Abdulhay Saloojee was born in India in November 1927 while his family was already settled in Johannesburg. He was brought by his mother to rejoin the family two years later. From his early youth he rebelled against the problems encountered by the Indian youth and joined in the efforts of those fighting for the provision of a high school. As a bright student he even taught groups of students anxious to reach and sit for exams at the matric level. By the age of fifteen he was already active in the Transvaal Indian Congress but found himself at loggerheads with some members and did not pursue this particular avenue.
He later enrolled at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) to study medicine. Here he furthered his interest in the broader political struggle and was one of those who formed the Progressive Forum. This was an organ for radical political discussion at Wits which affiliated to the Non-European Unity Movement (later, the Unity Movement of South Africa), and also embarked political activities outside of the university as well. From within its ranks the Progressive Forum produced many who would play a prominent role in the liberatory struggle in South Africa. The Forum evolved into a branch of the Society of Young Africa (SOYA) when it was founded by the All African Convention (AAC). SOYA presented a platform for promoting political activism in the population at large and within other affiliates of the Unity Movement .
Not unexpectedly, The Progressive Forum attracted the attention of the state security apparatus, the “Special Branch”. Abdulhay was interrogated on numerous occasions and warned in terms of the suppression of Communism Act to cease his involvement. He defied these acts of intimidation.
Abdulhay graduated at Wits in 1950 with an MbChb degree. Previously he had obtained opportunities to further his studies at universities in Edinburgh and Nigeria. But he was always refused a passport to travel. In 1958 he established a practice in Zola Township in the medically starved area of Soweto. Despite being warned to remove himself as an “Indian” from this “black” township, he soldiered on and by 1965 it is recorded that his practice had a patient list of 10 000.
In 1957 he met and partnered with his wife to be, Edna Wilcox, who was herself served with a second five-year banning order in 1964 which severely restricted her movements and political activities. In 1969, the couple then reluctantly decided to leave South Africa, which they could only do via “no return” exit permits.
In London, where they settled, Abdulhay carried on a successful medical practice. He maintained a keen interest in developments in South Africa and came upon the idea of establishing a trust to promote the examination of democracy in its varied forms. This never came to fruition in his lifetime and he passed away in April 2013. In keeping with his wishes, funds from his estate have been utilised to establish the Abdulhay Ahmed Saloojee Trust for an annual lecture by a prominent person on this subject.
Edna Saloojee
Edna was the life partner and wife of Abdulhay Saloojee. From a young age she, together with Abdulhay played an important role in the development and growth of the Unity Movement of South Africa (UMSA). She was a member of the remarkable Wilcox family, that occupied a unique position in the history of UMSA since its inception and over generations. Edna was active in various UMSA structures and recruited many members to the organization. This work continued when she migrated to Johannesburg in the 1950’s, contributing her sharp intellect and hard work in building UMSA there resulting in the organization growing in numbers and strength.
In the mid-1960’s she was served with a banning order by the Apartheid regime and she and Abdulhay were forced into exile to London. There she worked for Defence and Aid, an organization that defended political prisoners in South Africa and provided assistance to their families. When she returned to South Africa after the death of Abdulhay, she set about fulfilling his wishes to set up a trust in his name and host an annual memorial lecture dealing with liberation struggles and the struggle for democracy worldwide. Her life in service to the political struggle in South Africa and her pioneering role in setting up the Abdulhay Ahmed Saloojee Trust will long be remembered by this and future generations. We salute Edna.