19 September 2003
The South African Communist Party remembers one of its longest serving National Chairpersons, Comrade Yusuf Mohammed Dadoo. In Gauteng and in West Rand in particular this is a Dadoo weekend. The events will be taking place as follows:
1. Memorial Lecture will be held today at Mogale City, Municipal building, Centenary Hall, starting at 18:00 till 21:00. Dr Essop Jassat, the former Transvaal Indian Congress President, the Member of Parliament and the former UDF activist will be delivering the Memorial Lecture in this evening. His intellectual approach to the life and struggles by Dr Dadoo will stimulate a lot of thinking and interest among more than 200 invited guests, including the family, who will be at the Mogale City Centenary Hall. The Indian High Commissioner, Mr Suresh K. Goel will attend the Memorial Lecture this morning.
2. The Rally will be held tomorrow, Saturday, 20 September 2003 at Bob van Reenen Stadium, in Mogale City. The General Secretary of the SACP, Dr. Blade Nzimande will address the rally. The ANC NEC member and the Minister of Public Services and Administration, Cde Geraldine Fraser Moleketi will be addressing the rally as well. COSATU, Young Communist League and SANCO will also address the rally. The rally starts at 10:00 tomorrow, Saturday, 20 September 2003.
The masses are ready for these events and they will attend the rally in big numbers tomorrow to commemorate this communist martyr. The following are some of the landmarks in Dadoo and the struggle:
Dr Yusuf Mohammed Dadoo was born in Mogale City (Krugersdorp) on 05 September 1909, matriculated at Aligarh College in India, after attending schools in JHB and Mogale City. He qualified as a doctor in 1936 and returned to practise in South Africa and he became active in Transvaal Indian Congress (TIC). He became one of the founders of the Non-European United front (NEUF) in 1938 in JHB. He joined the Communist Party in 1939 (CPSA). He progressed in struggle rapidly such that in 1935 he became the President of the TIC and in 1950 he became the President of the South African Indian Congress. In 1972 he was elected the National Chairperson of the SACP, a position he held until his death in 1983, 19 September. He was arrested several times for his anti-pass and anti apartheid resistance.
Dr Dadoo is survived with two daughters, Shireen and Roshan.
A lot will be said in the Memorial Lecture and at the rally this weekend.
CONTACTS
Nkosiphendule Kolisile-SACP West Rand District Secretary
082 939 4035 (Cell)
011 339 3621 (Tel)
OR
Mazibuko Jara
SACP Media and Publicity Officer
0722754723 (Cell)
011 339 3621 (Tel)
011 339 4244 (Fax)
mazibuko@sacp.org.za