Statue of Mam Bertha unveiled
WOMEN’S rights activist Bertha Gxowa is now honoured with a statue in Katlehong.
Last week, women from all over the country converged at the Keditselana Cultural Village in Katlehong to honour the Struggle stalwart’s life, when the statue was unveiled by Ekurhuleni mayor Mondli Gungubele and Gauteng Premier David Makhura.
The statue of “Mam Bertha”, as she was affectionately known, was put up in honour of her selfless contribution to the transformation of the country, particularly with regard to women.
“It is our responsibility as women to play our role in the community, not just in the kitchen, but by being at the centre of the economy. That’s the ideal Mam Bertha fought for,” said MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture Molebatsi Bopape.
The bronze statue of Gxowa depicts her with her right hand raised and her fist clenched in a triumphant salute, symbolising her solidarity with the courageous women of 1956 who marched on the Union Buildings.
“It is a constant reminder to the women of today to carry the baton of fighting for the complete liberation of women and children.
Gungubele stated: “The only way in which the future can make sense is when its foundation, which is history, is properly organised and documented. Unveiling this statue is a symbol of recording our authentic history.
“As the nation observes the month of August as Women’s Month, Bertha Gxowa is remembered as a philanthropic figure who championed women’s agendas politically and socially.”
Gxowa was one of the key figures who organised the historic march to the Union Buildings in 1956, protesting against the apartheid regime’s laws.
She was part of the Defiance Campaign against unjust laws in 1952, the formation of the Federation of South African Women in 1954, the adoption of the Freedom Charter in 1955 and the Women’s March in 1956, and was one of the accused in the 1956 Treason Trial.
Gxowa was born and bred in the old Germiston Location and died in November 2010 at the age of 76.
Her grave, in the Thomas Titus Nkobi Memorial Park in Boksburg, is a heritage site.