As part of celebrating 150 years of Charlotte Mannya Maxeke’s birthday, the ANC in the Northern Cape hosted the Charlotte Maxeke Memorial Lecture to honour the stalwart’s role as a gender and freedom fighter.
The lecture was held on 7 April at the AME St Mary’s church in Galeshewe.
Maxeke was known as a religious and political activist who was opposed to oppression, patriarchy and poverty. The ruling party also declared this year as, “The Year of Unity, Renewal and Reconstruction in the Year of Charlotte Maxeke.” The event was attended by the church fraternity, community members and the ANC women’s league.
ANC national executive member, Lindiwe Zulu, said promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment is central to the government’s efforts to combat poverty and stimulate sustainable development.
Zulu applauded the government’s efforts to create access for girls to obtain education by allotting bursaries and training programs for young women and providing funding for women entrepreneurs.
She highlighted that more still needs to be done regarding tackling patriarchy and women empowerment, despite the government’s gains.
Zulu reminded South Africans that Maxeke sacrificed her life to liberate the country and empower women during the apartheid era.
“Women need to empower one another. We should look out for our neighbours because that is what Umama Maxeke stood for. When you see another woman suffering, you must stand up and help,” said Zulu.
She also commended the lawmakers for introducing legislation that makes it possible for women to be involved in the economy’s growth and political participation without any fear.
Comments are closed.