHMED KATHRADA FOUNDATION". www.kathradafoundation.org. Retrieved 24 February 2018.