Chatsworth civic leader, Vic Pillay, passes away
As an educationist, Pillay was first posted to Shallcross Secondary School as an accounting teacher. He went on promotion to Kharwastan Secondary School as head of department (accounting). He was promoted as deputy principal of this school and later became the principal until his retirement.
Chatsworth’s community champion, Venketsami ‘Vic’ Pillay passed away suddenly after suffering a suspected heart attack at his Silverglen home last Tuesday evening.
Pillay, 72, appeared hale and hearty shortly before he breathed his last in the presence of his schoolteacher wife, Ruby. His unexpected death sent shockwaves through Chatsworth and greater Durban.
For more than four decades, Pillay immersed himself in community activities side-by-side with his impressive track record as an educationist. The large crowd at his funeral on Thursday and the tributes paid by several speakers bore testimony to the high esteem in which Pillay was held.
Following in the footsteps of his late maternal uncles, JN Reddy and his brother MN Reddy, Pillay started public life at the grassroots ratepayer organisation level when he was in his early thirties. Before long he became a member of the Southern Durban Local Affairs Committee (SDLAC), an advisory arm of eThekwini Municipality.
Public opinion was generally divided on the usefulness of the LAC system. It was variously labelled a puppet body, a useful stop-gap system, a pressure group, an extension of the government’s policy of divide and rule, and so on.
Pillay often said while he was aware the LAC system had its limitations, it was at least the beginning of interaction between peoples at local government level. He believed that this platform should be used as a catalyst for change and the community must be made sufficiently civic-conscious.
Pillay rose to become chairman of the SDLAC and it was during his watch that major infrastructure projects were developed in Chatsworth, including the sports complex (soccer stadium and cricket oval), municipal swimming pools, community halls and libraries.
His foremost project was spearheading, with the support of a few other community spirited people, the establishment of the Bangladesh Market in Westcliff to afford local people the opportunity to sell and buy fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, chicken, spices, toiletries, plants, kitchenware, and clothing. Hundreds of people earn a livelihood here as traders.
Pillay was also a senior official of the Silverglen Cultural Institute and the Silverglen Temple. He also served on the RK Khan Hospital Advisory Board as well as the Chatsworth School Education Board.
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As an educationist, Pillay was first posted to Shallcross Secondary School as an accounting teacher. He went on promotion to Kharwastan Secondary School as head of department (accounting). He was promoted as deputy principal of this school and later became the principal until his retirement.
He added value to the quality of education dispensed to learners and fulfilled his role with distinction and dignity.
Lavish praise was heaped on him when he retired in September 2016 after serving education for 42 years. At a farewell function, the circuit manager for Umkhumbane, SM Khumalo, described Pillay as a ‘committed individual who created an environment for learners and educators to excel’.
Khumalo said Kharwastan Secondary was one of the best schools in his district and annually produced some of the top matriculants in KwaZulu-Natal. As an accounting teacher, Pillay achieved a 100 percent pass rate in this subject, with several distinctions each year. Pillay was also responsible for major infrastructure development at the school, including a hall, computer laboratory and refurbished library.
Following his retirement, Pillay volunteered his services as acting principal at the Sathya Sai School in Bayview, Chatsworth.
Pillay is survived by his wife Ruby, daughter Pravania, and sons, Nevlin and Mishailin.
