Annie Silinga (1910-1984) was a

South African __NOTOC__ South African may relate to: * The nation of South Africa * South African Airways * South African English * South African people * Languages of South Africa * Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the Afric ...

anti-pass laws and anti-apartheid political activist. She is known for her role as the

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

African National Congress Women's League The African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) is an auxiliary women's political organization of the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa. This organization has its precedent in the Bantu Women's League, and it oscillated from b ...

President, a leader in the 1956 anti-pass Women's March to the Union Buildings in

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

and the only African woman in the 1956 treason trial in South Africa.

Personal life

Annie Silinga was born in 1910 at Nqqamakwe in the Butterworth district of the

Transkei Transkei (, meaning ''the area beyond he riverKei''), officially the Republic of Transkei ( xh, iRiphabliki yeTranskei), was an unrecognised state in the southeastern region of South Africa from 1976 to 1994. It was, along with Ciskei, a Ban ...

, now known as the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

, where she only completed a few years of primary school. Silinga grew up in

during a time of prosperity, when the land allowed farming and cattle could graze freely. However, over population led to soil erosion and overgrazing causing poverty in the area. By 1937, conditions had deteriorated to the point where Silinga was desperate to move. Her "babies," she said, "had been dying in the Transkei." In 1937, when she was 27, Silinga moved to Cape Town where her husband Matthew had just gained employment, hoping for better medical facilities. In

, for the first time, Silinga, her husband and their five children could live together as a family. At his previous job in the mines of

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

, accommodation was not provided for the families of the mineworkers and regulations forbade women from staying there for extended periods. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Silinga and her husband moved to Langa township. Although Silinga was arrested numerous times, she and her family remained in Langa where she died in 1984.

Political work

After moving to Langa, after

, Silinga began attending meetings at which measures to improve conditions for the community were discussed. In 1948, aged 38, she joined the Langa Vigilance Association (LVA). LVA sought to fight for the improvement of living conditions in Langa and protect the residents from apartheid laws. In 1952, she joined the

ANC The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election installe ...

, she joined the

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a Social democracy, social-democratic political party in Republic of South Africa, South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when ...

(ANC). Soon after joining the ANC, she took part in the anti-pass laws in the movement's 1952 Defiance Campaign where she was arrested and served a brief jail term for civil disobedience. She served the jail sentence with her six month old baby. In 1953, Silinga, then a member of the

ANC Women's League The African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) is an auxiliary women's political organization of the African National Congress, African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa. This organization has its precedent in the Bantu Women's League ...

(ANCWL), was part of the core group that organised the first meeting of the

Federation of South African Women The Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW) was a political lobby group formed in 1954. At FEDSAW's inaugural conference, a Women's Charter was adopted. Its founding was spear-headed by Lillian Ngoyi. Introduction The Federation of South Afric ...

(FSAW), to harness the outrage of women against the pass law issue. The group was led by Ray Alexander, communist and trade unionist, and included Gladys Smith of the Cape Housewives' League, Katie White of the Women's Food Committee, and Dora Tamanda of the ANCWL and the Communist Party of South Africa. At the first conference, held in Johannesburg in April 1954, Silinga was elected as part of the FEDSAW National Executive Committee It was also at this meeting that the Women’s Charter was written by women from different races. In 1954, during a FEDSAW meeting at the

Parade, Silinga declared: “I will never carry a pass, I will only carry one similar to Mrs (Susan) Strijdom’s. She is a woman and I am too. There is no difference.” After breaking the pass law and a few unsuccessful appeals, she was banished to Transkei in 1956. She returned illegally to be with her children and husband in Langa. In 1957, Silinga appealed her case successfully on the grounds that more than 15 years’ residence in Cape Town entitled her to remain there. On 9 August 1956, Silinga led 20 000 women organised by FEDSAW who marched to the prime minister's office in

to protest the issuing of passes. Silinga was arrested alongside other FEDSAW leaders

Lilian Ngoyi Lilian Masediba Matabane Ngoyi, "Mma Ngoyi", (25 September 1911 – 13 March 1980) was a South African anti-apartheid activist. She was the first woman elected to the executive committee of the African National Congress, and helped launch ...

and

Helen Joseph Helen Beatrice Joseph (''née'' Fennell) (8 April 1905 – 25 December 1992) was a South African anti-apartheid activist. Born in Sussex, England, Helen graduated with a degree in English from the University of London in 1927 and then departed ...

, as well as ANC leaders

Oliver Tambo Oliver Reginald Kaizana Tambo (27 October 191724 April 1993) was a South African anti-apartheid politician and revolutionary who served as President of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1967 to 1991. Biography Higher education Oliv ...

and

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

. The apartheid government charged Silinga and other activists with treason. The initial phase of the Treason Trial lasted until December 1957, when the state dropped charges against 61 of the defendants. Silinga was one of those released. In 1958, Silinga was elected as the president of the

ANCWL in 1958. In 1960 anti-pass law riots happened in Langa and

Sharpeville Sharpeville (also spelled Sharpville) is a township situated between two large industrial cities, Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging, in southern Gauteng, South Africa. Sharpeville is one of the oldest of six townships in the Vaal Triangle. It was na ...

. The apartheid government declared a state of emergency and Silinga was one of the people arrested. The

was banned as a political organisation in 1960. Upon her return from prison, she was involved in the formation of the Women’s Front, and was made a patron of the United Democratic Front in 1983. Silinga lived in Langa all her life and died without having carried a pass in 1984. Although she was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave, artist Sue Williamson, at the request of Annie Silinga’s family, created a piece to place at her grave in Langa cemetery. It bears Silinga's battle cry: "I will never carry a pass!"

Legacy

Silinga is remembered as one of the leaders in the anti-pass campaign during apartheid

. Besides political work, Silinga is remembered for her selfless character, having started a creche along Winnie Seqwana in Langa Township. A street in Phillipi, Cape Town is named after Annie Silinga.

Referencing

External links

60 Iconic Women — The people behind the 1956 Women's March to Pretoria
{{DEFAULTSORT:Silinga, Annie 1910 births 1984 deaths Members of the African National Congress Anti-apartheid activists South African prisoners and detainees Prisoners and detainees of South Africa Apartheid in South Africa

Personal life

Political work

Legacy

See also

Referencing

External links