Johannesburg – The African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) on Thursday, mourned the death of its veteran, stalwart, and provincial chairperson of the league in Mpumalanga Letta Shongwe.
"Her passing follows a lengthy battle with illness. The ANCWL owes a debt of gratitude to Cde Letta, a Provincial Chairperson of the ANCWL in Mpumalanga, an NEC Member of the ANCWL and a PEC member of the ANC in Mpumalanga Province for her role in the emancipation of women and the struggle against apartheid," ANCWL secretary general Meokgo Matuba said in a statement.
"Indeed our movement has lost a great leader, a gallant fighter and a champion of women empowerment. The ANCWL sends its deepest condolences to Cde Letta's family. May they find solace in the knowledge that Cde Letta's life signified leadership, sacrifice and patriotism until the end, a life well lived. We shall pray with them in this time of grief and sense of loss."
In her youth, Shongwe cut her teeth in politics as an organiser of the ANCWL and emerged into various leadership roles.
She has served as the mayor of the Ehlanzeni District Municipality until the 2016 Local Government Elections, when she was deployed to her new role as an MMC for water and sanitation.
Matuba said that during her term as mayor, Shongwe dedicated her time to empower women in farming communities and conscientising them on gender and class struggles.