Friday Feature
Dorothy Nyembe
Dorothy Nomzansi Nyembe was born on 31 December 1931 near Dundee in northern Kwa- Zulu Natal in South Africa. She attended mission school until the age of 15 when she gave birth to her only child.
In 1952, Nyembe
joined the African National Congress (ANC), during this time she made a living
as a street vendor. She participated in
the Defiance Campaign, a non-violent campaign against apartheid laws, in Durban
and was arrested twice for her involvement. In 1954, Nyembe played a part in
the formation of the ANC Women’s League in Cato Manor, Durban. She became
Chairperson of the “Two Sticks” Branch Committee in Cato Manor. In 1956, Nyembe
was one of the leaders against the forced removals from Cato Manor; she was
also one of the leaders of the boycotts of the government controlled beer
halls. The beer halls took away the income that women generated from brewing
traditional beer. In large demonstrations, women armed with sticks marched into
the beer-halls, attacking men who were drinking, and wrecking the facilities,
despite the presence of police. One vivid account recalls that the women “were
very powerful. Some came half dressed (in traditional dress) with their breasts
exposed, and when they got near this place the police tried to block the women.
When they saw this, the women turned and pulled up their skirts. The police
closed their eyes and the women passed by and went in.” In the same year,
Nyembe was elected as Vice- President of the Durban branch of the ANC Women’s League;
she also became a prominent member of the Federation of South African Women.
On 09 August 1956,
Nyembe led the Kwa-Zulu Natal body of women to the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
The march to the Union Buildings was to
present the Prime Minister with a petition and to protest against pass laws
that discriminated black people. In the same year, Nyembe was arrested and
charged with high treason, however, a year later, the charges against her were
withdrawn.
In 1959, Nyembe was
elected President of the ANC Women’s League in Kwa-Zulu Natal. In the same
year, she participated in the potato boycott, a protest against the use and treatment
of prison labourers on potato farms in the Transvaal, now northern region of
South Africa.
When the ANC was
banned in 1960, Nyembe was recruited by Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), during this
time, she worked closely with Chief Albert Luthuli, Moses Mabhida, Nelson
Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo. A year later, she
became President of the Natal Rural Areas Committee where Nyembe participated
in the organisation of anti-government demonstrations by rural women- the
campaign became known as the Natal Women’s Revolt. In 1963, she was arrested
and charged with furthering the aims of the banned ANC and she was sentenced to
three years imprisonment. She was released in 1966; but she was banned for five
years, this restricted her movement to Durban. Nyembe, nonetheless, continued
with her underground activities, which ultimately lead to her detainment in
1968. She was charged on five counts under the Suppression of Communism Act. In
1969, Nyembe was found guilty of harbouring MK members and was sentenced to
fifteen years imprisonment. These years in prison were spent in prisons for
women at Barberton in the eastern Transvaal, and then at Kroonstad in the
Orange Free State, far from her family. Her prison work involved washing the
clothes of male convicts.
On 23 March 1984,
Nyembe was released and soon after she became active in the Natal Organisation
of Women (NOW), a community organisation fighting against rent increases,
transport costs, poor education and lack of child care facilities. When
apartheid ended and South Africa became a democracy, Nyembe was elected as a
member of the National Assembly in Parliament.
On 17 December 1998,
Nyembe passed on; this was said of her, "She will rest in peace for she
died a day after our heroes whose remains lie strewn along the sacred Ncome
River were finally recognised and honoured. She will rest in peace for she
knows that the struggle continues and must continue for her colleagues.”
For her strength and
sacrifice, Nyembe was awarded the Soviet Union’s greatest awards, the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) People’s Friendship Award. In 1992 she was
awarded the Chief Albert Luthuli prize for her commitment and dedication to the
liberation struggle. Various public spaces; for instance, a park, streets are named
after Nyembe in her honour.
Sources:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-dorothy-nyembe-1047062.html
http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/dorothy-nomzansi-nyembe
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