P Jordan on death of E Khuzwayo

21 April 2006

On Wednesday, 19 April 2006, South Africa woke up to the sad news of the
passing away of Mme Ellen Khuzwayo at the age of 91. Better known as an
activist in the struggle against apartheid rule in South Africa, Khuzwayo was a
champion of women’s rights in a repressive society. Her untimely death comes at
the time when we were beginning to gear ourselves for the celebration of the
50th anniversary of the historic march by over 20 000 women on the Union
Buildings.

MaKhuzwayo’s well-lived life epitomises the courage and determination of the
women of South Africa to emancipate themselves from the racial, class and
gender shackles that characterised the repressive society we lived in. Her
award-winning autobiography, Call Me Woman (1985), chronicles the agony of
being a black woman during the decades when apartheid was at its worst but also
the determination of a black woman to challenge that unjust social and
political order. Her story is that of thousands of South African women whose
stories might never be told. It reflects the suffering and triumph of black
women under apartheid rule. She remained a source of inspiration for many of us
for her selfless dedication to the advancement of the noble vision of fighting
for a free South Africa.

Ellen Khuzwayo was born in Lesotho on 29 June 1914. She graduated from
Lovedale College, Alice, in 1936 at the age of 22. It was her determination to
succeed and commitment to serve her society that led her to returning to school
at the age of 39, to complete a training programme at the Jan Hofmeyr School of
Social Work and subsequently a degree in social work from the University of the
Witwatersrand. She personally experienced the brutal realities of the
oppressive state when a farm she had inherited from her grandparents was
declared a “black spot in a white area” and seized by the apartheid
government.

Ellen Khuzwayo’s career peaked during the darkest years of apartheid, when
those who pursued the vision of a free South Africa were persecuted, jailed and
tortured or brutally shot down by the security police. As the General Secretary
for the Transvaal branch of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA),
Khuzwayo was at the forefront of the struggle for human rights. While holding
this very challenging position, she maintained strong connections with her
community, encouraging women to work together in self-help groups. She was the
only woman in the Committee of 10 that was elected to study the role of members
of the local councils who were co-operating with the apartheid regime after the
1976 Soweto Uprisings. Because of her involvement in these anti-apartheid
activities, Khuzwayo was detained without trial at the Johannesburg Fort. She
was later elected as the President for the Black Consumer’s Union and also
served on the Executive Committee of the Urban Foundation. In 1994 she was
elected a Member of Parliament after the first democratic elections in South
Africa.

The nation has lost one of the outstanding figures of struggle for
liberation. In this time of bereavement, may her family and friends derive
solace from the fact that as tragic as her loss may be, Mme Ellen lived to
witness the fruits of her struggle for freedom, a vision that she cherished
throughout her adult life. She has left her imprint on the character of our
country and earned an honourable place in the history of South Africa alongside
the other great women and men of our land. The challenge that lies ahead of us
is to ensure that her legacy of a free society lives on. As we advance the
agenda of “Women Building a Better South Africa in a Better World” we dip
our banners in her honour.

May her soul rest in peace.

Issued by: Department of Arts and Culture
21 April 2006