Why is Sophia Williams-De Bruyn being used to promote whisky?

The ANC Veterans’ League has come out in defence of one of the survivors of the 1956 Women’s March, Sophie de Bruyn, after her image was used in a quality whisky advert.

The company behind the advert, The Glenlivet, ran a Women’s Month marketing campaign to promote its range of whiskies, but the social media campaign sparked widespread criticism.

De Bruyn was not the only freedom fighter featured in the ad; Winnie Mandela and Lilian Ngoyi were also included. A few days ago, The Glenlivet apologised for the incident.

But in a statement on Monday, the president of the ANC Veterans’ League, Snuki Zikalala, said the organisation is “deeply outraged” and “disturbed” by The Glenlivet advert.

Linking De Bruyn to 18-year-old whisky

While the advert featured other female veterans, it linked De Bruyn to the 18-year-old variant of the whisky.

“We therefore welcome the withdrawal of the ad and the company’s apology. That social media ad demonstrated a complete disregard for the history of our struggle, of the bravery not only of comrade Sophie, as our ANC veteran, but of all the women who took part in the historic 1956 march against pass laws.

“The fact that comrade Sophie was 18 years old when she led the march and that until this day, she remains active in the ANC structures, including being a member of the Integrity Committee, is indeed something to celebrate and commemorate, but not in the way in which it has,” said Zikalala.

According to Zikalala, the incident is also a “sober warning” about the dangers of social media and its role in spreading “fake news” and fuelling “sensationalism” and “opportunism”.

“Unlike commercial media, which are governed by ethical protocols, anything can be said on social media platforms. We witness this problem in anti-migration campaigns and can foresee a rise in fake news, disinformation, bots and generative AI in the forthcoming local government election campaign.”

Using the legacy of veterans

Last week, the ANC mother body also condemned The Glenlivet’s advert. They described it as using the legacies of anti-apartheid activists to promote alcohol.

“While we recognise the importance of preserving and celebrating the contributions of our liberation stalwarts, we strongly object to the manner in which this sacred chapter of our history has been appropriated for commercial purposes.

“The women of 1956 were not cultural props or marketing symbols; they were fearless leaders whose sacrifices and struggles helped secure the freedom and democracy that South Africans enjoy today,” said ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu.