For Comrade Paul Joseph, and the entire Joseph family.

You are of the soil of Africa,

this soil that is infused with heart-thumping struggle,

this soil that has been so callously pillaged,

this soil that has known grotesque oppression.

You are of the soil of Africa,

our shared soil that salutes your selfless dedication to the cause of freedom from Apartheid tyranny,

our collective soil that honours you, your family, for your indomitable spirit as you faced the beast of oppression,

our soil,

this African soil,

that shall remember your sacrifices,

this soil that ululates for your unwavering spirit of resistance against the bullets of the heartless foe,

our soil,

this African soil,

for whose liberation you and your family endured innumerable sacrifices,

for this soil,

our shared African soil -

Today we remember,

today all the multitudes of this soil -

remember you,

salute you,

for your countless years of fighting for justice,

your unshakeable principles,

your dedication to this, our shared Africa soil,

for the ideals of equality for all, of dignity for all,

for the struggle you have waged,

for our shared African soil,

and for the unfinished struggle for which you continue to toil.

Viva the inspiration of the life of Comrade Paul Joseph!

Viva the sacrifices of the Joseph family!

Amandla! Awethu!

Matla ke a Rona!

The Struggles Continue.

(dedicated to comrade Paul Joseph on his 89th birthday, a close friend and comrade of my father, and whose family's struggle for the freedom of South Africa I grew up hearing about)

Afzal Moolla was born in Delhi, India while his parents were in exile, working as political exiles against Apartheid in South Africa. He then travelled wherever his parent’s work took them, spending time in Egypt, Finland, and Iran. Afzal works and lives in Johannesburg, South Africa.

This piece was first published on Afzal Moolla's personal blog.