Dr Frene Ginwala at Japan’s Annual National Day Celebrations. Photo: Gallo Images/Foto24/Alet Pretorius
Dr Frene Ginwala’s memorial service is held at the Johannesburg City Hall on Tuesday. The National Assembly’s founding speaker passed away earlier this month, at the age of 90.
Ginwala – who was born on 25 April 1932 – served the anti-apartheid struggle in a diversity of roles as a lawyer, academic, political leader, activist and journalist.
Dr Ginwala’s family and friends will pay tribute on Tuesday, and President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the eulogy at the official memorial service.
On Tuesday, Dr Ginwala was remembered by Panyaza Lesufi Cyrus Rustomjee, Barbara Masekela, Mac Maharaj, Pregs Govender, Baleka Mbete and others.
Since the memorial service served as a celebration of her life, those in attendance were invited to sing and dance in remembrance of Dr Ginwala.
Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, said being the first speaker was an honour, but Dr Ginwala was more than that.
She ensured the struggle’s historic records were archived. In addition, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said:
“She was an underground worker of the African National Congress. She was a committed and unwavering champion for women’s emancipation.”
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When she passed, President Ramaphosa extended his condolences to Dr Ginwala’s friends, colleagues and associates in South Africa and beyond.
“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.”
He said she adopted many roles “in the course of a life she led to the full”. He added: “We are duty-bound to recall her establishment of our democratic Parliament”.