‘A formidable patriot and leader’: Life and times of Dr Frene Ginwala

The founding Speaker of South Africa’s first democratic Parliament, Dr Frene Ginwala passed away on Thursday night at the age of 90.

Ginwala died following a stroke two weeks ago, according to a statement issued by the Presidency on Friday.

President Cyril Ramaphosa extended his condolences to Ginwala’s family, friends, colleagues and associates in South Africa and beyond following her passing.

He described the anti-apartheid struggle icon as a formidable patriot and leader of the nation, “and an internationalist to whom justice and democracy around the globe remained an impassioned objective to her last days.”

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It’s understood that Ginwala will be buried during a private funeral. It was unclear when the funeral will be held.

The Presidency said details of an official memorial event will be announced in due course.

Remembering a giant of our democracy

Below is Frene Ginwala’s obituary, according to the Presidency’s website.

Frene Noshir Ginwala was born on 25 April 1932 in Johannesburg in what was then the province of the Transvaal (now Gauteng).

She served the anti-apartheid struggle and South Africa’s democratic dispensation in a diversity of roles as a lawyer, academic, political leader, activist and journalist.

Ginwala studied law at the University of London in the United Kingdom (UK), where she completed her LLB degree. She returned to South Africa to complete her legal training, prior to the banning of the African National Congress (ANC).

Ginwala worked in Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique and the UK as an ANC official and as a journalist and broadcaster in East Africa and Europe. She obtained a doctorate in history from Oxford University.

Ginwala’s links to the ANC

Prior to her return from exile in 1990, Ginwala was head of the Political Research Unit in the Office of ANC President Oliver Tambo, where she conducted research focusing on the transfer of military and nuclear technology.

She also served as ANC spokesperson in the UK on sanctions, the nuclear programme and the arms and oil embargo relating to South Africa.

Ginwala helped to set up the Women’s National Coalition, which comprised organisations from across the political spectrum with the aim of drawing a women’s charter. She was elected national convener of the coalition.

Role in Parliament

She has held various influential positions in the ANC and other non-political organisations.

Ginwala has been widely published on issues of democracy, good governance, human rights, human security, anti-apartheid and men’s issues locally and abroad.

As speaker of the National Assembly between 1994 and 2004, Ginwala was instrumental in arranging many significant changes in Parliament.

This included opening up a previously austere, racially exclusive, male-dominated and remote institution to the people at large.

Critical role in SA’s history

She commanded high respect among Members of Parliament and the public during her tenure which spanned the first critical decade of SA’s democracy.

Ginwala served as a member of the Preparatory Committee for the First World Conference of Presiding Officers.

She was previously a board member of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance as well as the former chairperson of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum.

Ginwala is also a former member of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Panel of High-Level Personalities on African Development and recently served as Commissioner of the International Commission on Human Security.

In 2005, she was honoured with the Order of Luthuli in Silver for her excellent contribution to the struggle against gender oppression and her tireless contribution to the struggle for a non-sexist, non-racial, just and democratic South Africa.

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