Mme Dorothy was a pillar of strength
Born: April 25 1930 Died: March 1 2017 Funeral Service: Tomorrow, at St Paul’s Anglican Church, White City Jabavu Service Starts at 7am. Burial: Roodepoort Cemetery
NOMBUYISELO Dorothy Masenya was born in Alexandra Township, in Johannesburg on April 25 1930, to Abel Mtilingwane Nxele and Harriet Nongqele Zonke.
The Nxeles were blessed with six children, two boys and four girls.
Masenya did her primary and secondary education at St Michaels Anglican School in Alexandra. She then proceeded to Diocessan Anglican Missionary School (Setotolwane) in Polokwane, Limpopo, where she qualified as a teacher.
Her career in teaching started at Nigel Primary School, from 1949 to 1953. She then worked at Bloemhof Methodist Missionary School between 1953 and 1955.
She also taught at the famous Tigerkloof in Vryburg for a while, until it was closed by the apartheid government in 1962. The school was reopened in 1995, in a celebratory occasion which was graced by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Masenya moved on to teach at Onderstepoort in Pretoria. In the meanwhile, her family had settled in Mofolo, Soweto, in 1957. She too later moved to Soweto and continued her teaching career at Jabavu East Community School.
Her teaching career ended when she joined electronics company Siemens in the early 1980s.
Masenya married Jonathan Masenya in the early 50s. They were blessed with two children, Maidi and the late Boitumelo.
She was among the participants in the defiance campaign against apartheid in the 1950s, as an ANC Women’s League member.
She was also a member of Women for Peace in the 70s, and a founder member of the Mofolo Clinic in Soweto.
A devout member of the Anglican Church, her life was characterised by a deep sense of justice.
Masenya was a deeply spiritual mother, full of love for her community.
Among her highlights in life was a sterling solo music performance for King George, the father of Queen Elizabeth II, the current English monarch.
This was in 1947, during George’s royal tour of South Africa. King George personally acknowledged her music talent. The late Rain Queen Modjadji was also very impressed.
Mme Dorothy, as she was affectionately known, had lived in Mofolo Central. She leaves behind Maidi and Bongo, her daughter-inlaws Primrose and Mirriam, her six grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren.
Her funeral service tomorrow will be held at St Paul’s Anglican Church in White City Jabavu from 7am.