Michael Martinus was 14 when he found the name he carries today, and the reason for this is explained in his book about abandonment and heartache but ultimately triumph over adversity.
Mr Martinus launched his autobiography, Mommy: Why Are You Throwing Me Away Now?, during his 80th birthday party with about 50 guests at the Holy Cross Church hall in District Six on Friday March 15. His book was edited and published by Rehana Obaray, of Schaapkraal.
Mr Martinus was born in Durban, and he says his birth was unregistered and he was not given a name but was simply called “Son”.
His mother, a char, brought him to Cape Town with her to look for work, but when he was 9, she returned to Durban to look after her ailing parents, and she sent him to stay with his grandmother at the Bloemhof Flats in District Six.
But a few months later, his grandmother died, and he was sent to live with various families. By the age of 11, he was staying with a Muslim family and went by the name of “Goolam”.
Later he found himself living with the Michaels family and he joined the Holy Cross Church. From the age of 14, he adopted the name “Michael” as his first name in honour of the family. Martinus is his biological mother’s surname.
He was still a teenager when he started working at the Grand Hotel, and he continued working there for 30 years. During this time, he met Vera Joseph, of Kimberley, who was staying with her sister in District Six, and the couple married in 1967.
In the early 1970s, the couple and their two children were evicted from their home in District Six as part of the apartheid forced removals. They moved to Gatesville and then Rylands Estate. They had their third child there and lived in the neighbourhood for more than 40 years.
After receiving restitution, the couple returned to District Six in 2022 and now live at the Hanover Street complex.
Mr Martinus says he started writing his book three years ago and completed it last year.
“My daughter, Belinda Martinus, told me many times that I might write a story as she would like to know about my earlier life as I did not grow up with any relatives.”
Mr Martinus says he has a strong faith and has made peace with what happened many years ago.
Ms Obaray, who typed up the book from three exercise notebooks and edited it, says it was a moving experience to work on the project.
“It even brought me to tears; it was such an enriching experience working with Mr Martinus.”
Email Ms Obaray at Rehana.Oberay21@gmail.com for a copy of the book.
