Ramaphosa mourns passing of Gertrude Shope
President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to Gertrude Shope, a South African liberation stalwart, educator, and former Member of Parliament, who passed away at the age of 99.
Shope died peacefully at her home in Gauteng on Thursday.
In a heartfelt statement, President Ramaphosa expressed his profound sorrow, hailing Shope as an eminent national heroine and mother to our nation.
"During a lifetime of close to a century, Ma Shope made a monumental contribution to our struggle for a free and inclusive South Africa, while inspiring generations of women and men to emulate her commitment," said Ramaphosa.
The president added: “Shope’s legacy spans decades of activism within South Africa and abroad. Her tireless work in the African National Congress, where she served as President of the Women’s League in 1990, and her involvement in international organisations such as the World Federation of Trade Unions and the Federation of South African Women, positioned her as a global advocate for justice.”
In 2003, she was honoured with the Order for Meritorious Service (Silver), which recognised her exceptional contributions to public life before the advent of the current National Orders.
Exiled for nearly 25 years alongside her late husband, trade unionist and revolutionary Mark Shope, Ma Shope continued her activism from Botswana, Tanzania, Zambia, and Czechoslovakia.
She is remembered for mobilising women and communities, amplifying the voices of the oppressed, and drawing international attention to the apartheid regime’s injustices.
She was also listed as a co-conspirator in the infamous Rivonia Trial, a testament to her prominent role in the liberation movement alongside icons such as Oliver Tambo and Joe Slovo.
In democratic South Africa, Shope became an MP in 1994, one of its first female members, and set a powerful precedent for women in governance.
President Ramaphosa extended condolences to her daughters, Lyndall Shope-Mafole and South African Ambassador to Cuba Thaninga Shope-Linney.
"She was indeed an mbokodo that apartheid failed to erode or fracture," said Ramaphosa.
"Gertrude Shope lives on in our national memory, and her life’s work is reflected in the transformation we have attained and continue to effect in our society. May her soul rest in peace."
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