imported>Z. Patterson: Reverted edits by 2804:2838:105:0:CD9E:BE03:A2DC:7EF0 (talk) (AV)

2025-01-28T01:13:29Z

Reverted edits by 2804:2838:105:0:CD9E:BE03:A2DC:7EF0 (talk) (AV)

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Patrick Chamusso
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1949}}
| birth_place = Mozambique
| party = [[African National Congress]]
}}

'''Patrick Chamusso''' (born in 1949 in [[Mozambique]]) is a member of the [[African National Congress]] (ANC) party of [[South Africa]] who participated in the militant actions of the organization during the [[Apartheid in South Africa|apartheid]] era.

== Biography ==
One of three sons, Patrick came to live in South Africa when as a teenager he followed his [[migrant worker]] father to work in the [[Mining|mines]] of South Africa performing odd jobs. After his father's death, Chamusso's mother remarried and bore a daughter. He had various jobs on the mines and later worked as a house painter and street photographer.<ref name="twosisters">[http://www.twosisters.org.za/web/content/view/12/28/ Patrick's Story] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315014854/http://www.twosisters.org.za/web/content/view/12/28/ |date=2007-03-15 }} from Two Sisters</ref>

When he was 28, he got a job at the [[Sasol]] [[synthetic fuel]] plant at [[Secunda, Mpumalanga|Secunda]] ([[Secunda CTL]]), the largest [[coal liquefaction]] plant in the world, located several hours east of [[Johannesburg]]. Although not formally educated, he advanced quickly and ended up as a driver, a position that was well-paid. His main job was to fetch coal from a neighbouring mine and bring it into the refinery. A talented football player who had formerly played for local leagues, his abilities later made him popular among his co-workers and in the community.<ref name="twosisters" />

Chamusso was arrested in 1980 by South African Special Branch for conspiring with the [[African National Congress|ANC]] to bomb the [[Secunda, Mpumalanga|Secunda]] [[oil refinery|refinery]], a crime he insisted he did not commit. He was later released without charges being laid. He reported that he had been tortured whilst a prisoner. He fled to Mozambique where he joined [[Umkhonto we Sizwe]], the paramilitary wing of the [[African National Congress|ANC]].<ref name="laweekly">[http://www.laweekly.com/general/features/apartheids-song/14731/ Apartheid's Song] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070216054823/http://www.laweekly.com/general/features/apartheids-song/14731/ |date=2007-02-16 }} from [[LA Weekly]]</ref>

After military training, he returned to South Africa where he single-handedly carried out a second, partly successful, bombing at Secunda, which, as was intended, resulted in no casualties. After a massive manhunt, he was arrested and sentenced to 24 years in prison on [[Robben Island]]. In 1994, as the apartheid system began to be dismantled, having served 10 years, Chamusso was released under the new government's [[amnesty]] policy.<ref name="workingtitle">[http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/films/view/film/79 Patrick Chamusso Biography] from [[Working Title Films]]</ref>

After his release, Chamusso married a woman named Conney, and the couple had three children, in addition to fostering 80 [[AIDS]] [[orphans]] at their home in [[Mpumalanga]].<ref name="workingtitle"/>

Chamusso rose to world prominence in October 2006, with the release of ''[[Catch a Fire (film)|Catch a Fire]]'', a [[biographical]] film depicting his struggle against Apartheid.

==References==
<references />

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chamusso, Patrick}}
[[Category:South African anti-apartheid activists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Inmates of Robben Island]]

Patrick Chamusso - Revision history

imported>Z. Patterson: Reverted edits by 2804:2838:105:0:CD9E:BE03:A2DC:7EF0 (talk) (AV)