Govender received the government of South Africa's Order of Ikhamanga in 2008 for his contributions to democracy, peace and justice in the country through theatre.

[2] After finishing his primary and secondary education, Govender began studying at the University of Cape Town (UCT), and took on a job as a sportswriter for the New Age to pay his fees.

[2] In line with the paper's stance against apartheid, Govender encouraged the Indian community to boycott segregated sporting events.

Unable to support himself in Cape Town, he returned to Durban and entered Springfield Training College to become a teacher.

[8] Although Govender received invitations to tour The Lahnee's Pleasure abroad and in mainstream South African theatres, he refused as part of the cultural boycott of apartheid.

[9] The play 1949 (1994), also based on Govender's childhood in Cato Manor, discusses the life of the Indian community in South Africa following the Group Areas Act.

[11] Critics have described Govender's writing style as unadorned, and have said that his works evoke the identity of the Indian community with its vitality, humour, and resilience in a difficult environment.