#MaSisulu100

https://www.gov.za/masisulu100

EARLY LIFE AND POLITICAL ACTIVISM• MamaAlbertinaNontsikeleloSisuluwasanurse,politicalandcommunityactivist,andalsooneof

thehigh-profileleadersofanti-apartheidresistanceinSouthAfrica.• Shewasbornon21October1918intotheThethiwefamilyinXolobevillageintheTsomodistrict

oftheTranskei,intheEasternCape.• In1926shebeganprimaryschoolinXolobevillagewhereshewasamodelstudent.Hercommitment

earnedherabursarytocompleteherhigh-schooleducationattheprestigiousMariazellCollegeinMatatiele.

• In1944sheattendedtheANCYouthLeagueConference,theonlywomantodoso.• In1948shejoinedtheAfricanNationalCongressWomen’sLeague(ANCWL)andinthe1950s

shebegantoassumealeadershiprole–bothintheANCandintheFederationofSouthAfricanWomen(FEDSAW).

• BothMamaSisuluandherhusband,WalterSisulu,were jailed several times for their politicalactivities,andshewasconstantlyharassedbythenotoriousSecurityPolice.

• She became the first woman to be arrested under the General LawsAmendmentAct, whichallowedapoliceofficer todetainwithoutwarrantapersonsuspectedofapoliticallymotivatedcrimeforupto90dayswithoutaccesstoalawyer.

• In1958MamaSisuluwasamongthehundredsofwomenwhowerearrestedinJohannesburgformarchinginprotestagainstnewpasslaws.

• In1963shewasagainarrestedafewmonthsafterherhusbandwentunderground.• In1983shewasarrestedanddetained insolitaryconfinement.She

waschargedwith furthering theaimsof theANCat thefuneralofANCactivistRoseMbele,andshewassubsequentlysentencedtofouryearsinprison.

• Twoweeksaftertheir1979weddinganniversary,thesecuritypolicearrivedtoserveMamaSisuluwithanotherbanningorder;thistimeitwasatwo-yearban.

• FortunatelyinJuly1981,muchtohersurprise,MamaSisulu’sbanningorderwasnotrenewed.• Shehadbeenbannedfor18years,thelongestanypersoninSouthAfricahadbeenbanned.

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS• Withherbanningorderfinallylifted,MamaSisulucouldfinallyactivelyandopenlysetaboutwork

onrebuildingwomen’sorganisations.• Duringthisperiodshewasalsoinundatedwithrequeststospeakatmeetingsandrallies.• SheworkedcloselywithveteranactivistslikeGretaNcapayi,JuneMlangeniandSisterBernard

Ncube.• In1981shewasinvolvedinacampaignagainstthegovernment’splantoholdelectionsforthe

SouthAfricanIndianCouncil.• During1981MamaSisulualsospokeatmanypublicgatheringscondemningtheapartheidstate’s

policyofdetentionswithouttrial.• On15June1982,shewasservedwithherfifthbanningorder.• HerbanningorderwascutshortduetotheintroductionofthenewInternalSecurityActof1982.• On24February1984,shewassentencedtofouryearsinprison,twoofwhichweresuspended

forfiveyears.• Throughoutthisperiod,shecampaignedforthereleaseofNelsonMandelaandWalterSisuluso

thattherecouldbegenuinedemocraticnegotiations.

PARLIAMENT AND RETIREMENT• Following the unbanning of theANC in 1990, Mama Sisulu worked on a committee that re-

establishedtheANCWL.• On9August1990,sheandotherwomenfromexilesetupthefirstANCWLbranchinDurban.• InApril1991,shewasnominatedtostandforelectionaspresidentoftheANCWLbutshewithdrew

infavourofMamaGertrudeShope.• In1991MamaSisuluwaselectedtoserveontheANC’sNationalExecutiveCommittee.• InApril1994,theSisulufamilyobservedthetransitionofSouthAfricafollowingitsfirstdemocratic

elections.• In1998shecelebratedher80thbirthday,whilestillworkingasaMemberofParliament.• Attheendof1999,sheandherhusbandleftParliamentforthelasttimeandretiredfrompolitics.• MamaSisuluhasbeenbestowedwithvariousawardsandhonours forhercourageous lifelong

struggleforhumanrightsanddignity.

A Woman of Fortitude

ALBERTINA SISULU FACTSHEET

• In1983MamaSisuluwaselectedco-presidentoftheUnitedDemocraticFront(UDF)andinJune1989,thegovernmentfinallygrantedherapassport.

• ShethenledadelegationofUDFleaderstoEuropeandtheUnitedStates.

• ShemettheBritishPrimeMinisterMargaretThatcherandAmericanPresidentGeorgeBushSnr.

• InOctober1989,thelastrestrictionsontheSisulufamilywereliftedandMrSisuluwasreleasedfromRobbenIsland.•

• In1994,MamaSisuluservedinthefirstdemocraticallyelectedParliamentofSouthAfrica.

• MamaSisulu,herhusbandandson,Zwelakhe,havewonnumeroushumanitarianawards.

• On2June2011,shepassedonatherLindenhomeinJohannesburg,aged92.

