The Order of the Baobab in Gold

Moses Mabhida Awarded for:

Exceptional contribution to the struggle against apartheid and the development of the Labour Movement.

Profile of Moses Mabhida

Through his determination to make a significant difference in the quality of life of the working class, Moses Mabhida has served the working people through his various positions within the African National Congress (ANC), Communist Party and the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU).

His commitment to change in labour practices took on new momentum after the Defiance Campaign of 1952, when he started working full-time for the trade union movement.

Rising through the lowest ranks of the ANC to become Commander of the people’s army, Umkhonto weSizwe, Mabhinda fearlessly fought against oppression by defying all attempts to turn the trade unions into appendages of the property-owning classes.

He served the Communist Party first as member and later as General-Secretary, while serving as vice-president of SACTU.

Mabhinda has become a legend in narratives on South African working class struggles.