Essa Moosa – Always ready to fight the good fight

We are saddened by the loss of Judge Essa Moosa who had served as Bush Radio trustee and mentor at the formal establishment of the station in the early 1990s. Judge Moosa helped ensure that Bush Radio became the pioneering community radio station it is today and that the voice of all communities are heard.

Even though Judge Moosa was no longer a trustee of the station, he followed developments in the media and the station closely, and was a regular on-air guest to highlight the challenges faced by the Kurds through his work with the Kurdish Human Rights Action Group.

His lessons of dignity, self-pride, searching for knowledge and fighting for the rights of all are values we cherish and strive to maintain and pass on to all the young people who are now part of the station.

The above clip is from the Bush Radio documentary Partial Eclipse. Judge Essa Moosa confronts officials from the apartheid regime Post Office, police and security Special Branch as they raid Bush Radio offices in 1993 to confiscate and charge members of the station for broadcasting illegally.

Judge Essa Moosa passed away in Cape Town on February 26, 2017.

We salute you

A brief biography of Essa Moosa*

Judge Essa Moosa was born on 8 February 1936 in District Six, Cape Town. He qualified as an Attorney-at Law and was admitted to practice by the High Court of the Supreme Court, Cape Town on 1 June 1962. He practised as an Attorney in Cape Town until December 1997 and in 1998 was appointed as a judge of the High Court of the Supreme Court in Cape Town, officially retiring on 8 February 2011. He has six siblings, is married and continues to live in Cape Town.

Specialising in human rights issues for almost 40 years, he challenged, in court violations of basic human rights such as detention without trial, freedom of expression, freedom of movement, security and emergency legislations and regulations. During this time he acted for a number of prominent non-governmental organisations, community based organisations, leading political and community activists. In 2012 the University of the Western Cape conferred an Honorary Doctorate in law on him in recognition of his contribution in the field of human rights.

He was a founding and executive member of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers and chaired its Human Rights Committee. He was a member of the Constitutional Committee of the African National Congress (ANC), which gave logistical support to the ANC negotiation team for the establishment of a democratic, non-racial and non-sexist South Africa. He also served as the Provincial Election Agent for the ANC in the region of the Western Cape for the first democratic elections in April 1994.

In addition he serves in a voluntary position as trustee of the University of the Western Cape, a position he has held for more than 20 years. He has also served as the Chairperson of the Council of the Peninsula Technicon and later as a member of the Council until the merger of the institute with the Cape Technicon. He was a founding member and trustee of the community based media initiatives including; Bush Radio, Grassroots Publications, Saamstaan Newspaper (Southern Cape) and South Newspaper.

*Source: International Peace and Reconciliation Initiative

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Bush Radio mourns, Professor William T. McClain (1923-2011)

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Bush Radio mourns, Professor William T. McClain (1923-2011)

One of Bush Radio’s board members and a strong anti-apartheid activist Professor William Tilden McClain passed away on Sunday the 02^nd of October 2011.  We at Bush Radio mourn his death.

Professor McClain was originally from a small town inIndiana in the United States, and after his studies served as Deputy Attorney General of Indiana.

His first interest of South Africa began in 1950’s when he went to study at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the Universityof London.  Initially he was going to study Indian or Middle Eastern law, but was drawn to African law.  At this time he also followed the Treason Trial in South Africa very closely.

In 1961 he was sent by the University to do research and collect documents in Africa.  He drove from Nairobi to Lesotho and visited eight African states, including Swaziland.  This is where he met his wife May Vuyelwa Hillary. 

Professor McClain had a very close relationship with the struggle movement and its leadership in exile especially Oliver Tambo and Chris Hani.  In an interview with a Bush Radio intern two months ago he recalled a story of how he got to give Oliver Tambo his sunglasses.  “Oliver and I were on the plane heading for Zambia.  Just before we landed in Lusaka, Oliver asked me to give him my sunglasses for disguise and I gave them to him and I never got them back”

He became involved with Bush Radio more than seven years ago and served on the board at the time of his death.

Professor McClain has been described as a leader, mentor and a person who was always willing to give. His guidance and generous heart will be sorely missed by everyone at Bush Radio.  He has left a void which no one can fill.  Our condolences go to his wife, children, extended family and his friends.