ANC stalwart and anti-apartheid activist Gertrude Shope has died at the age of 99. In a statement, the party said Shope died peacefully at her home in Gauteng on Thursday.
PICTURED; Gertrude ShopeThe ANC described Shope as a lifelong revolutionary, leader
of profound discipline, courage and humility.
From 1991 to 1993 Shope served as the president of the ANC
Women’s League, including head of the ANC Women’s Section in exile, and a
member of the ANC national executive committee.
Shope, who was also a trade unionist, was born on 15 August
1925 and lived in exile from 1966 to 1990.
"A lifelong revolutionary, Ma Shope, was a leader of
profound discipline, courage and humility. From her early activism to the dawn
of democracy, she served the struggle with unmatched commitment in the
underground, in exile, and in the democratic Parliament,’’ the ANC said.
"She played a pivotal role in shaping the political
direction of our movement and the emancipation of women in South Africa and
beyond."
Shope, who was also an MP, was mother to former Congress of
the People Secretary General Lyndall Fanisa Shope-Mafole.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to Shope. In a
heartfelt statement, Ramaphosa expressed his profound sorrow, hailing Shope as
an eminent national heroine and mother to our nation.
"During a lifetime of close to a century, Ma Shope
made a monumental contribution to our struggle for a free and inclusive South
Africa, while inspiring generations of women and men to emulate her
commitment," said Ramaphosa.
The president added: “Shope’s legacy spans decades of activism within South Africa and abroad. Her tireless work in the African National Congress, where she served as President of the Women’s League in 1990, and her involvement in international organisations such as the World Federation of Trade Unions and the Federation of South African Women, positioned her as a global advocate for justice.”
In 2003, she was honoured with the Order for Meritorious Service (Silver), which recognised her exceptional contributions to public life before the advent of the current National Orders.
Exiled for nearly 25 years alongside her late husband,
trade unionist and revolutionary Mark Shope, Ma Shope continued her activism
from Botswana, Tanzania, Zambia, and Czechoslovakia.
She is remembered for mobilising women and communities,
amplifying the voices of the oppressed, and drawing international attention to
the apartheid regime’s injustices.
She was also listed as a co-conspirator in the infamous
Rivonia Trial, a testament to her prominent role in the liberation movement
alongside icons such as Oliver Tambo and Joe Slovo.
In democratic South Africa, Shope became an MP in 1994, one
of its first female members, and set a powerful precedent for women in
governance.
President Ramaphosa extended condolences to her
daughters, Lyndall Shope-Mafole and
South African Ambassador to Cuba Thaninga Shope-Linney.
Done By: Shaneca Cupido
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