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- Following the death of anti-apartheid struggle veteran and Speaker of the Inxuba Yethemba Municipality Nyameka Goniwe, President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended his sympathies to her family and friends.
- Ramaphosa detailed the hardships Goniwe endured under apartheid and her role in the Cradock Four.
- "Cradock’s loss is South Africa’s loss, but Nyameka Goniwe will live on in our history," Ramaphosa said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended his sympathies to the family and friends of "heroic" Nyameka Goniwe, Speaker of the Inxuba Yethemba Municipality and anti-apartheid verteran.
Goniwe died, aged 69, at her home in Cradock, Eastern Cape on Saturday.
READ | Death of Cradock Four widow Nyameka Goniwe 'one of the most painful moments in our district' - mayor
A social worker by profession, she was the widow of struggle activist Matthew Goniwe and mother to Nobuzwe and Nyaniso.
In a statement on Monday, Ramaphosa remembered Goniwe for the role she played in the Cradock Four and extended his sympathies to the Goniwe and Puwane families, friends of the struggle veterans, residents of Cradock, and the leadership of the Chris Hani District Municipality, and Inxuba Yethemba local municipality.
In remembering Goniwe, Ramaphosa said her family had experienced sustained harassment by the apartheid security police.
Following this, she lost her husband at the hands of a police hit squad, Ramaphosa said.
Security operatives also targeted Fort Calata, Sicelo Mhlauli, and Sparrow Mkhonto, who with Matthew Goniwe became known as the Cradock Four, Ramaphosa added.
"The passing of Nyameka Goniwe is a great loss to all of us. Her passing during Women’s Month draws our attention and respect once more to the leadership capability and bravery of women in our society.
"While Nyameka Goniwe suffered harassment under apartheid and was brutally deprived of her life partner, she was unbowed by the inhumane excesses of apartheid," Ramaphosa said.
"She waged her struggle in her own right and, true to her values and those of Matthew Goniwe, she devoted her contribution to a democratic South Africa to the betterment of the lives of the communities in which she lived".
He added that Goniwe put people first during her time in local government.
"She played various leadership roles in local government in the service of her community and exemplified ethical leadership that put people first.
"Cradock’s loss is South Africa’s loss but Nyameka Goniwe will live on in our history and in her enduring legacy of struggle, service and the inspiration and upliftment of communities."
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