Manonmoney "Ama" Pillay was born in Pretoria in 1908, the only daughter in a family of nine. The word, `Ama’ means mother in the Tamil language and this is what she was called by those close to her. She attended the Pretoria Primary School.

In 1933, Naidoo married Narainswamy (Roy) Naidoo. Her husband had lived at Tolstoy Farm, and with three of his brothers had lived with M.K. Gandhi.

On his return in 1928, he became involved with the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), and after their marriage Naidoo became an activist herself. 

In 1946, Naidoo took part in passive resistance campaign against the Asiatic Land Tenure Act, which sought to restrict the ownership of land by Indians. She was detained, and later in 1952 she was detained again when she took part in the Defiance Campaign. During the Defiance Campaign, her husband died of a heart attack after a confrontation with the police.

Between 1952 and 1956, she took part in demonstrations, marches and candlelight processions. In 1954, she became an executive member of the newly formed Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW). 

In 1955, she participated in the congress at Kliptown, Soweto that saw the adoption of the Freedom Charter. In 1956, she marched with 20 000 other women to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against passes for women. In December 1963, she marched to the Union Buildings again to protest against the Group Areas Act.

Naidoo is credited with providing support for detainees and prisoners, and was a member of the committee responsible for providing refreshments for the accused in the 1956 Treason Trial.

During the sixties, Naidoo’s five children were detained or banned or went into exile. In the 1970s, she was instrumental in reviving the Transvaal Indian Congress and was elected vice-president. She also served as the chairperson of the South African Peace Council.

In 1978, she was forced to leave her home in Rockey Street, Doornfontein and move to Lenasia, the area demarcated for Indians under the Group Areas Act. Her home continued to be a refuge and meeting place for activists.

In 1991, three of Ama's children, Rammie, Shantie and Indres returned from exile.  They had been away for 26, 21 and 15 years respectively.  While in exile, Indres Naidoo, together with activist Albie Sachs, had wrote the book, Island in Chains, about their experiences in prison on Robben Island.  It was published in 1982 but banned in South Africa for many years.

In 1991, the Naidoo family was awarded the Indicator Human Rights Award for their contribution to freedom and democracy.

Ama Naidoo passed away in 1993, at the age of 86.

References

• Ama Naidoo: Order of Luthuli in Silver [online] Available at: www.thepresidency.gov.za [Accessed 12 August 2009] 
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