Durban — Memories of Durban entertainer of yesteryear Tommy Chetty’s Wall of Death ride will be reignited at the Durban Carnival set up on the beachfront between December 16 and January 15.
The Wall of Death involves riding on a rounded wall instead of a flat surface.
The Wall of Death is the star attraction, said director of the Durban Carnival Omie Singh, adding that it “was inspired by my childhood”. It was made famous by Tommy Chetty and his family. They used to ride motorbikes on a wall between 30 and 40 years ago.
Singh and promoter Aman Singh, from India, used that as a catalyst to bring the event to South Africa.
This is the first time that the Wall of Death will be in South Africa. Singh said: “You must have the love, the passion and the patience because this is serious as you’re riding on a rounded wall instead of a flat surface. You are also going 5m high with a bike that weighs around 80kg, and if you lose concentration, it could have dire consequences.”
The riders, both from Mumbai, who will enthral people are Saleem Khan and Teayyab Shaik. Khan, 52, trained in India for 17 years.
“I loved riding growing up and when I saw people on the wall, I began training to also ride on the walls. I now consider myself a perfectionist,” he said.
Teayyab Shaik, 33, has trained for 18 years.
He said: “When I saw this for the first time, I loved it and after I saw that the public loved it, I wanted to do this. I wanted to enjoy the feeling where the public enjoyed something like the Wall of Death. This was my motivation to become a rider.”
Shaik said that if people want to be trained, he was willing to train them in South Africa and said that both he and Khan have never been injured.
This month the Revolution Motorcycle Club recognised Amaranee Naidoo, 89, for her courage and daredevil ways by presenting her with the Revolution Award. Naidoo was part of the star acts performing at the legendary Tommy Chetty's Funfair for more than a decade in the 1950s and 1960s. She rode a Royal Enfield alongside Chetty in the Wall of Death act. Along with other performers, they rode wooden planks of a barrel on their motorbikes, performing what were billed as death-defying acts.
Singh said the carnival will boost the city’s economy and attract national and international tourists to the Durban beachfront. Singh said after the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, Durban’s economy needed to be rebooted and brought back to life.
eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said he was excited about the Wall of Death and its contribution towards the Durban economy.
“It’s a reflection of a cosmopolitan city that embraces all cultures. eThekwini people want its leadership to ensure that the city’s heritage is maintained. We wish all stakeholders and participants of the Durban Carnival well,” said Kaunda.
Daily News