Far south mourns loss of community pillar Manu Choudree

A dedicated family man with a passion for community safety, and a strong sense of loyalty, are just some of the many things that Manu Choudree will be remembered for, say those who knew him.

He died of a heart attack on Friday March 21. He was 60 years old.

Mr Choudree’s wife, Annelien, said his death came as a big shock as he was strong and healthy after having a stent inserted following a heart attack in 2019.

She said he took great pride and pleasure in his children’s progress and Sundays were family days.

She said they had fond memories of him at the Wynberg Carnival, at Fish Hoek Beach, at the Spur, and at the Noordhoek Farm Village - eating an ice cream with the children,  and carrying them to rides.

He loved all three of his children deeply, she said, adding that he lived for them and to create a stable foundation for them.

Close friend Riaan Bester describes Mr Choudree as a “brother from another mother".

He said he met Mr Choudree in 2004 when Mr Bester was transferred to Fish Hoek police as a captain. 

He said he had asked Mr Choudree why there had been no neighbourhood watches in the area and together they started the watches that are still in operation today.

The newly established watches, he said, reduced crime and made the far south a safer place.

He said Mr Choudree loved coffee and he would always say: “Come Riaan, let’s go for coffee,” and they would brainstorm.

“I’m completely lost without him. I’m going to miss him a lot,” said Mr Bester, adding that a group of street people were waiting outside the office on Monday morning to express their condolences.

“Some of them were crying. Manu meant so much to everyone in the community. He will be remembered by everyone,” he said.

Mr Bester said he will do his best to carry on Mr Choudree’s legacy.

Chairman of the Fish Hoek Community Police Forum, Andre Blom, said Mr Choudree was a respected and trusted partner in community safety.

“His unwavering dedication made a lasting impact on the Fish Hoek valley and beyond. He was humble, kind, friendly, calm, and always willing to assist at a moment’s notice, he was a true gentleman whose presence will be sorely missed,” said Mr Blom.

He said Mr Choudree’s death left a deep void in the fight for a safer community, but his legacy of service and commitment will not be forgotten.

Former chairman of the Fish Hoek Business Improvement District (BID) Marc Yates said Mr Choudree was a true giant in the community. 

“He was more than just a community leader - he was a beacon of hope and a driving force behind bringing a community together. Through unwavering dedication and a deep love for Fish Hoek and surrounding communities Manu made our town safe, he built bridges to get things done and left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of knowing him,” Mr Yates said.

He said in the past 20 years he had seen Mr Choudree in action and in recent years developed a strong working relationship through the BID where his company headed up the safety and security for Fish Hoek Main Road. 

“During my time as chairman of the BID, I had Manu on speed dial." 

Despite negative comments made in newspapers and social media about the state of Fish Hoek Main Road, he said, Mr Choudree and his team of safety officers gritted it out and stayed true to his mandate. 

“He assisted in one arrest after another, day in and day out. In one of our early meetings in 2022, he told me how he measures whether he was doing a satisfactory job or not. He said if we can obtain a level of safety for a mother and her child to walk down main road without incident and for that mother and child to feel safe and go about their business, he and his team have done their job,” he said, adding that Mr Choudree went above and beyond and not only in the CBD of Fish Hoek, but in all our neighbouring suburbs. 

He said Mr Choudree had on many occasions gone out of his way to assist a homeless person to get to a shelter or simply to help people that have just hit hard times.

“He could not turn away without helping in some way.”

He said the best way to honour Mr Choudree was to serve the community in the same way Mr Choudree had.

“Let his efforts not be in vain," he said.

Steph Mellor of simonstown.com said Mr Choudree’s death was the saddest loss, and he will be missed terribly.

“Manu was part of the fabric of our town. He willingly supported all our Simonstown.com endeavours whenever asked to do so – we cannot count the occasions we have been on the receiving end of his generosity of spirit and highly developed sense of community. Rest peacefully Manu – we will treasure your memory,” she said.

Mr Choudree is survived by his wife and three children, Ruhan, Rose-Anne and Antonio.