NURSING• In1940,shetrainedasanurseatthethenJohannesburgGeneralHospital(nowCharlotteMaxeke

JohannesburgAcademicHospital).

• MamaSisululedaveryfrugallifestyleandhardlyleftthenurses’residences.

• In1944shequalifiedasanurseandgotmarriedtoWalterSisulu.

• ItisalsoinJohannesburgthatsheexperiencedracismforthefirsttime.

• MamaSisuluwasshockedatthewayjuniorwhitenurseswouldorderblacknursingsistersaround,asshehadneverbeenexposedtosuchprejudicebefore.

• Sixmonthsintohernurses’training,shewitnessedblatantracismanddiscriminationagainstblackpatientswhowereadmittedtothehospitalafterahorrificaccidentatParkStation,Johannesburg’scentralbusandtrainterminus.

• The‘non-whites’sectionofthehospitalwasswampedwithpatientsandtheseniorblackmedicalstaffappealedtothewhitehospitalauthoritiestoallowblackpatientstobetreatedinthe‘whites-only’wardsbuttheyrefused.

• This incident had a profound effect on Mama Sisulu as she could not believe that medicalpractitionerswouldviolatetheirdutyanddenythebestpossiblecaretopatientsonthebasisoftheirskincolour.

• AnothertragicmemorythatMamaSisuluassociateswiththethenJohannesburgGeneralHospitalisthedeathofhermotherin1941.ThehospitalrefusedtograntherleavetoattendthefuneralinXolobe.

• In 1954, she obtained her midwifery qualification and was employed by the City Health ofJohannesburgasamidwife.

• ThejobwaschallengingasMamaSisulu,liketheotherblackmidwives,hadtotravelonfoottovisitherpatientsintownships.

POLITICAL AWAKENING• TheANC only began accepting women asmembers at its 1943 conference and in 1948 the

ANCWLwasformed.

• MamaSisulujoinedtheANCWLandthiswasthebeginningofherlifeasapoliticalactivist.

• In1949shesupportedherhusband’selectionasthefirstfull-timeSecretary-GeneraloftheANC.

• TheDefianceCampaignof1952catapultedtheANCWLintoaneweraofaction,resultingintheemergenceofanewbreedofwomenleaderswholaterformedtheFEDSAW.

• TheWomen’s Charter was adopted at the inaugural conference, which was attended by 150womenfromalloverSouthAfrica.

• DuringtheearlystagesoftheFEDSAW,MamaSisuluactivelycommittedtopromotingtheidealsofthefederationasanordinarymember.

• Whenvisitingpatientsattheirhomes,shewoulddistributeFEDSAWpamphletsandencouragethewomentojointhefederation.

• In1955,FEDSAWwasactivelyinvolvedintheANC’sboycottofBantuEducationandMamaSisuluprovidedsupportinpreparationfortheboycott.

• MamaSisulu’shomebecameanalternativeschoolasherchildrenhadbeenwithdrawnfromtheirgovernmentschoolsbecauseoftheBantuEducationsystem.

• Theapartheidstaterespondedbymakingitillegaltorunalternativeschoolsanditannouncedthatitwouldshutdownallboycottingschoolspermanently.

• SeveralChristianschoolsdecidedtocontinueasprivateschoolsratherthanbeingplacedunderthecontroloftheDepartmentofBantuEducation,andMamaSisuluandherhusbanddecidedtosendtheirchildrentoaprivateSeventh-DayAdventistSchool,despitetheconsiderablefinancialburdenthiswouldplaceonthem.

BANNING ORDERS AND DETENTION• MamaSisuluwasheldindetentionfollowingtheRivoniaRaidinJuly1963.

• ShebecamethefirstwomantobearrestedundertheGeneralLawsAmendmentAct(for90-daysdetention).

• Duringsolitaryconfinementthesecuritypolicepsychologicallytauntedherwiththeintentofgaininginformationonherhusband’swhereabouts.

• InordertovisitherhusbandatRobbenIsland,MamaSisuluwasforcedtoapplyforapassbookasno-onewasallowedtovisittheislandwithoutone;aprocesswhichwashumiliatingforher.

• MamaSisuluwas servedwith a five year banning order until 31 July 1969,which limited hermovementandactivities.

• Thismeant that forfiveyearsMamaSisuluwasnotallowed to leave themagisterialdistrictofJohannesburg.

• MamaSisulu’sbanningorderpreventedherfromvisitingallcompoundswhereblackpeoplelived.

• Shewasalso prohibited to visit any factory, newspaper ormagazine office, university, school,collegeoreducationalinstitution.

• Shewasnotallowedtobeinvolvedwiththecompilation,printingordistributionofanypublication.

• MamaSisuluwasbannedfromattendingsocial,politicalorstudentgatherings.

• InJuly1969,exactlyfiveyearsafterherfirstbanningorder,theStateinformedMamaSisuluthatherbanningorderhadbeenrenewedforanotherfiveyearsunderpartialhousearrest.

• TherenewedbanningordermadeitalmostimpossibleforhertonetworkwithFEDSAWandtheANCmembersasshewasunderpartialhousearrest.

• Shehadtoapplyforspecialpermitstoattendwork-relatedlecturesoutsideofOrlandofromtheChiefMagistrateofJohannesburg.