The South African Council of Churches (SACC) has described the late founding Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Frene Ginwala as a well recognised internationalist.
The SACC says Ginwala’s leadership has been recorded in the history books of the country.
SACC Secretary General, Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana says her dedication and service set a high bar for excellence.
Mpumlwana says this would allow her legacy to live on in those who will occupying the seat of National Assembly Speaker in future.
Mpumlwana and the SACC joined many in paying tribute to Ginwala and extending condolences to her family.
“The departure of Dr Ginwala, to whom the Order of Luthuli was bestowed, is like the cutting down of a huge baobab tree. She was a true champion of the ideals of a non-sexist and non-racial South Africa, ideals that are in danger in the current social reality of our country. She is a well known and well-recognised internationalist. And she will be remembered by many for the decade of her service to Parliament, where she made a positive contribution to the development of a new culture within the legislative and political environment of South Africa, Considering what was there before, she was the pioneer. Gone is one of the special crop and vintages of this country’s daughters out of the top drawer. May her soul rest in eternal peace.”
Dr Frene Ginwala’s role in advocating for women leadership: Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi:
Excellent contribution
President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier described Ginwala as a a formidable patriot and leader of our nation.
The Presidency in a statement says, “On behalf of the nation and of the legislative, executive and judicial components of the State, the President offers his sincere condolences to Dr Ginwala’s family, her nephews Cyrus, Sohrab and Zavareh,and their families.”
“The President extends his condolences to Dr. Ginwala’s friends, colleagues and associates in South Africa and beyond.”
President Ramaphosa further adds, “Today we mourn the passing of a formidable patriot and leader of our nation, and an internationalist to whom justice and democracy around the globe remained an impassioned objective to her last days.”
“Among the many roles she adopted in the course of a life she led to the full, we are duty-bound to recall her establishment of our democratic Parliament which exercised the task of undoing decades-old apartheid legislation and fashioning the legislative foundations of the free and democratic South Africa.”
A look at Ginwala’s political life post-1994:
