Remembering Albertina Sisulu
As the country celebrates the centenary of Mama Sisulu we look at her contribution to the struggle for liberation
On 9 May 1994, Albertina Sisulu stood up in Parliament to nominate Nelson Mandela for election as the first black President of a democratic South Africa.
It was an historic moment that ushered a new era for the country and also put Mama Sisulu, as she was affectionately known, in the spotlight for a brief moment. But her role in the struggle for liberation of her country can be traced to decades earlier. Sisulu was one of the leaders of the historic Women’s March to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on 9 August 1956 alongside Lillian Ngoyi, Sophie de Bruyn, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and many others.
Although some people may be quick to associate her political struggle with that of her husband Walter Sisulu, the veteran ANC politician who died in 2003, Mama Sisulu was a leader in her own right.
She spent almost half a century fighting for the liberation of South Africans, in the face of detentions, banning orders and harassment.
As government celebrates the centenary of this iconic woman, we take a look at the sacrifices that Mama Sisulu made for the country to be free from apartheid.The centenary celebrations will run for the entire year and will be marked by a series of commemorative events. This is also the year that South Africa celebrates the centenary of the life of former President Nelson Mandela.
Both Mama Sisulu and Madiba dedicated their lives to ensuring a better and more united South Africa. The 100-year anniversary of the lives of these two remarkable people is an opportunity to recommit as a country to their principles by building the nation they envisioned when they fought for liberation.
Struggle heroine
Like Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Mama Sisulu stepped into her role as a mother and became the suffering spouse of the imprisoned Walter Sisulu. Like Madikizela-Mandela, the struggle heroine never
wavered in her convictions.
Her persecution kept the name of her husband alive as he served a life imprisonment sentence at Robben Island.
A qualified nurse and midwife, Mama Sisulu was born on 21 October 1912 in the Eastern Cape where she spent most of her childhood and attended school.
In her various public roles, she always sought to bring hope and dignity to the people and communities she served, whether as a member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC, as a nurse who protected those under her care, in civic leadership roles or as a staunch supporter of the value of education in changing lives.
Away from public life she was the matriarch of her family and took up the mantel of caring for her siblings. This caring attitude extended to children everywhere, and resulted in her setting up a daycare centre to serve the community.
Mama Sisulu, who was orphaned at the age of 15, took the responsibility of looking after her siblings seriously even though she was the second eldest.
A woman of resilience
Her resilience was evident in her teens as she didn’t allow the death of her parents to break her.
“Part of her political life was also about taking seriously her responsibilities. She did everything with the necessary professionalism, commitment and vigour,” said Ntsiki Sisulu, a granddaughter of Mama Sisulu.
“As a woman, she fought when it was not fashionable to do so and did it with bravery and a sense of conviction that all are equal regardless of what the law states. She was an upholder of human rights at all costs, regardless of one’s colour or gender,” she added.
Vuyelwa Sisulu, another of Mama Sisulu’s granddaughters, said even though her grandmother faced hardships early on in life, these struggles never hardened her as she genuinely cared for people.
Vuyelwa grew up in Orlando, Soweto, under the care of Mama Sisulu and has nothing but fond memories of her.
“She was very strict but at the same time extremely loving, nurturing but also stern. When you were naughty, you would get reprimanded. She was a hugger, a kisser, a feeder, that’s how she showed us love,” she said.
Both women talked about the sense of community in their grandmother’s home. They woke up to a breakfast of soft porridge that would be followed by eggs, boerewors and tomato gravy as well as buttered bread.
Leading by example
Ntsiki said her grandmother led by example even in the home and would wake up early in the mornings to do laundry and clean the house.The grandchildren also had their own chores.
Despite the scrutiny and surveillance she faced at the hands of the apartheid government, Mama Sisulu often had an influx of people visting her house.
By 1958 she was in and out of jail for her activism. In 1964, she was banned for five years which meant that she could not attend gatherings or go near courts and educational centres. She was also sentenced to 10 years under house arrest.
Ntsiki recalled how her grandmother had watched her own son’s wedding from a distance, standing at her gate. She was banned from participating in the simple pleasures of life.
Mama Sisulu met Walter in 1941. She was the only woman present when the ANC Youth League was formed in 1944.
In addition, Sisulu played a significant role in the formation of the Federation of South African Women in 1954 and participated in the crafting of the Freedom Charter in 1955.
Albertina and Walter had five children together as well as two adopted children. She became the sole breadwinner of the family when her husband was sentenced to life imprisonment for planning acts of sabotage in June 1964.