Benjamin Moloise (1955 – 18 October 1985) was a South African poet and political activist.

Life

Moloise was born in 1955 in Alexandra. He was a factory worker, poet and follower of the then forbidden

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a Social democracy, social-democratic political party in Republic of South Africa, South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when ...

(ANC). He was convicted to capital punishment by the

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

regime of

P. W. Botha Pieter Willem Botha, (; 12 January 1916 – 31 October 2006), commonly known as P. W. and af, Die Groot Krokodil (The Big Crocodile), was a South African politician. He served as the last prime minister of South Africa from 1978 to 1984 and ...

allegedly for murdering a policeman in 1982. The African National Congress claimed responsibility for the murder and repudiated the claim that Moloise was involved. He was hanged on 18 October 1985 at the

Pretoria Central Prison Pretoria Central Prison, renamed Kgosi Mampuru II Management Area by former President Jacob Zuma on 13 April 2013 and sometimes referred to as Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Services is a large prison in central Pretoria, within the City of Tshwane ...

despite worldwide pleas for clemency. His execution by the apartheid regime led to international protests and street battles in South Africa. Before his execution he famously penned the following lines

"I am proud to be what I am…
The storm of oppression will be followed
By the rain of my blood
I am proud to give my life
My one solitary life."

Literature

* Ritu Ashik: ''Benjamin Moloise'', Biratnagar, Teshro Vishwa Weekly Publication, 1990

References

External links

Mandela, Moloise, Nicaragua and our days of innocence
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Moloise, Benjamin Anti-apartheid activists South African people convicted of murder South African male poets People from Alexandra, Gauteng 1955 births 1985 deaths 20th-century South African poets Executed South African people People executed by South Africa by hanging 20th-century executions by South Africa Executed activists 20th-century South African male writers