Daniel Joseph al-Ghossain visited his uncles in South Africa, to fall in love with his uncle’s daughter Francis in the early 1950s, and to move latter from Ghana to South Africa in the 1960s, and to become one of the successful farming Gossayns.

The latest arrival of the second generation al-Ghossains was Tannous (Tony) Doumit al-Ghossain the son of Doumit the youngest brother of Peter, Paul, Gosayn, and Joseph. Tony al-Ghossain (the writer of this article) left Lebanon on the 6th of January 1967, and arrived in South Africa on the 7th of January 1967. He farmed with his cousins in Viljeonskroon till 1970, and then moved to Krugersdorp.

His first marriage was to Lorna Abiet (Obaied) from Krugersdorp, which produced two boys Doumit, and Paul. He is presently married to Elham Antoun from Lebanon, and lives in Klerksdorp.

Tony was elected the national president of the WLCU in South Africa on October the third 1993, and served for two years. He kept a long family tradition, which was the honour of singing in the Maronite church like his father Doumit, and uncles Joseph, and Paul, and their uncle Massoud.

Today the third generation of al-Ghossains (Gossayn) Dany’s Jerome, Dalene, Alec’s Gregory, Beverly, John, Derik, Moses’ Michel, Navel, Karen, Ronald, Daniel Joseph’s Nesby, Shirley, Joe, Peter, Wendy, Tony’s Doumit, and Paul are marching ahead into the future armed with the good name, and resilience of their forbearers the great al-Ghossain family of the mount of Lebanon.

Stories of the al-Ghossains in South Africa

The Farmers’  war

It was called the war of the farmers in the major South African news papers. Daniel Joseph al-Ghossain (Gossayn) had one of his farms bordering the farm of a farmer, who was feared in the whole area, well, he was a huge man. He basically did whatever he wanted, and nobody dared to challenge him.

One fateful day he shot the tyres of Danny’s tractors, which were being used to open a trench to allow the flood water, as permitted by law to flow naturally to the giants farm, which he tried to block.

Danny was called by his terrified African labourers to the scene to be faced by this giant of a man, who Danny knew well, and was aware of his reputation, wielding a rifle, and challenging Danny with his bellowing voice.

Danny crossed over the fence daring the other to shoot, and when he was near enough, and after receiving a blow by the rifle-but of the other man’s rifle, which needed 14 stitches to repair, Danny unleashed the famous Ghossain fearless temper, and went on with his bare fists to basically destroy the other man physically, and mentally.

The case went to the highest court of the land, the presiding Judge was totally confused, he asked the lawyers is it really possible what I see in front of me???? Well it was. Danny was 170 cm, the other man was about 190 cm, and nearly one, and half time Danny’s weight.

Danny did win the case.

Our Lebanese South African Lion is living now with the rest of his family in Australia he is in his mid eighties.