ANC stalwart Ruth Mompati passes away at the age of 89

Mbasa Gqokoma
12 May 2015

The African National Congress has expressed its sadness of the passing of stalwart and former MP, ambassador and Mayor Ruth Mompati.

She died this morning following a long illness. The ANC in a statement said her unwavering determination to serve her people and her commitment to the prosperity of our nation will be sorely missed.

ANC’s Keith Khoza says the person who has worked her entire life at the service of our people who had showed leadership qualities and played different leadership roles and founded organisations like FEDSAW who had been in the national executive committee of the ANC and also who had been quite vocal and articulate on issues of gender equality and emancipation of our people.

We believe that the legacy she has left us will make us to continue with the fight of ensuring that we take South Africa to where she would have wanted it to be, a total liberation of our people, Khoza added.

Meanwhile the Democratic Alliance has sent its condolences to the family. 

Ruth Mompati played an immense role in our freedom and was also among the organisers of the historic women’s anti-pass law march to the Union Buildings on August 9^th 1956, alongside Helen Joseph, Lillian Ngoyi and Gertrude Shope.

DA National Spokesperson Marius Redelinghuys says we note and thank her very much for her contribution to the struggle against apartheid and also to building a democratic post-apartheid South Africa.

We wish for her family, friends, those who cared for her strength in this difficult time and we hope and trust her soul will rest in peace, Redelinghuys added.