Mahmood Moosa was born on 9 August 1953 in Ixopo, KZN, Natal, fourth son of the late Ismail and Hawa Bibi Moosa.
He matriculated at Nirvana Secondary School, Lenasia (Johannesburg).
He went on to educate learners for 28 years (25 at secondary and three at senior primary school levels). During his teaching career, he has imparted knowledge and skills in history, mathematics, general science, biology (life science), at both levels, and technology and life orientation to secondary level pupils.
He has had varied experience in community, social, educational and political work, and, to his credit has also, on a number of community projects and issues, “hands-on experience.” And, he is an executive member of numerous community organisations, and in some holds official positions.
Mahmood, known as, “Mems” by family members and friends, has been described as enthusiastic, sincere, dedicated and motivational.
He is married to Naeema, has a daughter, two grandchildren and lives in Lenasia, Johannesburg.
Mahmood has been freelancing as a journalist for many years and has several publications to his credit, namely:
- We Watch, We Wait (1995 – Poetry);
- People’s Education (1996);
- A Simple Beginner’s Guide to Road-running (1996);
- Umrah – My Personal Experience 1999;
- A Brief Beginner’s Journey into Islam (1999);
- The Millennium Periscope for Quotable Quotes (2000);
- My Personal Experience and Diary of Hajj (2000);
- Literature and Audiovisual Resources on Hajj & Umrah (2000), compiled with Ahmed Saeed Moolla;
- Crusaders for Human Values – Portraits of 13 Indian South Africans (2001);
- 135 Years Genealogy of the Moosa “Kunzaan” family (2001).
Mems rates among the initiators of the Lenasia Athletic Club and a founder of (in Eldorado Park – where he was a teacher for 12 years) Brotherhood Athletic Club.
A long-distance athlete with staying power and speed, he has 10 hundred – milers (161,1km) to his name, including four ‘Golden Reef One Hundreds’, two Johannesburg Harriers Club track hundred-milers, one Eastern Transvaal (Mpumalanga) Hundred-Miler, a Washie One-Hundred, one Secunda A C (Kosmos 185-kilometer road race) and three 6-Day Circuit Races (487km, 442km and 484km) – 8th, 2nd and 4th positions respectively.
He has completed the Laingsburg 80- kilometers race thrice, , Old Mutual Two-Oceans (3) – 2 silver and 1 bronze, Loskop Marathon (10), and Potchefstroom to Klerksdorp 50km once.
Mems has completed three 100-kilometer track events, and the City-to-City on 21 occasions (four silver medals).
He has recorded formidable mileage (about 164 000 kms from both training and races), over a 25-year period, to his credit by completing well over 800 road races, ranging from 5km to 160km distances. He celebrated his 150th standard marathon on 6 May 2007 when he ran the Nedbank Joburg City Marathon.
His Comrades Marathon record reflects a Comrade with a pedigree. He started his campaign with a down run of 06:26:16, and finished in 73rd position in 1984, when he was 30 years old. In 2013, he finished his 25th Comrades Marathon, and can, with justifiable satisfaction, look back on two decades of achievements – six silver medals, three of them in under seven hours.
And, also in May 2013, he ran a 48 hour race, in Hungary, clocking a total mileage of 206km finishing in 7th position.
Mems Moosa is a runner worthy of recognition.
Moosa (Mems) is a devout Muslim, and has made Haj thrice “ learning to be more compassionate and understanding of my fellow man”.
“I learned that in this world, we are all one.“
He was a teacher, and a writer in his own right, a soft-spoken man with a gentle smile, a man who graciously serves his community.
