Years ago I lived in the Crawford/Rondebosch East area and often saw the late Judge Essa Moosa at the nearby shops and at Mosque. He was a modest man and his humility was easily detectable.
Decades ago my uncle built the Judges house in Crawford and I worked on-site for pocket money. The Judge was often on site and treated everyone with respect. Who amongst us bother to greet the cleaners that labor at our offices even if we see them for many years. From what I know, Judge Essa Moosa was a decent man who did not seek position in society. He went about his work helping people without much fan-fare. The judge was so innocuous, that if you were not introduced to him, you would never know who he was or the role he played in the struggle to confirm social justice.
The Judge did not seek vast material advantage and attention as is so common in our society. While I am sure he could have secured high positions in government or in the foreign service as a diplomat, Judge Essa Moosa was loyal to his craft of ensuring justice and fair pay for an honest day’s work.
Those who seek to honor the Judge must learn from his example. There is limited value in seeking to honor Judge Moosa if you fail to learn from his humility and his ability to work for what he needed.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress