Longtime activist battling cancer

By Michael Z. Muhammad -Contributing Writer- | Last updated: Sep 18, 2018 - 3:45:26 PM

PHILADELPHIA—According to Sue Africa, a spokesperson for MOVE in an interview with The Final Call, approximately two months ago Ramona Africa—the lone adult survivor of the group that survived a 1985 massive police operation resulting in a heinous bombing and subsequent fire—became ill.

She was taken to the emergency room," Sue Africa stated. She was diagnosed with a stroke. "Upon further examination it was determined she has cancer," said Sue Africa.

Ramona Africa before illness (r) Ramona Africa today.

Ramona's insurance has run out and she is in need of physical therapy or she will regress. Sue Africa states "She cannot walk, her right side is effected. She has to have therapy. She was making good progress. The doctors have been on point. It's the insurance company that's the problem. These people don't care nothing about people or life, they only care about money. They would like to see nothing better than to see her die,” she alleges.

MOVE was a radical movement dedicated to Black liberation and a back-to-nature lifestyle. It was founded by John Africa, and all its members took on the surname Africa.

The group was involved in two major conflicts with the Philadelphia Police Department. In 1978, a standoff resulted in the death of one police officer, resulting in life sentences for nine members who were convicted of killing the officer.

In 1985, a major confrontation ended when a police helicopter dropped a bomb on the MOVE compound, a row home. The resulting fire killed 11 MOVE members, including five children, and destroyed 65 houses in the neighborhood. Ramona Africa was the lone adult survivor.

Ramona Africa is Minister of Communications for the MOVE organization and a strong community advocate. Due to her illness, medical bills are mounting up in the thousands. Medical expenses, absent insurance, is a struggle that plagues millions of Americans.

Sue Africa told The Final Call the MOVE family has expressed some suspicions regarding Ramona's medical condition because, "We have had two of our members who were in prison that were extremely healthy who died suspiciously, Phil Africa and Merle Africa.”

“They said their death was the result of cancer. Both were in the house in 1978 during the confrontation with police. Mona (Ramona) was in the house during the bombing in 1985 where C-4 was dropped and other chemical agents were used," she said. C-4 is a substance used in explosives and has toxic effects on human beings if ingested.

"She is on oxygen due to fluid in her lungs because she is not moving, not doing therapy. She has bed sores. One thing feeds another thing. We need people that can help us advocate to get help, physical therapists, nurses. So, anything people can do about lobbying so she can get health insurance, therapy, we are open to any kind of help we can get here,” Sue Africa said. Efforts are underway to assist in these efforts.

For more information, or to support visit onamove.com.

The Final Call