The Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Geoffrey Makhubo, on behalf of the City of Johannesburg, has expressed his deep condolences at the passing of stalwart, Mme Rebecca Kotane.
Though better known as the widow of the former SACP general-secretary and ANC leader Moses Kotane, Mme Kotane was a freedom fighter and an activist in her own right and had participated in many anti-apartheid campaigns from the 1950s.
Mayor Makhubo described mme Kotane, who passed away on Sunday, 31 January 2021, at the age of 108, as the embodiment of the popular refrain “Wathinta Abafazi Wathinta imbokodo” for having stood firm in her commitment to human rights and justice all her adult life.
“Along with the likes of Charlotte Maxeke, Bertha Gxowa and Helen Joseph, she understood that rights and aspirations of women were directly connected to the broader struggle for freedom and justice.”
“As with Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Albertina Sisulu, she fought side by side with her husband but still found time to be a mother and wife, thus inspiring generations of women know that they were not confined to the sidelines of the struggle or only as support acts to their partners,” said Mayor Makhubo.
“She remained a respected member and elder of the Diepkloof community where she resided until her last days. Much as we are saddened by her passing on, we are comforted by the knowledge that hers was a long life well-lived and lived in the service of what is best for humanity.,” concluded Mayor Makhubo.
Info supplied. And pics sourced from google.
