National Youth Day: Leading South African judge Tshifhiwa Maumela tells Kamogelo Olaitan about his iconic hair, and the real reason he keeps it long.
In the last few weeks, Judge Maumela has been on our screen daily as he presides over the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial.
Maumela doesn’t look like your typical 62-year-old judge, and the first thing one notices about his appearance is his long afro hair.
This week’s tweets even suggested that he keeps the hairstyle because he was a member of the Shembe church, whose male members do not cut their hair.
But that’s not the case with Maumela, who is originally from Sibasa township in Thohoyandou, Limpopo.
In 1977, exactly 45 years ago today, the then 18-year old matriculant vowed never to cut his hair again, and he has kept to his promise.
A former student activist and High Court judge, Maumela and other freedom fighters – including veteran journalist Mathatha Tsedu, politicians Dr Tshenuwani Farisani, Dr Allen Budeli, amongst others – were arrested exactly a year after the Soweto 1976 June 16 uprising.
“Though there were no formal June 16 celebrations back then, we organised a gathering at a local stadium to remember those who lost their lives in 1976. I was the last person to give a speech and I was arrested by the security police who found me behind the mic and I was viewed as a terrorist,” Maumela said.
After he was arrested, Maumela was sent to the police cells in Louis Trichardt, where he was kept handcuffed for three days and tortured. During the torture, a young white police officer pulled out Maumela’s hair with his bare hands.
“The apartheid government hated anyone with afro hair. You were viewed as a threat so the cop uprooted my hair like I was an animal,” Maumela said.
“The pain I felt then can’t be measured. That’s when I decided not to cut my hair ever again.”
“With handcuffs on for three days, I had to depend on other prisoners for everything including going to the toilet and eating. It was very bad because our intention back then was to fight the government through church and peace,” he said.
He said politicians like Allan Boesak sold them on the idea of peaceful resistance and they avoided violence as much as possible.
Maumela, who was working as a court interpreter and later a prosecutor back then, said he was arrested three more times without being charged and was even demoted from his job and made a driver.
“That’s when I realised that apartheid just had to be fought and we needed democracy. And I don’t regret it one bit.”
Image source: Newzroom Afrika
