Former commissioner Naidoo eulogised
MORE than a thousand people attended the funeral service of former Gauteng police commissioner Perumal Naidoo on Friday morning.
Naidoo, 60, died at his home in Shallcross, Durban, in the early hours of Wednesday morning after a long battle with cancer.
Naidoo’s funeral was held at the Arena Park Regional Hall, where people remembered a man who “selflessly served his community”.
Hardly able to hold back his tears, Naidoo’s younger brother, Sikes Naidoo, told the Sunday Times Extra that his family were devastated. “Perumal was a top man — he was hard-working and a people’s person. He was the eldest of six children and set an example for us all to follow. Perumal was a man of great integrity and he will be sadly missed.”
President Jacob Zuma conveyed his sympathy to the family. He said Naidoo had played a pivotal role in reducing levels of crime in Gauteng in his 10-year period as a commissioner in the South African Police Service.
The head of Crime Line, Yusuf Abramjee, said Naidoo was a committed police officer who put the needs of the community above everything else.
Naidoo was born and raised in Umzinto, KwaZulu-Natal. He joined the then SAP in 1972 and in 2001 was made Gauteng provincial commissioner. Naidoo retired, after 38 years of service, on September 1 2010.
He is survived by his wife, Kanthy, and sons Kuben, Yugen and Devan.