It is with great sadness that we wish to share with you that Strini Moodley, a former CIVICUS board member, passed away on 27 April 2006, after a brief illness. A co-founder of the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa, Moodley was one of nine activists convicted on terrorism charges following the marathon South Africa Student’s Organisation and Black People’s Convention trial in 1976. He was sentenced to six years imprisonment, which he served on Robben Island, together with Nelson Mandela and hundreds of other political prisoners.
Strini passed away on South Africa’s Freedom Day, the anniversary of the country’s first free election. He is described as “a committed freedom fighter who dedicated his life to the liberation of the South African people and to the achievement of peace and justice in many other parts of the world.”
Strini served on the Board of CIVICUS from 1996-2000 and played a key role in moderating conflicts that emerged from time to time. He was seen as a unifier and was able to bring his credibility, passion and experience to CIVICUS during the early days of the organisation.
A former deputy news editor at the Natal Witness, a daily in Pietermaritzburg South Africa, he was not just a political activist but also a cultural activist. He was a poet and playwright and was heavily involved in a theatre culture group in Natal, South Africa. Born December 22 1945, he is survived by his wife Asha and four children.
On behalf of the CIVICUS Board, staff and members we extend our deepest condolences to his wife and children.
