19 September 2006
North West Premier Edna Molewa will unveil a monument in honour of the
heroic courage of rural women as part of the Heritage Day celebrations in the
North West. The event will take place in Dinokana, near Zeerust.
"While most of the historic events that led to the liberation of South
Africa have been recognised and celebrated, the contribution made by the rural
masses of our population, particularly women, still need to be acknowledged and
celebrated. One such event is the role rural women played in the fight against
the pass laws", said North West Premier, Edna Molewa.
One of the historic rural women uprising against pass laws took place in
Lehurutshe near Zeerust. In 1957, in Gopane, only eight women out of the
population of 4 000 purchased passbooks from the passbook mobile unit.
Similarly, in Dinokana, only 76 out of a population of 4 000 women purchased
the passbooks. In Lekgopung, women instructed the Chief to be absent when the
mobile pass unit comes to their village and he complied. In Motswedi, the unit
had to come three times without issuing a single passbook despite the Chief's
instructions for women to co-operate.
As the crisis deepened, women's protest against pass laws became vocal with
groundswell support which led to women in Gopane organising a march against the
pass laws. The aim of the march by women was to join other women marchers from
all over the country at the Union Building to protest against the extension to
pass laws to women. Unfortunately, these women did not reach their destination
because they were intercepted by the apartheid regime and brutally assaulted.
Some of them paid the ultimate price. These rural uprisings took place under
the leadership of Dikgosi who were brave enough to stand the hardship of the
apartheid regime.
The event will take place at Dinokana Stadium from 09h00. Premier Edna
Molewa will deliver the keynote address. Mzwakhe Mbuli and Mafikizolo will
provide live entertainment.
Enquiries:
Cornelius Tanana Monama
Spokesperson
Tel: (018) 387 3456
Cell: 082 578 4063
Issued by: Office of the Premier, North West Provincial Government
19 September 2006
