Judge Essa Moosa passes away

Essa Moosa was born in District Six, Cape Town on 8 February 1936.[i] He was a judge in the Supreme Court of South Africa. Moosa was a former human rights lawyer who defended political detainees during the Apartheid regime.[ii] Moosa was one of South Africa’s renowned human rights activists.[iii] He was one of the founding members of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers.[iv] Significantly, he was involved in the establishment of South Africa’s democracy and formed part of the African National Congress’s constitutional committee, which supported the party’s negotiation team for the goal of establishing a democratic South Africa.[v] He was also a firm supporter of the United Democratic Front.[vi] Moosa practiced as an attorney until late 1997, before being employed as judge of the Western Cape High Court in 1998. Moosa was awarded the Order if the Disa by the Western Cape Province in 2004. He served as judge for 13 years before retiring in February 2011.[vii] The Office of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation enlisted Moosa as an investigating judge in 2014, to pay closer attention to the complaints laid forth from and against the members of the Hawks.[viii] Judge Essa Moosa passed away on 26 February 2017 at his Rondebosch East residence after having been diagnosed with cancer.[ix] The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union, along with the Democratic Alliance, as well as President Jacob Zuma all paid tribute to passing of Essa Moosa.[x] End Note [i]Judge EssaMoosa dies, http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/breaking-judge-essa-moosa-dies-20170226 (26 February 2017). ↵ [ii]DA saddened by death Judge EssaMoosa, http://citizen.co.za/news/news-national/1440447/da-saddened-death-judge-essa-moosa/ (26 February 2017). ↵ [iii]Tributes pour in for Judge EssaMoosa, http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/tributes-pour-in-for-judge-essa-moosa-7939916 (26 February 2017). ↵ [iv]Tributes pour in for Judge EssaMoosa, http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/tributes-pour-in-for-judge-essa-moosa-7939916 (26 February 2017). ↵ [v]Tributes pour in for Judge EssaMoosa, http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/tributes-pour-in-for-judge-essa-moosa-7939916 (26 February 2017). ↵ [vi]S.Kings: Obituary: The people’s attorney, Judge EssaMoosa, https://mg.co.za/article/2017-03-02-obituary-the-peoples-attorney-judge-essa-moosa (2 March 2017). ↵ [vii]Tributes pour in for Judge EssaMoosa, http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/tributes-pour-in-for-judge-essa-moosa-7939916 (26 February 2017). ↵ [viii]DA saddened by death Judge EssaMoosa, http://citizen.co.za/news/news-national/1440447/da-saddened-death-judge-essa-moosa/ (26 February 2017). ↵ [ix]Judge EssaMoosa dies, http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/breaking-judge-essa-moosa-dies-20170226 (26 February 2017). ↵ [x]Tributes pour in for Judge EssaMoosa, http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/tributes-pour-in-for-judge-essa-moosa-7939916 (26 February 2017). ↵