Devi Sankaree Govender Loses Mother Amid Lockdown

NEWS: Iconic South African journalist, Devi Sankaree Govender, shared devastating news over the weekend after losing her mother to breast cancer.

As South Africa remains under lockdown level four, Govender was unable to be with her family in Umzinto, south of Durban, during this trying time. Govender drove down to attend her mother’s cremation – under strict lockdown conditions – and then drove straight back to Johannesburg.

In a social media post, Govender shared a special tribute to her mother, Moganagie Govender who died at age 71. She battled breast cancer for the past seven years passing on on Monday, 11 May 2020. Govender shared the journey of her mother, Moganagie who hails from Inanda, north of Durban, married soon after matriculating from Verulam High and dedicated her life to the upbringing of her two daughters.

She read to us while we were in her belly and taught us to read before we went to school. She later told me that she had focussed her entire life on “making my girls clever.”

Devi Sankaree Govender

Govender expressed the pain of losing her mother especially during the coronavirus pandemic made it even tougher.

“Saying goodbye to a parent is already difficult. Having to do so, during a pandemic is a whole other kind of pain. But my mum was practical and she got the send-off she wanted – minimum fuss with maximum meaning.”

Sharing this photo, Govender captioned it saying,

“There is a lot of significance to this picture – it was taken 17 months ago during a live broadcast. What you see here are two smiling faces but behind that, is the story of a woman who inspired positivity, determination and independence while encouraging her girl children to always take the road less travelled.”

Here’s Devi Sankaree Govender’s original post,

View this post on Instagram

My mum. Moganagie Govender. After a seven-year fearless fight against breast cancer, at the age of 71, my mum peacefully closed this chapter of her journey on the 11th of May 2020. She was a warrior – thoughtful and resilient with sparkly eyes that matched her sense of humour. Born in Inanda, KZN, she matriculated at Verulam High and married my dad, almost straight after. She didn’t get to study towards a degree and instead, poured all her energy into my sister and I. She read to us while we were in her belly and taught us to read before we went to school. She later told me that she had focussed her entire life on “making my girls clever.” She was ahead of her time. In an era when male children were prized assets, my mum believed girls were precious gifts and we were raised, believing that there was no limit to our dreams. Saying goodbye to a parent is already difficult. Having to do so, during a pandemic is a whole other kind of pain. But my mum was practical and she got the send-off she wanted – minimum fuss with maximum meaning. There is a lot of significance to this picture – it was taken 17 months ago during a live broadcast. What you see here are two smiling faces but behind that, is the story of a woman who inspired positivity, determination and independence while encouraging her girl children to always take the road less travelled. And, that is what made all the difference. Go well Amma.

A post shared by Devi Sankaree Govender (@devi_hq) on May 17, 2020 at 3:33am PDT

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