Pretoria - The City of Tshwane hosted a commemorative Women’s Month event at the home of former liberation veteran, Frances Baard, on Friday.
The event, which was attended by more than 150 women, was held at Baard’s family home in Mabopane in Tshwane.
Among those who attended was the City Of Tshwane’s MMC of Economic Development and Planning, Eulanda Mabusela, the MMC of Sports and Recreation Nizipho Makeke, and the African National Congress’ Women’s League in Mabopane and surrounding areas.
Mabusela said that as Women’s Day is about to be commemorated in South Africa, it was vital to remember why August 9 was so important.
She said it was the anniversary of a remarkable demonstration in 1956 when 20 000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, led by activists and leaders such as Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Albertina Sisulu and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn.
“Today [Friday], as the City of Tshwane, we meet at the home of former liberation stalwart, Ms Frances Baard.”
She said the event was part of the build up to the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the women’s march to the Union Buildings in protest against the pass laws which restricted free movement of black people in apartheid South Africa.
“Through this occasion we also honour the inter-generational contribution to the struggle for women anticipation,” she said.
Mabusela also announced that the Frances Baard family home would be renovated so that it could be turned into a heritage site.
On Friday, women celebrated with song and dance and also shared stories of the fight for freedom and equality.
Veteran Agnes Kgasi, who was just a young girl in the 50s, recalled how young girls at the time were used as messengers by Baard and other women to send information to each other.
She said that in the days leading up to the 1956 march, they were told to move from street to street, yelling and announcing that there would be a march on August 9.
“I didn’t even know why I was doing that at the time,” she said.
“But those who were older than us and mobilising the strike explained to us that the strike was that the pass law could end,” she said.
Baard’s family said that they were honoured at the celebration of the life of their mother and grandmother.
Baard’s granddaughter, Treason Tokelo Baard, said they were happy and grateful that South Africans had not forgotten her grandmother and what she had done for the country.
“Every year, from the first of August, women come to our house to commemorate the women who marched to the union building,” she said.
The chairperson of the Women’s League in Tshwane, Esther Nhlapo, encouraged women to keep fighting for respect in the country.
“Women are still struggling, we are not respected and we must fight,” she said. “No one is going to come and fight for us.”
A municipality in the Kimberley in the Northern Cape is named after Frances Baard.
African News Agency