Chota Motala, medical doctor, family man, and political activist, lived out over eight decades of his life in communities that preceded, and ultimately succeeded, the hegemony of formal apartheid in South Africa. For most of this time, Pietermaritzburg, the capital of KwaZulu-Natal, was home to Motala, who helped to shape the politics of the Midlands and whose legacy is vibrantly woven into the city.

Pietermaritzburg spawned strong alliances between trade unions, political organisations and communities that cut across race, class and religious lines. This book examines Motala’s intellectual project and activism from his childhood years through to his role as an ambassador in the new South Africa, and throws light on poorly documented episodes in Pietermaritzburg’s history.