Ottawa Pioneer Residents

THE HUMANITARIAN GIANT OF OTTAWA – SEWCHUL STALEJ ( S S ) MAHARAJ  S S MAHARAJ AND HIS BROTHERS – DICKY AND D S – WERE PART OF YET ANOTHER PIONEERING FAMILY OF OTTAWA  (Mr S S Maharaj with his wife, Umee, and other members of the Maharaj family.) By SUBRY GOVENDER  One of the South African Indian-origin sporting giants of the 1940s who won the national tennis championship at the age of 21 rose to become a humanitarian of note and leader of the Ottawa village, north of Durban, from the 1950s to the mid 1980s.  Who was this super humanitarian, who not only owned the Flash Clothing Manufacturers factory at the corner of the Main Road and School Road, but also played a significant role in the school building programme and other community and social projects in Ottawa?  (S S Maharaj with family members and friends.) He was none other than Mr Sewchul Stalej or S S Maharaj, who was well-known for his achievements as a national...

  ("Medicine Ayah" or "Nurse Partee" - Mrs Ponnamma Muinsami - seen here with her four sons - from L to R -  Ganase -  George, Yagambaram -  Zadick , Govindsamy - Firni, and Thirumudi - Doc) MRS PONNAMMA MUNISAMI DELIVERED BABIES AND PROVIDED TRADITIONAL MEDICAL CARE AT A TIME WHEN THE LOCAL WOMEN OF OTTAWA FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO VISIT HOSPITALS (Mr Munisami Munisami)       (Mrs Ponnamma Munisami)               By Subry Govender   In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s an adult lady, who lived with her large family in a property near the new Jhugroo Primary School, earned herself the name, “Medicine Ayah” and “Nurse Partee”, for helping pregnant women in the Ottawa village to deliver their babies. At that time not many families could afford to travel to hospitals and it was in this environment that Mrs Ponnamma Munisami came to their rescue. Ponnamma Munisami helped to deliver scores of babies in Tin Town...

  (Mr Mahabeer Mangra and wife, Tholariah.) (Mr Heeraman Mahabeer - 5th from right and left - seen with colleagues and pupils who made up the Bluebells House sports club at the old Jhugroo Primary School.) By Subry Govender One of the residents of Ottawa who emerged as a well-known teacher in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s initially lived in a house in the Munn Road sector of the then Tin Town with his large family of parents, five brothers and one sister. He was none other than Heeraman Mahabeer, who was one of the first local lads to have qualified as a teacher. Heeraman and his siblings first lived in a two-room rented house near their neighbours – the H A Beharees and Ismail Sayeds. Their kitchen and toilet and bathroom were outside the two-room tin shanty. It was here in the tin shanty that Heeraman, his five brothers and one sister were born since August 1938 until July 1960. Heeraman was born on August 8 1938. His brothers – Sulochan was born on December 27 1939; Chrispaul on Oc...