Former struggle hero now devotes his time to painting

Moffat “Busface” Zulu was one of the people who were honoured as a hero at the recent exhibition of the Liberation Struggle in Emjindini Location during the period of 1970 to 1990.

The opening of the exhibition was held in Barberton Museum last month.

The museum is mandated to preserve and discuss the cultural heritage of the community.

During an interview with Barberton Times, Zulu shared his history with the newspaper.

He was born in October 24, 1961 and is a well-known resident of Barberton due to various roles he played in the past.

“I wrote stage plays which were performed around the Lowveld of the old Eastern Transvaal (Mpumalanga). I stopped because things have changed. It becomes a little irrelevant these days, unless you are in the big cities where they are making money.

“When you are in this part of the country you need sponsors, stage gear, decorated stage craft, lights, music and stage technicians.”

He was sent to Zambia in 1889 for union matters, where he met with high-profile union leaders of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu).

“I was part of the Emjindini Youth Organisation in the 1980s. As a unionist, I introduced Cosatu to Barberton.”

He was also one of the organisers of the month-long consumer boycott in September 1989, and the two-day stay-away marches in February 1990.

After the struggle movement, he became a councillor. “After a while I resigned, because I had my own job.

“Working as a technician for Telkom I later got a promotion to be a junior branch manager of installations and maintenance for Telkom’s network in Balfour. Then I was moved to Ermelo, where I worked as a manager in charge until I was retrenched in 2005.”

Zulu is currently unemployed, and have recently started drawing pictures.

“I have not done much work since it has only been a few months.

“I am the one who pointed the walls of the ANC house in the location. I also did a picture for my brother, and now I have a few pictures of my own that I am putting together.”

The exhibition was researched by Julius Matsebula, who works as a guide in the local museum. He has a BA in history and anthropology.

Matsebula is also co-author of the recently published comprehensive study, The History of Emaswati in South Africa.