Elias Mathope Motsoaledi OMSG (26 July 1924 – 9 May 1994) was a South African anti-apartheid activist. He was Accused No.9 in the

Rivonia Trial The Rivonia Trial was a trial that took place in apartheid-era South Africa between 9 October 1963 and 12 June 1964, after a group of anti-apartheid activists were arrested on Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia. The farm had been the secret location f ...

and was sentenced to life imprisonment in July 1963 with a group of anti-Apartheid revolutionaries which included

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...

who was Accused No.1.

Early life

Elias Motsoaledi was born on 26 July 1924, the third of eight children, in Phokoane in the Nebo District in Sekhukuneland, now

Limpopo Limpopo () is the northernmost Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a ...

. He moved to Johannesburg at the age of 17 in search of work. His first brush with the law in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

was his arrest for failure to produce his pass book, and he was sentenced to work on the construction of a road in

Pretoria Pretoria ( ; ) is the Capital of South Africa, administrative capital of South Africa, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to the country. Pretoria strad ...

. Upon his release he got a job in a furniture factory.

Activism

Trade union movement

Motsoaledi joined the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA) in 1945 and then the African National Congress (ANC) in 1948. He soon became involved with

trade unions A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

. He joined the Leather Workers' Union in 1949, served as chairman of the Committee of Non-European Trade Unions (CNETU), which was formed in 1941. He was elected chairperson of CNETU in 1953. later played an active role in the establishment of the South African Congress of Trade Unions ( COSATU).

ANC and SACP

A lifelong member of the

South African Communist Party The South African Communist Party (SACP) is a communist party in South Africa. It was founded on 12 February 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), and tactically dissolved itself in 1950 in the face of being declared illegal by t ...

and the

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a political party in South Africa. It originated as a liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid and has governed the country since 1994, when the 1994 South African general election, fir ...

(ANC), he played a central role in many campaigns, including the

Defiance Campaign The Defiance Campaign against Unjust Laws was presented by the African National Congress (ANC) at a conference held in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in December 1951 in South Africa, 1951. The Campaign had roots in events leading up the conferenc ...

of 1952, the year he was first banned. He joined the ANC in 1948, and in June he was elected as a branch secretary. Detained during the 1960

State of Emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...

, he was imprisoned for four months. When he was released, he went underground and worked for

Umkhonto we Sizwe uMkhonto weSizwe (; abbreviated MK; ) was the paramilitary wing of the African National Congress (ANC), founded by Nelson Mandela in the wake of the Sharpeville massacre. Its mission was to fight against the South African government to brin ...

by joining it in 1962.

Arrest and imprisonment

In July 1963, he was arrested at

Liliesleaf Farm Liliesleaf Farm, also spelt Lilliesleaf and also known simply as Liliesleaf, is a location in northern Johannesburg, South Africa, which is most noted for its use as a safe house for African National Congress (ANC) activists during the apartheid ...

along with

Walter Sisulu Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu (18 May 1912 – 5 May 2003) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress (ANC). Between terms as ANC Secretary-General (1949–1954) and ANC ...

Govan Mbeki Govan Archibald Mvunyelwa Mbeki (9 July 1910 – 30 August 2001) was a South African politician, military commander, Communist leader who served as the Secretary of Umkhonto we Sizwe, at its inception in 1961. He was also the younger son of Ch ...

, Ahmed Kathrada, Denis Goldberg,

Raymond Mhlaba Raymond Mphakamisi Mhlaba OMSG (12 February 1920 – 20 February 2005) was an anti-apartheid activist, Communist and leader of the African National Congress (ANC) who became the first premier of the Eastern Cape. Mhlaba spent 25 years of his ...

, and Andrew Mlangeni. At the

, all of the men and

(who had been imprisoned earlier) were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. After 26 years on

Robben Island Robben Island () is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town, South Africa. It takes its name from the Dutch language, Dutch word for seals (''robben''), hence the Dutch/Afrika ...

, Motsoaledi was released from prison on 15 October 1989 along with five others. During the July 1991 National Conference, Motsoaledi was elected to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANC.

Personal life

He married Caroline Motsoaledi and they had seven children. He was paternal uncle to South African politician and minister

Aaron Motsoaledi Pakishe Aaron Motsoaledi (born 7 August 1958) is a South African politician is the Minister of Health (South Africa), Minister of Health in the cabinet of South Africa, having been appointed in this position with effect 3 July 2024. He was previo ...

Recognition

Motsoaledi received an Isitwalandwe Medal on 8 January 1992 along with

Oliver Tambo Oliver Reginald Kaizana Tambo (27 October 191724 April 1993) was a South African anti-apartheid politician and activist who served as President of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1967 to 1991. Biography Childhood Oliver Tambo was ...

, Helen Joseph, Ahmed Kathrada,

Harry Gwala Themba Harry Gwala (30 July 1920 – 20 June 1995) was an anti-apartheid activist and a leader of the African National Congress (ANC) and South African Communist Party (SACP) in South Africa. Biography Early career and activism Harry Gwala ...

, Andrew Mlangeni,

, and Wilton Mkwayi. The Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality in

province was named after him.

Death and legacy

He died on 9 May 1994, aged 69, the day before Mandela was inaugurated as the

President of South Africa The president of South Africa is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of South Africa. The president directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander-in-chief of the South African National Defence F ...

. At Mostoaledi's funeral, Mandela spoke of him as follows:

References

External links

Elias Motsoaledi Profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Motsoaledi, Elias 1924 births 1994 deaths People from Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality Northern Sotho people South African Communist Party politicians African National Congress politicians South African anti-apartheid activists South African trade unionists South African revolutionaries South African prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by South Africa Inmates of Robben Island