Moses Mbheki Mncane Mabhida was born on October 14, 1923 in Thornville, Pietermaritzburg.  Having been influenced by Harry Gwala, Moses Mabhida was introduced to trade unionism and in 1942 he joined the Communist Party where he later served as General-Secretary and joined the African National Congress (ANC), and held the position of Vice-President of the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU). He fought for freedom, justice, equality, democracy, socialism and peace and was committed to enrich the quality of life of the working class in South Africa. On request from Oliver Tambo in 1963, he had to develop the ANC's armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), and was involved in training of new military recruits and later became Commander of MK. In 1985 while on a mission to Havana, he suffered a stroke, and after a year of illness he died of a heart attack on March 8 1986, in Maputo where President Samora Machel and the Mozambican Government held a state funeral. In November 2006, twenty years after his death, Moses Mabhida's body was exhumed and re-buried in his home town Pietermaritzburg.