Rita Alice Ndzanga (, 17 October 1933 – 17 August 2022) was a South African anti-

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

activist and trade unionist.

Biography

Ndzanga was born on 17 October 1933 in Mogopa village, near

Ventersdorp Ventersdorp is a town of 4,200 in Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality, North West Province, South Africa. It was the seat of the defunct Ventersdorp Local Municipality until 2016. Ventersdorp is centrally located, making it easier to access m ...

. Her family moved back and forth between

Sophiatown Sophiatown , also known as Sof'town or Kofifi, is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Sophiatown was a black cultural hub that was destroyed under apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "apart ...

and Mogopa during her childhood. Ndzanga did not finish high school, only reaching Form Three (Standard Eight). Her first job was working with the Brick and Tile Workers Union. In 1955, she began working as the secretary for the Railway Workers Union. Ndzanga married Lawrence Ndzanga in 1956. Soon after, she became the secretary of the

South African Congress of Trade Unions The South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU) was a national trade union federation in South Africa. History The federation was established in March 1955, after right wing unions dissolved the South African Trades and Labour Council in 1954 to ...

(SACTU). Ndzanga took part in the

Women's March Women's March may refer to: * Women's March on Versailles, a 1789 march in Paris * Women's Sunday, a 1908 suffragette march in London * Woman Suffrage Procession, a 1913 march and rally in Washington, D.C. * Women's March (South Africa), a 1956 mar ...

in 1956. Ndzanga was banned from working with trade unions in 1964. Both she and her husband were detained under Section 6 of the Terrorism Act on 12 May 1969. She was imprisoned with

Winnie Mandela Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (born Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela; 26 September 1936 – 2 April 2018), also known as Winnie Mandela, was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, and the second wife of Nelson Mandela. She serv ...

, Thoka Mngoma, Martha Dlamini and Joyce Sikhakane. Ndzanga had four small children she had to leave behind. She was also

torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts c ...

d in prison. The police took shifts in order to interrogate her throughout the day.

Walter Sisulu Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu (18 May 1912 – 5 May 2003) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress (ANC). Between terms as ANC Secretary-General (1949–1954) and ANC Deputy President (1991–1994), h ...

was able to send "a letter of encouragement" to Ndzanga while she was in prison. In November 1976, she and her husband were detained again and in December, he was charged again under the Terrorism Act. In January 1977, he was reported to have heart attack while in prison, and Ndzanga, who was also detained, was not allowed to attend his funeral. She was released the day after his funeral. Ndzanga became involved with the

Federation of Transvaal 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 ...

(FEDTRAW) in 1984, where she was considered an "active patron." In 1999, she served as a member of

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

. A film based on Ndzanga's life, ''Rita Ndzanga - South African'', came out in 1984. On 18 June 2004, South Africa awarded Ndzanga with the

Order of Luthuli The Order of Luthuli is a South African honour. It was instituted on 30 November 2003, and is granted by the President (government title), president of South Africa, for contributions to South Africa in the following fields: (i) the struggle for ...

. Ndzanga has remained active. She described her time as a detainee during apartheid on 2011 as part of Governance Week. Ndzanga died on 17 August 2022, at the age of 88.

References

Citations

Bibliography

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External links

Interview with Rita Ndzanga
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ndzanga, Rita 1933 births 2022 deaths South African women trade unionists Anti-apartheid activists South African women activists People from JB Marks Local Municipality Members of the Order of Luthuli

Biography

See also

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links