Who is bertha gxowa

Her political activity was limited to reading the material received from the organisation in exile. Katlehong became the biggest branch in the country with some members. During the first democratic election in , Gxowa was elected to Parliament. She served as a member of the Home Affairs and Health parliamentary portfolio committees from to In the same year, Gxowa joined the Ethics Committee of Parliament.

Social ills have always spurred Gxowa to action. Bertha Gxowa is a person who works tirelessly for progress in South Africa. She has never been discouraged by her gender status in the face of patriarchy and racial oppression.

Find Us On And we will strive to inspire future generations of women where they are located. We certainly can only succeed in our mission to the extent to which we build sustainable partnerships and collaboration with other sectors of our society that share in the vision of the Foundation and a passion to honour the legacy of Mam-Bertha.

We are working towards launching the Bertha Gxowa Foundation later this year. But we thought we should introduce the idea of the Foundation to comrades and friends of Mama Bertha through this Memorial Lecture. Beginning in , the day has not lost its relevance more than a century later. Women of the world, continue to strive for equal rights and opportunities, as well as emancipation from other forms of discrimination.

We are certain that the idea of the establishment of the Bertha Gxowa Foundation will be enriched by those of us present here tonight and others across the length and breadth of our country.

We are therefore privileged tonight to introduce to you among us, a group of distinguished South Africans, who have worked with and have been touched by the work of Mam-Bertha. We are humbled that they have dedicated their valuable time and energy to serve in the Board of Trustees of the Berth Gxowa Foundation. These are Hlengiwe Mkhize, Dr. In conclusion and on behalf of the Bertha Gxowa Foundation, the family of Mam-Bertha, and indeed on my own behalf, may I express my gratitude to all those who found time within their busy schedules to grace this memorial lecture with their presence.

In particular, may I take this opportunity to thank all the speakers for tonight and welcome among them Ambassador Thenjiwe Mtintso, who sacrificed her international responsibilities in the service of our people, to honour and share with us her views on the life and times of Mam-Bertha. Full Address: Polity. Liberation heritage as a key element of our programme for radical transformation, modernisation and reindustrialisation of Gauteng province.

More monuments and heritage sites will be unveiled across our province. There are many unsung heroes and heroines we must still honour — Black and White, Coloured and Indian. Mama is smiling in heaven when sees the AME Church in action. I know that Mama is smiling when he sees the work we are doing across Gauteng to win back the confidence of our people by addressing all their core concerns honestly as leaders who listen. Mama must be happy to see us working hard as an activist government.

We are gathered here this morning to honour our stalwart and one of the outstanding leaders of our people. Even during the many years of banning, she refused to be separated from her. She was a symbol of the resilience born by many Black women leaders who found their own unique ways to continue the fight against the evil system of apartheid even under the most difficult conditions.

She taught us many things. How to organise and how to be organised as a leader. How to represent an organisation through presenting yourself as a dignified person. How to respect yourself by respecting others. How to work among the people and win their trust. How to build and support other leaders so that they can replace you and even do better than you. How to serve the people with integrity and humility. How to work in a community to make a difference in the lives of ordinary people, especially among women.

It is for this reason that i call her an institution and school of leadership. Most in that generation are no longer with us but some are here today. We thank them for their nurturing and enduring leadership. We thank them for their resilience and spirit of no surrender.

We were dedicated and believed that what we did was for the future of South Africa. We will work with the foundation to support local development projects that focus on women, girls and training of township entrepreneurs. We carry her baton forward by voting to build on her vision.

Working with labour, business and communities, we will create many new jobs and ensure that all workers can earn a decent living. We will build an economy in which all our people have a meaningful stake and from which they can all benefit.

We will take immediate steps to improve the state of hospitals and clinics and work to achieve universal health coverage by We will further improve the lives of millions of South Africans by working towards comprehensive social security, building houses close to work opportunities, providing affordable basic services and building reliable public transport.

We will strengthen policing to rid our communities of all forms of crime, drugs, gangsterism and violence against women. By opening up the doors of learning to all, by focusing on quality and innovation, we will equip young South Africans for the world of tomorrow.

We will put an end to state capture, restore the integrity of public institutions and tackle corruption, while ensuring that government has the capacity, resources and people to serve citizens effectively.