Cosatu commemorates legacy of Elijah Barayi with memorial lecture

By Aphiwe Ngowapi

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) Young Workers Forum hosted the first-ever memorial lecture for the late Elijah Barayi in the Eastern Cape.

Appointed as a task team in 2024, the Young Workers Forum saw the need to honour their first president as part of their commitment to preserving the legacy of trade unionism. To realize this vision, they invited the provincial secretary Mkhawuleli Maleki to support the initiative.

Barayi was born in 1930 in Lingelihle, Cradock, as the youngest of 10 children. Despite completing his matric in 1949 at the Healtown Institution, financial constraints prevented him from furthering his education at Fort Hare University. Barayi went on to work as a clerk in the Department of Native Affairs in Cradock. Driven by firsthand experiences of racial violence, he joined the ANC Youth League in 1948. His activism led him to play a significant role in the 1952 Defiance Campaign, resulting in his detention. Upon his release, he relocated to Witwatersrand, where he co-founded the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and later became its vice president, championing workers’ rights on an international scale. He was also the first president of Cosatu.

In a heartfelt tribute, members of the Young Workers Forum visited Barayi’s eldest daughter, Zukiswa Mhlwathika, who is in poor health. This visit was particularly significant as Barayi had been commemorated nationwide but never in his birthplace. The timing also held sentimental value, as January marks both Barayi’s passing and Mhlwathika’s birth month.

A retired school principal, ANC Women’s League member, and secretary of the Methodist Women’s Manyano, she and family spokesperson Andile Qangule expressed gratitude for the recognition, hoping to see a foundation established in Barayi’s honour.

“The purpose of this visit is to thank the Barayi family for sharing their father with the country, especially with the trade union movement, which operates tirelessly,” said Siyabonga Jam from the Young Workers Forum.

The memorial lecture aimed to educate attendees about Barayi’s legacy, his role in shaping labour laws such as the Labour Relations Act and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, and the broader history of Cosatu. “Our members must understand the kind of revolutionary and trade unionist President Barayi was,” added Jam.

Reflecting on Barayi’s contributions, Mhlwathika described him as a fearless and selfless leader who prioritized workers’ rights over his personal life. “Even though he was often absent, we understood his mission and loved him, stubborn as he was,” she said.

Cosatu’s provincial secretary, Mkhawuleli Maleki, likened Barayi to a car engine—essential but hidden—emphasizing his behind-the-scenes efforts that propelled the labour movement forward. Ramsell “Ramie” Xonxa underscored the importance of memorial lectures for Black political figures, stating that these platforms keep their legacies alive, critically engage with their ideologies, and inspire future generations to continue the fight for justice and equality.

The commemoration continued at the Main Hall of Fort England Hospital, where speakers, including Mfundo Sobele (District Secretary of SACP), Andile Hoyi, Maleki and Qangule, joined Cosatu members in song and speeches, celebrating the enduring impact of Barayi’s work.