ANC saddened by death of ‘Mother Theresa of the Vaal’

The African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng on Thursday said it was “deeply saddened” by the death of Theresa Ramashamole‚ “the only woman in South African history to face the death penalty for political reasons”.

Ramashamole‚ affectionately known as the “Mother Theresa of the Vaal”‚ passed on at her home in Sharpeville‚ Sedibeng on Tuesday.

“She was a resilient and gallant warrior in the fight against apartheid‚” a statement said.

“At a tender age of 24 she was arrested during the Vaal 1984 uprising against rent increases.”

In September that year‚ she was‚ “along with five men known then as the Sharpeville Six…charged for the killing of a Lekoa township councillor who was killed by an angry crowd on the first day of the uprising”.

“In December 1985‚ the six were convicted and sentenced to death for their alleged ‘association with the crowd’ that killed the councillor‚ with no direct evidence linking them to the murder.

“During her incarceration she suffered torture and was injured during the trial when her arm was broken inside a police vehicle.”

She sat on death row for six years‚ before being released on December 13‚ 1991 “as part of the amnesty for political prisoners arising from agreement of the talks about talks between the ANC and the apartheid regime”.

The ANC said Ramashamole “passed on after serving the people of Emfuleni in Sedibeng as a councillor for nine years”.

“We send our sincere condolences to Comrade Ramashamole’s family‚ comrades and friends. Their loss is our loss.”