Alexandra residents mourned the passing of the City of Johannesburg’s first democratically elected mayor, Isaac Mogase, who was a son of the township who died on 27 April aged 87.
Mogase was popularly known as Ntate Mogase in the township of his birth on 25 January 1934 and had five sisters and three brothers. He lived in Alexandra’s 7th Avenue and cut his teeth in politics in the township alongside ANC greats Keke Koalipe and Joe Nhlanhla and others.
The three late ANC leaders used to take time off from their underground political activism to play tennis.
Mogase started his education at a crèche and primary school of the St Michaels Anglican Church in 8th Avenue and completed his primary schooling there.
Though his parents were Lutheran, Mogase was educated at an Anglican school and in an interview on 18 June 2003 in Bryanston with the late [journalists?] Frederick Pine and Boitumelo Khunou, described ‘the beloved Alexandra’ as a ‘beautiful place to live in with its vibrant music, cultural activities and sporting heroes in all spheres of sports, saying it was a township of envy for many.
“There was never a dull moment as there was soccer to watch, a theatre for movies, tennis for the likes of me, and the now popular Zionist Christian Church which started in 7th Avenue before moving further down to 20th Avenue,” he said in the interview.
“This thing of filth all over the place that has characterised Alexandra was unheard of. Mothers and their young girls used to wake early in the morning to sweep their yards and place rubbish in a particular place for collection. Sometimes they would water their flowers planted neatly in the yard,” added Mogase who later became the president of the ANC Youth League in 1957.
Remembering Mogase was Alex historian Thabo Mopasi who said the former mayor would be remembered for ensuring that Johannesburg was kept clean at all times, hence it was nicknamed a World Class African City.
“His passing left us devastated as we lost a real leader with a love for his people and always ensured Alexandra was clean and given the attention it deserved. There were never any filth and rodents, things that characterise Alexandra today. He set the bar and his successor, Amos Masondo had big shoes to fill,” Mopasi said.
Mopasi added that Mogase became popularly known as ‘Mr. Clean’ with his vision of a clean Johannesburg which gave birth to the concepts, Johannesburg 2000 and World Class African City.
