Programme director
Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Johnny Molefe
Special Advisor to the Minister of Basic Education, Comrade Panyaza Lesufi
Director of Student Life and Governance, Mr Tshepo Makitla
Director of Health and Wellness, Ms Tebogo Makgabo
Student leadership and students of Tshwane University of Technology
Comrades and friends
Ladies and gentlemen
Good evening.
I am delighted at the chance to speak at this important gathering. From the outset, I would like to acknowledge and congratulate the student leadership movement for the important work you do in the local communities. What makes this gathering more gratifying is that it is driven by young men and women of our country who have chosen to put their education to good use, to improve the living conditions of those less privileged than themselves.
Honourable vice chancellor, you will agree with me that these are commendable actions by our youth leadership as we celebrate the 33rd anniversary of June 16.
It is therefore encouraging to note that young women are following in the footsteps of the gallant heroines of our struggle for freedom. As most of you will know, August has been declared Women’s Month in celebration of the historic women’s march of 1956. A look at our past and present history reveals that women in their individual capacity, and as a collective, have played and continue to play a decisive role in shaping our country.
This year marks the 53rd anniversary of the commemoration of women’s march, the day when at the height of apartheid, more than 20 000 South African women from all walks of life, converged on the forbidden grounds of the Union Buildings. Urged on by the chants of the freedom songs, they defiantly sang:
Wathint` abafazi, Strijdom! Wathint` imbokodo uzo kufa!
Now you have touched the women, Strijdom! You have struck a rock. You have dislodged a boulder! You will be crushed!
These revolutionary women came from all corners of South Africa with different cultures and languages, but united by one common goal: to end the oppressive pass laws that treated them as inferior and second class citizen in their own country of birth.
During this month we commemorate the historic struggles and sacrifices of South African women, black and white, who proudly stood shoulder to shoulder against the twin evils of racism and sexism. This commemoration evokes memories and names of great women leaders of our time. I refer here to the heroines of our struggle such as Ray Alexander, Ida Mtwana, Helen Joseph, Ellen Khuzwayo, Charlotte Maxeke, Dora Tamana, Lillian Ngoyi, Rahima Moosa, Florence Matomela, Victoria Mxenge and many others who declared that freedom cannot be won for as long as women live under the cloak of darkness and kept in bondage.
They handed their petition to the then Prime Minister J Strijdom, which read, and I quote: “In the name of women of South Africa, we say to you, each one of us, African, European, Indian, Coloured, that we are opposed to the pass system. We voters and without a vote, call upon your government not to issue passes to African women. We shall not rest until ALL pass laws and all forms of permits restricting our freedom have been abolished. We shall not rest until we have won for our children their fundamental rights of freedom, justice, and security”
Their bravery changed the political landscape and catapulted the country into a long and torturous, yet inevitable path to freedom. Today, 53 years later and 15 years since the dawn of democracy in South Africa, we are gathered here to affirm the wisdom and prophecy of these revolutionary women. We are assembled here today to pay tribute and salute all our unsung heroines who led by example and left us a legacy of the true meaning of courage, sacrifice and determination in pursuit of the noble goal of equality, freedom and justice for all.
It is therefore appropriate that we reflect on the progress we have made as a collective in advancing the agenda for the full emancipation of women.
Perhaps it is also appropriate to ask the inevitable question as to whether the generation of women leaders today can emulate the heroic actions of women of 1956 whose actions did not only defy apartheid, but patriarchy as well?
I can confidently answer this question in the positive when I look at the presence of so many young women in this conference hall. Their presence and their numbers underline the significant achievements of our country has made since that historic march and since the dawn of democracy in 1994.
It was in recognition of the central role women have played in the struggle for freedom that in 1995 the democratic government declared 9 August South Africa’s Women’s Day. It was done as a tribute, not only to the thousands of women who marched on that day in 1956, but also as a tribute to the pioneers of the women’s movement in this country, dating back to 1912, when the late comrade Charlotte Maxeke led the way in establishing the ANC Women’s League and encouraging women to get engaged in the struggle for freedom.
Recognising the central role women have played in the struggle for freedom and the role they can play in the building of a democratic South Africa, the ANC led government appointed women in leadership positions in all spheres of government. Today, when we cast our eyes around our country, we can note with great pride, the number of women in leadership positions in all sectors of society. This progress combined with more recent achievements in our political governance where now, a third of parliamentarians are women with close to 50 percent of women being Cabinet Ministers, is indicative of our agenda to foster gender equity and equality.
Today women have access to social grants, to housing, education, health care and free basic services among others. More than ever before, women enjoy rights and privileges in accordance with our Constitution and the Freedom Charter.
Our government has also made a conscious decision to integrate women's emancipation, empowerment, equality and poverty eradication in such initiatives as the Expanded Public Works programme, the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (ASGISA), rural development and our anti-poverty programmes as a whole. We must acknowledge the fact that our country has become a land of opportunity for both sexes today, owing to the frontline role played by women during the liberation struggle.
