OBITUARY | Leonard Mile Mosala, a gentle, assertive champion of black aspirations

Lover of the land and farming, rebel with a cause within the notorious Soweto Urban Bantu Council, esteemed resident of Soweto, a figure who stamped his presence in the corporate world, practitioner of tertiary education and lifelong learning, Leonard Mile Mosala is no more. He took his last breath on March 7. 

Born September 1 1929, Mosala is a product of Mafube High Mission School, Mariazel High School and Pius XII Catholic University College in Lesotho.

He became politically aware while in high school. He was disgusted by the abject conditions and ill treatment of black families and workers on church farms in Lesotho and Griqualand East. It was, however, in Johannesburg where his awareness of black economic and political life and powerlessness was deepened and expanded. 

Years before his association with the Soweto Urban Bantu Council (UBC), he was active in trade union work in his capacity as an elected chairperson of the African Chemical Workers’ Union. He was also an active member of Young Christian Workers (YCW), a movement that emerged out of Catholic Action. The YCW took to the Catholic ministry to improve society, with active involvement of laypeople in the church rather than ordained ministers. The thrust behind YCW action was to encourage members to bring about change and socio-economic development in South Africa.

Mosala and his wife, Bernadette Mosala, as well as the late doyen of black journalism Percy Qoboza and his wife, Anne, were all trained and nurtured by the YCW for public life. Their remarkable contributions to the struggle for the liberation and freedom of black people were partly the expression of the fundamental values of their faith.  

Bernadette served and contributed to black education and the teaching profession with distinction. For his part, Mosala was steeped in the affairs of community schools and their development. The Mosala family also significantly invested in the education of their offspring. Mosala, a disciple of lifelong education, continued with his own education at the University of South Africa and the University of the Witwatersrand.

He became actively involved in municipal politics from 1968. That period coincided with the birth of the Black Consciousness Movement that was felt throughout the land and permeated society. Apartheid administration structures and their leadership were rejected as tools for continued control and oppression of black lives. Mosala's involvement in the UBC did not end well. His commitment to peacefully bring about change in the land was betrayed by the attitude of the rulers.

The apartheid government never tolerated genuine and frank voices of the people. Black aspirations and interests were anathema and totally rejected. Mosala resigned from the council to pursue his rightful mission outside the UBC. He was then selected as a member of a liberation-orientated community-based Soweto Committee of Ten, led by the late Dr Nthato Harrison Motlana.  

The committee was founded and directed by legitimate Soweto leaders. Qoboza was the catalyst behind its formation. It enjoyed the support of The World and Weekend World newspapers edited by Qoboza. The World, the committee and black organisations were later outlawed and banned on October 19 1977. 

The Committee of Ten comprised Dr Motlana, Ellen Kuzwayo, Sedupe Rams Ramokgopa, Thandisizwe Mazibuko, Thomas Madikwe Manthata, Douglas Lolwane, Veli Kraai, Lekgau Macauley Mathabathe, George Wauchope and Mosala. A blessing in our favour is that Reverend Sedupe Ramokgopa is still with us.

Mosala was credible, accessible and responsive as a community leader. In the parlance of Gandhi he was a truthful, gentle and fearless leader. He raised relevant critical issues pertinent to black people for consideration within and outside the notorious UBC chambers.  

He directly confronted the loathed apartheid government officials. The Black Parents Association led by Dr Aaron Matlhare was formed to persuade students to call off their strike against the imposition of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in black schools. Mosala fully backed the students’ cause. He accepted that children had lost respect for parents for being passive in the face of the worsening situation in the country.  He was one of the leaders who raised their voices. He sternly forewarned South Africa about the eminent student uprising that later exploded into open defiance on June 16 1976. 

On his part Mosala ensured the UBC was seen to be playing a positive role. At its special meeting of June 15 1976, the council resolved to send a delegation of six to meet minister of education MC Botha on July 8 1978. Nothing substantial was achieved by the council beyond a lip-service agreement that the imposition of Afrikaans as language of instruction in black schools was unacceptable.

Mosala will be remembered as a respected black leader. To the racist authorities he was undesirable and subversive. For that, Leonard and Bernadette were repeated targets of police harassment, torture and detention. They were, however, never subdued or cowed by all that.

The family residence, first at 461 and later moving to 190 Tladi, a township in Soweto, was often visited by the young and old, students and workers, and different victims of apartheid, as well as widows threatened with imminent eviction from their homes after the death of their spouses. All these were treated humanely and with dignity.  

Ideological, tribal, religious or political affiliations of community leaders and residents were to him irrelevant and did not matter. Mosala and his lovely wife perceived themselves as among the last generations of bridge builders. They also openly appreciated the support given to their family during their detention spells. They graciously acknowledged the kindness and solidarity from their extensive networks of leaders of society, governments and their embassies, churches and businesses.

Mosala forged good working relationships within the corporate world. His stature was significantly enhanced within and outside Soweto. His work at the City Council of Johannesburg, IBM, Cloride, United States South Africa Leadership Programme and later at the PERM/Nedbank and Standard Bank had many positive spinoffs.  

His detentions, together with those of his associates, were not taken lightly by local and multinational corporate leaders. They raised, without fail, their concerns and disapproval of racist practices, unjust laws and dreadful police actions. So was the case with the prevalent racial animosity together with the unfolding fragmentation and balkanisation of the country into tribal homelands.  

Mosala was a mediator and engaged in peacemaking during community and political conflicts. He brought together feuding representatives of the Azanian People’s Organisation (Azapo) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) that posed deadly threats. At one such meeting he helped defuse tension and averted the ugly blot of armed conflict involving these groups. During the second half of 1986 at St Phillips Catholic Church, his timely and wise intervention saved lives.

Mosala loved the land and farming. After his early retirement and the advent of democracy he became one of the pioneers for access to the land. This was to encourage productive use of land by the dispossessed. He then relocated from Tladi and settled for a while in a plot in Zuurbekom. There he worked with other plot owners and aspiring black urban farmers in the south of Johannesburg. Lack of suitable government support and displacement by the mushrooming of residential housing developments in these areas frustrated what had become his passion. All these worked against agricultural projects. Age and poor health subsequently drove Mosala from Lufhereng, where he had eked out a living. He joined his daughter, Motebang, for the rest of his life. Negotiating for compensation of plot owners at “Doornkop” had yielded mixed results.

He will be sorely missed by his two daughters, Motebang and Dikonelo, grandchildren, Tsholofelo, Sakiwo and More, and great grandchild Lethukukhanya.  

Rest in peace, son of the soil. Ours is to find meaningful ways and means of celebrating and honouring our shared memory of your meaningful life.

Details for funeral service are as follows:

• Date: Friday March 17 
• Time: 9am
• Venue: Blessed Isidore Bakanja Catholic Church on Bush Willow St, Protea Glen, Soweto 

Cortège will then proceed to Westpark Cemetery for burial and unveiling. Refreshments will be served at the Grace Bible Church inProtea Glen. 

*Mkhabela is a professional community organiser.