South Africa has lost one of its greats
South Africa – On Saturday, ANC struggle veteran Moosa ‘Mosie’ Moolla passed away at the age of 88 after a long illness. Described as a beloved elder, friend, leader, mentor, humble and gallant fighter for freedom, his life was spent trying to create a better life for all South Africans.
Born in 1934, Moolla was among a group of struggle luminaries which included Nelson Mandela, Helen Joseph, Ahmed Kathrada and Walter Sisulu. His entire life was dedicated to activism. From a young age he joined the liberation movement, said Dr. Ismail Vadi, family friend.
“Moses started you know his activism at the age of 15 years-old and it’s been a lifelong contribution up to up to his last days. It’s many decades of involvement. It started off in the Transvaal Indian Youth Congress in the 1950s. He went on to serve on the executive committee of the Transvaal Indian Congress. When the ANC was banned and Umkhonto weSizwe, the armed wing of the ANC, Mosie was amongst the first recruits.”
Vadi believes the brutality of Apartheid, extreme oppression and racism is what created the spark in Moolla to go forth and fight for freedom. He also credits Ahmed Kathrada as being a person who impacted Moolla’s life and inspired him to become a freedom fighter.
Even in his final years Moolla was still concerned about the country and where it was headed. Vadi had the opportunity to speak to him two years ago before his condition worsened and Moolla was still very much focused on politics as he was when he first started.
“He was disappointed with the current status quo. He was very concerned about the drift of the country. He was absolutely angered by the corruption and all of the stories of state capture. It’s very difficult when you give your life to the struggle and you see some of your dreams not being fulfilled in terms of a vibrant healthy democracy with good governance. There was a sense of disturbance emotionally and mentally and great concern for the future of our country.”
The life of Moosa “Mosie” Moolla
In December 1956 Moolla, along with 155 others, were arrested on charges of high treason. The ‘Treason Trial’ would last for the next five years but eventually, Moolla, Nelson Mandela, Helen Joseph, Ahmed Kathrada and Walter Sisulu would all be acquitted.
It would not be his last time facing the law. Moolla was among the first to be detained under the newly promulgated 90-day detention law on 10 May 1963. His solitary confinement at Marshall Square Police Station did not last long. Moolla along with Abdulhay Jassat, Harold Wolpe and Arthur Goldreich later escaped with Moolla fleeing the country. Vadi calls it “one of the greatest escapes in the last century in South Africa”. Moolla made his way to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania but life was not easy.
“In the early years when he was based in Tanzania with Oliver Tambo, the conditions were really tough. They had very little in the way of resources. No decent accommodation. His family was still in South Africa … Going into exile is a massive disruption of life. A few years later his wife had joined him and then there was a question of the children. Do they stay in South Africa or do they go back?”
Eventually, due to the living conditions and lack of resources, it was decided that Tasneem and Azaad, his children, would return to South Africa. His third child Afzal was born in 1972 while Moolla was still in exile. These disruptions, tearing apart his family and keeping him away from his loved ones is what made Moolla a true activist and these sacrifices need to be appreciated, said Vadi.
“I think that the disruption and the personal dimensions of the adverse effects of the struggle many people have not fully understood and many have not appreciated. Today things are not going too well with the ANC as a voting party … while we might be critical of what’s gone wrong in the country today, we shouldn’t discount and we shouldn’t dishonour those people who’ve made such a profound sacrifice.”
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ANC work while in exile
In 1969 Moolla was deployed to Bombay (now Mumbai) to work with South African students studying in India. In 1971 he was appointed as the deputy chief representative and in 1972 he became the chief representative. In 1978 he was relocated and became the head of the ANC’s Egypt and Middle East mission before being reposted to New Delhi in 1982. In November 1989 he was deployed as the ANC representative to the World Peace Council and had to relocate to Helsinki, Finland.
After 28 long, tough and enduring years he returned to his beloved homeland. In December 1990 he joined the ANC’s Department of International Affairs based in Shell House. In 1991 he was elected as secretary of the TIC. Between 1995 to 1999 he was the ambassador to Islamic Republic of Iran before becoming high commissioner to Pakistan from June 2000 to 2004.
With his passing, South Africa has lost another one of its great freedom fighters. A man who sacrificed his life, not for personal gain but for the betterment of an entire nation. A true leader and mentor and one who has left a lasting legacy that is a lesson for all.
To hear more about this great man from Dr. Ismail Vadi, listen to the podcast here:
