Dr James Moroka

The graves of the iconic leaders of the liberation struggle movements are a tangiblerepresentation of the intangible heritage aspects of organised resistance and defiancecampaigns, against successive racially repressive regimes. They transcend differentresponses to eighty (80) years of intensification of repressive laws from deputations, passiveresistance, defiance campaigns to armed struggle and mass struggles. They represent aconviction to a just political cause and attainment of political freedom leading to denial ofpersonal liberties and an ultimate price of banning orders, house arrest, politicalassassinations, banishment, exile, political imprisonment and in-detention death.Dr JAMES SEBE MOROKA – President of the African National Congress (1949-1952) (Amedical doctor, Surgeon and politician, who was the president of the ANC between 1949and 1952)Dr James Moroka was the great grandson of Chief Moroka 1 of the Barolong Boo Moroka atThaba Nchu.He was a medical doctor and politician. In 1942 he became involved in the ANC and with thesupport of Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela and their militant Congress the Youth League. Hewas became president of the ANC in 1949. During his presidency the ANC became moremilitant. In April 1952 a mass meeting was held in Red Square, Fordsburg (now calledFreedom Square) and in the main centre of the Union, which he addressed.