Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality (LIM472)

Description: The Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality (previously Greater Groblersdal Local Municipality) is located in the Sekhukhune District of the Limpopo Province. It is one of four municipalities in the district. The seat of the municipality is Groblersdal.

The municipality is named in honour of the late Elias Motsoaledi, who was born on 26 July 1924 in Nebo, Sekhukhuneland. He came to Johannesburg at the age of 17 in search for work. He played an active role in the establishment of the South African Congress of trade unions.

A lifelong member of the ANC, and the SACP, he also played a central role in many campaigns, including the Defiance Campaign of 1952, the year in which he was banned. He was detained in terms of the 1960 State of Emergency and imprisoned for four months. On his release, he went underground and served on the Johannesburg Regional Umkhonto we Sizwe. Arrested in 1963, Motsoaledi was one of the Revonia Trialists and was sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island, a sentence he served until his release in 1989 – 26 years later.

On his release, he was elected to National Executive Committee of the ANC. He passed away on the day of the inauguration of the first democratic president of South Africa, his fellow Revonia Trialist and Robben Island prisoner, Dr Nelson Mandela.