Despite its short life, democratic South Africa has achieved significant milestones towards improving the status of women in all aspects of society: in government, in business and community structures. This is in keeping up with the provisions of our Constitution which enshrines the rights of all people in our country to dignity, equality before the law and non-discrimination. However, the progress we have made so far should not induce in us a feeling of complacency.
Despite these positive developments, we recall the fact that the struggle for the full emancipation of women in our country and across the globe is not over yet. My recent visits and interactions with communities in and around the country was a potent reminder of the stark reality that we still need to do more. As we all know, the greatest enemies of our democratic South Africa in relation to the emancipation of women continue to be underdevelopment with its manifestations of poverty, the impact of the HIV and AIDS pandemic and the scourge of violent crimes against women and children.
The scale of violence and abuse against women and children in our country is unacceptably high. Women constitute the majority of people living with HIV and AIDS. This demands that we fully acknowledge the fact that this form of oppression, which the women of 1956 fought so hard to eradicate, is a human cancer which affects all sectors and all levels of our society. We cannot fight violence against women, which is unfortunately still a major problem in our country and throughout the world, without women’s empowerment. This affirms our assertion: nothing about women without women.
Let me now turn my attention to the purpose of our gathering here today. I am happy that we have gathered as we have done, here at Tshwane University Technology (TUT) to pay tribute to young women. Like the generation 1956, South African women have risen to the challenge of giving the world a more human face and building a caring society. I find the timely theme of this seminar: ‘Young Women creating their own Legacy’ more appropriate in that it captures the essence of our work as government. It is also refreshing to see young women actively participating in community development initiatives. It is encouraging to note that as students you have not forgotten the suffering of her fellow Africans who are less privileged than you.
It was thus heartening for me to learn about the work of ‘Nhwana wo Hiteka’ (Tsonga concept meaning progressive young woman), an initiative by the Student Life and Governance Department of Tshwane University Technology to empower female students in this institution. While the primary objective of this initiative is to empower women, it also assists in bridging the gap between classroom learning and realities on the ground.
As the Minister responsible for Social Development, I would like to applaud you for this innovative development project. I have no doubt that this project will complement government initiatives in the areas of poverty eradication, women empowerment and community development. I wish that this project can be rolled out to other institutions throughout the country so it can benefit our rural communities.
Ladies and gentlemen
Many women in our country have, rightly, staked their claim in democratic South Africa by grasping at opportunities created by the democratic space. More importantly, there continues to be a significant increase in the intake of women into the formal sectors of our economy and into leadership positions, particularly in the public sector where gender representation has improved significantly.
I would like to assure all young women gathered here today that our government will spare no effort in ensuring your talents are positively engaged in the process of national development. We expect you to follow in the footsteps of the gallant women of 1956 and become agents of change, this time in the continuing struggle to achieve the goal of a better life for all our people and lay a firm foundation for future generations.
I also want to encourage you to make use of many opportunities that are now available as a result of our freedom and democracy to empower yourselves and your communities. We have absolute confidence in women's abilities to be both good and efficient leaders of our society. The task of empowering young women to take up leadership role in all sectors of society demands that we work together in tandem to build a society that the women of 1956 fought for. It is our collective responsibility as women leaders to ensure that the young women are guided along the way.
While we all agree that many women are still to be liberated from poverty, we must acknowledge the many giant steps that our country has taken in putting women in the forefront of society. There are clear indications that this trend is continuing, although the challenge still lies with women themselves to assert themselves even more vigorously in private and public platforms.
Programme director
It is appropriate that we gathered here today to celebrate the contribution of the current generation of women leaders through Nhwana wo Hiteka project because it seeks to advance the same principles that the generation of 1956 firmly stood for. I need not remind you that posterity will judge us harshly if we betray these principles. The question we need to ask ourselves as both men and women in positions of leadership is: what legacy are we going to leave for our future generations?
As women leaders, we must draw on the legacy and heritage left behind by Charlotte Maxeke, Francis Baard and many others to infuse thinking about our present and our future. Thanks to the sacrifice, the revolutionary foresight and leadership of women of 1956, our generation can exercise their democratic rights to vote and freely go wherever we like without any restrictions.
Let us take from this wonderful project Nhwana wo Hiteka something we can also use in our own circumstances. We have to use our education towards the improving of society and uplift our fellow South Africans from the poverty trap. Your vision of empowering young women leaders and contributing to local community development deserves the highest accolade it could get. Continue with the good work and hope you increase the number of women in this project and the number of communities that your organisation reaches out to.
In conclusion, let me quote the words of Oliver Tambo in his message to the ANC Women’s League conference when he said: “If we are to engage our full potential in pursuit of revolutionary goals, then, as revolutionaries, we should stop pretending that women in our movement have the same opportunities as men”.
I firmly believe that when women are empowered with skills, information, expertise and the capacity to make choices that impact positively on their lives and those of their families and communities, we will have vibrant, healthy, safe, secure and inclusive communities. We have come this far working together and united in action; we can do more to restore our dignity and create beacons of hope for our children and many generations to come.
Igama lamakhosikazi malibongwe!
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Social Development
24 August 2009
Source: Department of Social Development (http://www.dsd.gov.za/)
