Tribute to Langa activist Zola Magodla

• Published date: 01 July 2021
• Author: THEMBILE NABE
• Date: 01 July 2021
• Publication title: Vukani

Even great leaders were made by the collective. That is a collective Zola Magodla was part of.

Zola, an activist who lived in Langa, was 75 years when she died on June 10 after a short illness. Her funeral was held a fortnight ago.

I am now reminded by the freedom song the late comrade mama Nelly Jibiliza used to sing.

It goes, “ekuseni ngoMgqibelo sokhulul’ uMandela”.

Mama Jibiliza would be hard at times. It would take Zola to make us understand and compromise with Mama Jibiliza.

Of the United Women’s Organisation (UWO) and the Women’s Front (Front), the bigger and more popular one was UWO. Zola belonged to the small and unpopular Front.

The popular UWO was presented to other UDF affiliates as the authentic Charterist women’s organisation.

In the 1980s in Langa, Zola was the most visible member of the Front. Her activism saved us from drinking from the bitter cup of poison, hatred and propaganda against the Front, and other related structures like the Release Mandela Campaign.

She saved us, especially as the youth, from growing with myth and distortion about our own comrades because they belonged to other formations of the same United Democratic Front.

She could talk, but she was not a talkative person especially in the meetings. As a result, you would never hear her promoting the Front over the UWO, as her counterparts would do.

I remember how antagonistic her counterpart from UWO was, who was older than her. But she would be calm, following her name, Zola, which means to be calm. She would still give her due respect, addressing her as mama.

That was a demonstration of how she was brought up. That was being, on one hand, an ambassador of her parents/home to those who did not know them. On the other hand, this was a confirmation of well-upbringing to those who knew her parents.

She won us, not only the youth, but other affiliates as well. She went further, removing the curtain that was there between the Langa residents and the hostel dwellers or migrant labourers.

The struggle against Apartheid was fought from four fronts: mass mobilisation, underground work/operation/struggle, armed struggle and international solidarity.

She was part of mass mobilisation, excelling in all its respects, conduct, mobilisation and organisation as stated and demonstrated above.

The cherry on top was her warm accommodativeness.

She did not only organise the hostel people but also created a conducive environment for us as youth and other structures to organise and operate...