Durban - In high school, Visvin Reddy was the chairperson of the Pupil Representative Council and later became involved in student politics at the Springfield College of Education where he pursued a career in teaching, specialising in computer science.
He was the deputy chair of the Student Representative Council, later becoming the chair and president.
He was one of the leaders, he said, who brought the college to a standstill that earned him the nickname, “Boycott King”.
“We shut down the college because of the way bursary students were being treated. We were poor and could not afford the fees. We used to get a measly R150 a year to get our books and to survive.
"It was extremely difficult. We arranged protests, marched to the department offices and held a vigil there.”
After two weeks, the department reviewed its position and improved its services to the students, he said.
A spark was ignited at the time, but only later did it turn into a flame.
After graduating, Reddy taught Grade 12 pupils at Palmridge Secondary School in Johannesburg in 1993 and was transferred to Dannhauser six months later where he taught English, mathematics and computers. That same year, he married fellow teacher Sharmaine in Chatsworth.
Another teacher and well-known professional soccer referee had sent the newlyweds a clock as a gift.
He was none other than Amichand Rajbansi, who would go on to start the Minority Front.
“I was impressed that he had taken the time to do such a thing. He then called to say he wanted to meet to form an Indian party. I told him no way would it work,” recalled Reddy.
Nevertheless he agreed to meet Rajbansi and while teaching full-time, although earning a meagre salary, had become involved in politics on the side.
In 1994, the MF won one seat in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, which Rajbansi took up. Reddy became a councillor.
With life on track and their financial affairs on the mend, the Reddy family were dealt a blow when his first-born son, Nivashan, who was 18 months old, died in a car accident in Ladysmith in October 1996.
He said they were returning to Northdene from Johannesburg when their car got caught in a crosswind in Van Reenen’s Pass and ended up under a truck.
“It pulled us for about 100m downhill. My wife had a fracture on her spine and I had nerve damage and 26 stitches on my scalp,” he said, “but our son died instantly.”
The road to recovery had been long and Reddy ended up immersing himself in politics.
“The person who was most supportive was Rajbansi. He visited me every day, massaged my legs and took me to a chiropractor”
Reddy was later appointed to the executive committee in the then Durban Metro Council and chaired the tender board. He moved from Wyebank to Chatsworth and quit teaching.
Reddy served at Durban Metro and the eThekwini Municipality for 16 years.
When the MF won Ward 73 in Chatsworth in 1999, Reddy stood as councillor and chair of the local CPF, introducing sector policing.
“I always believed in leaders earning their keep,” he said.
In 2003, he left the MF but still had a seat in council. He said he was uncomfortable occupying a seat that had been obtained through the MF.
The DA’s Tony Leon then approached him to join his party. “I said yes to him and they put me at number five on the list to Parliament. Soon after that was the elections and I got a seat through the DA but turned it down to join the ANC.”
The ANC’s provincial leadership came beckoning, telling him their doors were open. “I was not comfortable in the DA, so I didn’t waste time,” said Reddy.
After two months, he signed up with the ruling party in 2005 and served two terms (10 years) on its executive committee, later taking administrative roles on contract at the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in KZN.
As time progressed, Reddy ventured into business and now spearheads Pappi.