Ruth Mompati ‘towering giant’ in freedom struggle: Zuma

President Jacob Zuma on Saturday paid homage to anti-apartheid activist Ruth Mompati who died on May 12 at the age of 89 as a ‘towering giant in the struggle for the freedom and democracy’ that South Africans enjoyed today.

Delivering the eulogy at the ANC stalwart’s funeral in her hometown of Vryburg in North West province‚ Zuma said Mompati was totally dedicated to the struggle for freedom‚ justice‚ equality and the quest for a better life for all especially the poor.

Mompati‚ a former member of parliament‚ ambassador and mayor of Vryburg‚ who died in a Cape Town hospital after a long illness‚ was given a special official funeral service that was attended by several members of Cabinet and other dignatories.

The struggle hero was among those who led a massive women’s march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria in 1956 to protest against apartheid pass laws.

In 1953 she was employed by Mandela and Tambo Attorneys as a short-hand typist. She became a member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC Women’s League and become one of the founder members of the Federation of South African Women the following year.

A former teacher who lost her job because of a ban on married black women being teachers‚ she was also one of the first women to flee the country to join the ANC’s armed wing uMkhonto weSizwe in exile. She underwent her military training in the Soviet Union in 1963.

“In that vein‚ here lies a soldier in the true sense of the word‚ a soldier in the battle against tyranny and a soldier for peace and freedom‚” Zuma told mourners.

He added that after the banning of the ANC‚ Mompati had played a very critical role in the re-establishment of the organisation in the country and also in international mobilisation.

“We recall a significant intervention she made in August 1992‚ in her address to the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid during the special day of International Solidarity with Women in South Africa. She cautioned the international community not to be blinded by the euphoria of the unbanning of organisations and the release of Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners.

“She told the world that the apartheid regime was continuing its reign of terror through state sponsored violence in the townships and that freedom had not yet dawned in South Africa‚” Zuma recalled.

“It was a significant intervention as that was the year of the Boipatong massacre and several other state sponsored violent incidents that were designed to derail our march to freedom and democracy‚” he added.

During the post democratic dispensation‚ she continued playing various roles in the advancement of our agenda of transforming the quality of life‚ he stated.

“Today‚ just two days before Africa Day‚ we celebrate our African identity‚ and our pride at having produced such a selfless‚ committed‚ dedicated and much loved revolutionary and freedom fighter‚ as the African people in the African continent.

We testify without any fear of contradiction‚ that here lies a towering giant in the struggle for the freedom and democracy that we enjoy today‚ which came about through the blood‚ sweat and tears of thousands of our people‚ as well as many freedom loving people within Africa and the world.”

She was totally committed to the vision of creating a truly united‚ non racial‚ non-sexist‚ democratic and prosperous South Africa‚ Zuma added.