Dannhauser makes history as first town in the country to hold a ‘residents’ reunion’
There was a braai and fun and games which brought about more laughter as old rivals re-enacted fiercely contested sports events of years gone by.
The Back to My NDH Roots day last Saturday etched Dannhauser into history as the first South African ‘dorp’ to hold such a ‘town reunion’.
“It started with an idea for a school reunion and then Rakesh Maharaj, a former Dannhauser resident, now living in Durban said why not bring together all current and former ‘Dannhausians’ of the past 40 or so years together for a memorable reunion,” recalled Vezana Dookie, one of the organisers.
The planning took three months with a committee, comprising those who still live in the town and those who live elsewhere, working hard to locate former residents and to draw up a programme.
“The reaction was quite overwhelming. There were three events last Saturday, February 3, which a total of around 800 people attended,” enthused KG Nair, a retired school principal who still lives locally. The programme started in the morning with breakfast at what was once the old primary school and is now a madressa.
Here there was an interfaith prayer service which included a tribute to residents who have passed on.
Mayor Bongani Radebe was present with his wife and in his address, he recalled that as a ‘Dannhauser man I remember working in the area to earn money and running errands to the hardware stores in town for my father.’
“Now I am the Mayor and it is a privilege to be at this function and see all our residents here,” he said.
Floral tributes were laid at the landmark town well known as the Sheikh Abdool Well which is also a heritage site. The well was re-drilled by the Aboobucker Goolam Kader family in 2021.
After breakfast and speeches, there was a nostalgic bus trip around the ‘old haunts’ in and around Dannhauser, Durnacol and Tagore village.
“More than one tear was shed as childhood days were remembered with fondness. The togetherness we experienced was very special and will always hold a special place in the hearts and everyone who was there,” said Nair.
There was a braai and fun and games which brought about more laughter as old rivals re-enacted fiercely contested sports events of years gone by.
Manoj Goordeen, whose family’s roots in the area go back to when his grandfather arrived from India (via France) in the 1890s, and was the only Indian in the district allowed to trade in horses to the military during the Anglo-Boer War.
He later took part in the resistance marches organised by Gandhi which saw hundreds march to Volksrust to oppose oppressive laws.
“For interest, he was also a wrestler, so he had a busy life,” Goordeen told the Courier.
He went on to say that the Back to My NDH Roots Day sparked many emotions with one attendee commenting that ‘the emotions were volcanic’.
“We are very proud that our small town has produced so many notable professionals like Prof Anil Chutturgoon and many lawyers, doctors and magistrates – a small town with a great heart!”
The evening saw a formal dinner and more nostalgia at the smartly turned-out Sicilians Estate just outside Dannhauser. “So many friendships have been rekindled – we are sure that this bond will just grow stronger,” Nair noted.
A highlight for Vezana Dookie was to see ‘people of all races and religions coming together in friendship’.’
“In these dark times, it was wonderful to see this camaraderie – this is what life should be like.
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