{"id":21625,"date":"2021-08-31T08:19:28","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T06:19:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spu.ac.za\/index.php\/spu-adds-sparkle-copy\/"},"modified":"2021-08-31T12:23:28","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T10:23:28","slug":"we-see-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spu.ac.za\/index.php\/we-see-you\/","title":{"rendered":"We see you! \u2013 a woman\u2019s day tribute to the exceptional ordinary \u201ceveryday\u201d woman of Azania"},"content":{"rendered":"
                   Photo cred: South African History Online<\/a><\/h6>\n
\u201cWe women will never carry these passes. This is something that touches my heart. I appeal to you young Africans to come forward and fight. These passes make the road even narrower for us. We have seen unemployment, lack of accommodation and families broken because of passes. We have seen it with our men. Who will look after our children when we go to jail for a small technical offence – not having a pass\u201d<\/em> \u2013 Dora Tamana<\/strong><\/h6>\n

Azania celebrates Women\u2019s Day on August 9th<\/sup>. On this day in 1956, Black, Coloured, Indian and White women organised a protest against the pass laws that compelled Black people to carry Identity documents with them at all times or else, they would be sent to jail or given greater punishment. The protest was organised by an anti-apartheid group; Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW) led by activists Lillian Ngoyi, Rahima Moosa, Helen Joseph and Sophia Williams.<\/p>\n

The women marched to the Union Buildings in numbers to hand over a petition with over 100 000 voices\/signatures against the introduction of passes for Afrikan women. Government ignored their call so they stood in the Prime Ministers\u2019 office in silence for 30 minutes and then left in prayer and song\u2026\u201cNkosi sikelel\u2019iAfrika<\/em>\u201d, \u201c Wathint\u2019abafazi, wathint\u2019imbokodo.\u201d  The peaceful spirit of the march illustrates one of the downplayed powers that the women in Azania possess. August 9th <\/sup>1956 fell on a Thursday because most of the women who joined the march were domestic workers and it was their off day and today, Thursdays are known as \u201cusuku lomama bomthandazo\/ the day for prayer women\u201d<\/em> in most parts of the country. Women are naturally spiritual, their leadership is both fire and water and it embraces the core principles of Ubuntu that promote harmony in society. Almost 20 000 women of all races in South African led by example \u2013 giving this generation and future generations a powerful image of unity.  <\/p>\n

The history of inequality in South Africa is long and women have always been in the forefront of the liberation struggle. In 1913; Charlotte Maxeke led a protest of Black and Colored women in the Free State who signed a petition to have the pass laws removed and burnt their passes when the Government ignored their call. I want to shine a light on the powerful spirits of ordinary \u201ceveryday\u201d women, even while they have to deal with a \u2018cemented\u2019 patriarchal society and inequalities engrained in African societies due to colonial socio-cultural and economic changes to traditional black households, they continue to serve and lead their communities with wisdom and love.<\/p>\n

Women played a pivotal role in keeping the world together by providing leadership when the men were in exile and turned into political prisoners. Even in the South Africa of today women still play this role. However, they are unemployed or receive lower income\/positions if employed, they struggle to be self-sufficient because economic transformation hasn\u2019t taken place in areas of land ownership and in the boardrooms.<\/p>\n

Women are still divided by class, race, economic and social status and the poor and rural woman is right at the bottom. The health and education systems doesn\u2019t provide adequately for women\u2019s basic health needs (access to sanitary towels\/contraceptives) and education is limited by language, culture and resources; information concerning health matters like child birth, diabetes and cancer is still not easily accessible.<\/p>\n

In an attempt to rebuild the broken history and identity of black and coloured women, this opinion piece focuses the light on the ordinary \u201ceveryday\u201d women who live in an unequal and violent society but carry the spirit of the great Queens and continue the fight against economic and social injustice.<\/p>\n

On this Women\u2019s day and beyond, may the ordinary \u201ceveryday\u201d women know that they are celebrated because they too are Queens!<\/p>\n

Goitsimang Frances Baard \u2013 Kimberley born Activist and Leader,<\/p>\n

Kedisaletse Virginia Mutwa \u2013 the wisdom keeper, wife of the great isanusi Credo Mutwa,<\/p>\n

Zondiwe Veronica Sobukwe- Nurse, protest leader and wife to Robert Sobukwe,<\/p>\n

Meneputo Manunga !Xun San Healer and doll- maker,<\/p>\n

Elizabeth Lilith M\u2019belle \u2013 whose story is unknown, wife to Tshekisho Solomon Plaatje,<\/p>\n

Zenzile Miriam Makeba  – Musician, activist and global cultural ambassador,<\/p>\n

Kedibone Emily Chewu \u2013 Union leader and general worker at Sol Plaatje University,<\/p>\n

Isabella Motadinyane \u2013 Poet, Language activist and Actress from Soweto,  <\/p>\n

Noluthando Mnguni \u2013 who started a cr\u00e8che in Galeshewe,<\/p>\n

Sibongile Christina Nkosi \u2013 grandmother, teacher and june 76\u2019 uprising survivor,<\/p>\n

Baleseng Faith Maeneche \u2013 SPU Student, mother and Gender Activist,<\/p>\n

The list is endless\u2026<\/p>\n

The former Apartheid government\u2019s need to control Black Natives took away from the people their identity, their indigenous knowledge systems, history, languages, culture and basic human rights. The current government suffers from political amnesia because it has forgotten about them. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Written by Ms Siza(nkosi) Mokhele, Lecturer: Creative Writing (School of Humanities)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Edited by Professor Karen Haire and Dr Lorenco Pinto (School of Humanities)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                   Photo cred: South African History Online \u201cWe women will never carry these passes. This is something that touches my heart. I appeal to you young Africans to come forward and fight. 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