Newly-elected Chairperson of the African Union Commission and Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will join thousands of women in celebrating National Women’s Day celebrations on Thursday, 9 August, scheduled for the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
The National Women’s Day celebrations organised jointly by the Ministries of Arts and Culture and Women, Children and persons with Disabilities, will be addressed by several government ministers with President Jacob Zuma expected to deliver the keynote address.
The theme of this year’s national women’s day celebrations is: 56 years of women united against poverty, unemployment and inequality and will be preceded by the unveiling of the Women’s memorial site in honour of Lillian Ngoyi and a march to the Union Buildings.
National Women’s Day marks the struggles waged by women against the apartheid system with particular reference to the march to Union Buildings in 1956 by over 20 000 women led by Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Sophie de Bruyn and Amina Cachalia to demand an end to the then repugnant and hated system of pass laws.
The 1956 march to the Union Buildings was an integral part of the overall national democratic struggle to rid South Africa of the scourge of racism, oppression and exploitation and to usher in a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic South Africa in which all, black and white, shall live in peace and harmony.
Issued by:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
