Paul grew up in the 1930s South Africa. He awoke to political activism as an Indian in the racially segregated schools and slums of Johannesburg, and aged just 15, committed himself to fight oppression. He participated in ANC political campaigns from the passive resistance of the 1940s - inspired by Gandhi - through to the armed struggle
Uncle Paul and Aunt Adelaide Joseph are second parents to me and in that way their story is inseparable from mine. … – Zenani Mandela // Paul Joseph’s courageous role in South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle is inspirational. His life in that struggle for justice is both moving and uplifting. An incredible man! – Baroness Helena Kennedy, QC // Paul Joseph’s story is of a life of struggle for human liberation and a courageous struggle for life under apartheid. Electrifying! – Professor Gus John