A researcher at North-West University (NWU) wants to learn more about the women who shaped our area.

Veronica Zivava, who is currently pursuing a PhD in History at NWU, is undertaking a study on women’s legacy and in the Far West Rand mining communities from 1924-2024.

“As a rising scholar in historical studies, who is deeply invested in uncovering the silenced narratives of women in the Far West Rand mining areas, I am excited to start with my fieldwork research under the supervision of Prof Elize van Eeden, who did the history of the Carletonville and the broader Gatsrand region years ago,” says Veronica.

The main thrust of her fieldwork, which will take place through informal oral interview engagement, available written memory, and tangible evidence, is to capture the legacy of women, particularly in the Far West Rand mining region. Apart from this fieldwork, she will also do archival research and utilise existing published sources that cover part of the region’s heritage.

“I wish to unearth the history regarding the pivotal roles that women have played in the FWR society as initiators and innovators of change, as caregivers, labourers, activists of any kind, and cultural stewards (etc.). Unfortunately, the study will have to exclude women under the age of 18 and those with notable vulnerabilities. Yet I warmly invite women who are past and present residents of Carletonville, Welverdiend, Khutsong, Westonaria, Bekkersdal, Fochville, and others in surrounding mining towns to kindly please come forward and to share their lived experiences with me for the sake of preserving the heritage of women in the FWR community in many forms in the future,” she says.

If you or someone you know has a story to tell about life as a woman in the Far West Rand over the past century, please contact Veronica on 0725833037 or [email protected]

Together, let us ensure that the voices of women are recorded, remembered, and honoured for generations to come.