N Botha: Unveiling of commemorative plaque in honour of Mrs Charlotte
Makgomo Maxeke (Née Manye)

14 September

Programme Director, Ms Manyakanyaka-Manzini,
Mfundisi,
Dr Manye and the entire Maxeke and Manye families,
Chairperson of SARHA, Dr Ndlovu,
The CEO of SAHRA, Mr Buthelezi,
Colleagues,
Stalwarts of our movement,
Representatives of the ANCWL,
Esteemed members of our communities,
Comrades and friends:

It is with a deep sense of humility and appreciation that I accepted the
invitation from South African Heritage Resource Agency (SAHRA) to come here
today to participate in this special ceremony in honour of our beloved mother,
Mme Charlotte Maxeke. Today I am at a loss for words. It is, indeed, a
memorable day but also for some of us it is a very emotional day and I would
like to thank SAHRA as well as the Manye and Maxeke families for affording us
this privilege.

In the articles I have read about this remarkable woman, she is described as
a woman of extraordinary intellect whose every action was "expressive of her
diligence, determination, courage, dedication to the highest ideals and
principles".

What I read into her story is that she was humble and selfless with a deep
love for the people of her country. She was a profound person in every sense
and it is with great respect and pride that we today honour her in a manner
that befits her stature. She is indeed one of the greatest leaders of our
people our country has ever produced.

Ma Charlotte Maxeke died in 1939 but her legacy continues to inspire
generation after generation. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the march
of over 20 000 women to the Union Building in Pretoria who were protesting
against the extension of the pass laws to women. These women ma Lillian Ngoyi,
ma Bertha Gxowa, ma Sophie de Bruyn and all those who were there in 1956 were
inspired by this great woman Charlotte Maxeke.

A few years ago in paying tribute to mme Charlotte Maxeke, someone wrote,
"Dr Charlotte Manye Maxeke was a person that I would have loved to have known."
I am convinced that all of us feel this way too. She was exemplary. There is so
much that we can learn from her and so much we could achieve by following in
her footsteps, a humble and selfless woman, passionate about what she believed
in and dedicated to the true liberation of her people.

It is reported that Dr Xuma described her as "the mother of African
freedom". Freedom in any form starts with knowledge. Knowledge is about
information and understanding and this is what ma Charlotte brought back to us
after she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in the United States of
America. She returned with the desire and enthusiasm to impart the knowledge
she had acquired to her own people. She and her husband founded the Wilberforce
College in Evaton.

What a talented and hard-working woman she was. She was involved in so many
activities. She was a wife, a mother, a singer, a teacher, a linguist, a trade
unionist, a public service official, a church leader, a political activist, a
leader of the African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL), a fiery
proponent of human rights and dignity.

How did she manage to be involved in all these activities and yet be so
successful? Because "she was preordained for achievement and excellence" one
writer said about her. No I disagree with that statement. I believe that she
was truly committed to what she believed in. She was focused and determined to
free her people from the intellectual, economic, social and cultural oppression
and to restore their dignity, identity and self-worth and promote a sense of
ubuntu.

What is even also remarkable about ma Charlotte's life is that she was
supported by her husband, Dr Marshall Maxeke, throughout her career and in all
she was involved in. What can we learn from this icon of our revolution?

This year, marking the 50th anniversary of the women's march, we consciously
chose the theme, "Age of Hope – through struggle to freedom". We thought that
it would be an opportunity for us to reflect on the lessons we have learnt from
our predecessors those who were the pioneers of our road to freedom like mama
Charlotte Maxeke.

What legacy are we going to leave for our children and future generations?
Shouldn't we all be cutting a pattern ("sisike ipatroni" as my own mother would
say) from the life of this great woman?

Today I will not direct these questions only to women. I believe that all of
us, women and men, owe it to mama Charlotte to commit ourselves once again to
the service of our people. Our struggle for the total liberation of our people
is not over yet. And as we pay tribute to her today, let us do some
soul-searching. Are we prepared to continue the work she started without all
the faith, determination and vigour?

May the spirit of mama Maxeke be with us always.

I thank you!

Issued by: Department of Arts and Culture
14 September 2006
Source: Department of Arts and Culture (http://www.dac.gov.za)