Marimuthu Pragalathan Naicker

Marimuthu Pragalathan "M. P." Naicker (c. 28 July 1920 – 29 April 1977) was a South African journalist, anti-apartheid activist and trade unionist.

Naicker was a member of the South African Communist Party, Natal Sugar Workers' Union, Natal Indian Congress (NIC), South African Indian Congress (SAIC) and African National Congress (ANC).

Naicker went into exile in 1965 and became the Director of Publicity for the ANC's External Mission in London, England, and a member of the International Organisation of Journalists (IOJ) committee.

Early life Naicker was born in 1920 in Durban, South Africa. He was born into a working class family of Indian descent, and had to leave primary school to work in a factory.

In 1943, Naicker married a woman named Sarogoonam, also known as Saro. They had a son, Pren Naicker, who trained in Moscow to become a doctor, and a daughter Suganya Naicker. He joined the South African Communist Party (SACP) at age 18, after reading the writings of Karl Marx.

In 1944, Naicker joined the Anti-Segregation Council, In 1945, Naicker was among those in the Anti-Segregation Council who succeeded in ousting the NIC's moderate leadership under (which had been under A. I. Kajee and P. R. Pather).

Naicker was involved in the organisation of the 1946 passive resistance campaign with Debi Singh, and edited the Passive Resistance Bulletin (Flash). It ceased publication in 1963.

In 1956, he was appointed editor of the anti-apartheid newspaper The Guardian. Naicker was also involved with the publication Spark, and was featured on the front page of the final issue before the paper was banned in South Africa, alongside Brain Bunting, Fred Carneson, Ruth First and Govan Nbeki.

Naicker was charged alongside 155 other activists at the 1956 Treason Trials.

Exile In 1965, Naicker left South Africa using the pseudonym Mandla Nkosi. and Saro also worked for Sechaba.

Naicker became a member of the International Organisation of Journalists (IOJ) committee. In 1971, was awarded their gold pin and in 1976 he was awarded the Julius Fucik medal for outstanding services to journalism. He died from a suspected heart failure during a flight from England to Germany. He was travelling to deliver ANC publicity material for printing.

He was buried at the Golders Green Crematorium in London. At his funeral there were tributes from the Acting President of the ANC, Oliver Tambo; the Chairman of the SACP, Yusuf Dadoo; and activist Brian Bunting. The ANC choir sang "Nkosi Sikelel'i Afrika."