The Winnie Mandela I knew …

NOLITHA FAKUDE

Happy birthday Mama…

A woman I consider to be my Mother, my Mentor and Role Model would have turned 86 today.

I was introduced to this amazing giant in 1994, when I had the immense privilege of hosting her in my home in Cape Town. As a young woman of 30 with a family and a career, that meeting became a turning point in my young life. Reflecting back 29 years later to those few months that we shared with her, I am humbled that I got an opportunity to share “space“ with this colossus woman of the stature of Harriet Tubman (American social activist who rescued and freed enslaved people) and our own Charlotte Maxeke, who led with wisdom.

Regardless of how tough times were for her since the 60s, Mama chose to stay inside the ring and fight, speaking truth to power despite the consequences. That was her life. And as a result, even at the dawn of our democracy in 1994, those close to her still felt that she needed to be accommodated in a “safe house”. Hence, our young family found ourselves with this responsibility and privilege to be with the Mother of the nation.

A social worker by profession and royalty by birth, Mama’s strength and power came from the fact that she lived, ate and worked with ordinary people. As a leader, she engaged with kings, queens and heads of state without losing her anchoring and values of social solidarity with the grassroots people. She was recognised by many communities in South Africa, many choosing to name their informal settlements with her name, long before 1994. However, ironically, post democracy political dynamics made it difficult, and in fact impossible, to have even a major road or national institution named after her. In spite of this, her legacy still lives beyond her life through the millions of people who she touched during her life of struggle.

Mama genuinely loved and deeply cared for people. Every conversation would end with, “but what can we do for our people, surely there is more that we can do”. As a young leader, this shaped my thinking with every professional responsibility I was given.

Mama’s forthright and honest way of engaging made us all feel a little bit braver and courageous when faced with tough situations in boardrooms. She often would remind me the few times I would see her, “Nkosazana, remember you are now part of them, they, the decision makers, so please, make it count” – and then she would burst out laughing with a twinkle in her eye knowing that she was planting a seed.

When Mama Winnie Mandela was faced with life threatening situations like bullets, banishment and imprisonment, she still stood her ground and spoke her truth. Her courage and that of many other women of her generation, including those who marched to the Union buildings in 1956, showed our generation that no freedoms are won without the courage to act.

As the Sotho saying goes “Mme utswara thipha kabu haling” (a mother will hold the sharp end of the knife to protect her children). Mama Winnie’s life example inspires us to grasp the nettle for societal challenges that we face today. The scourge of gender-based violence and domestic violence, among others that women face today, would have been one of those our dear mother would have urged us to forge ahead to resolve – not only for our sake but for the sake of the next generation.

Whether in the communities, in schools or in the workplace, this plague of GBV requires us all to courageously speak out and act with urgency to root it out of society. One of the tools is going to have to be the economic emancipation and empowerment for women. To economically empower a woman is to save them from possible sexual harassment and abuse. As complex as the issues are behind why we have such high proportions of GBV in our country, we also know that economic dependence and vulnerability of women makes them even more susceptible to abuse.

In the mining industry, with a legacy and perception of being a “no go area” for women (women were only legally allowed to work underground in 1996), we are now challenged everyday as to how we can attract and retain more women talent in our organisations. How we can change and turnaround the culture that exists in the industry to ensure that it is safe and empowering women to unlock their talents, is an opportunity we have as leaders. We dare not fail Mama. Dealing with long-held negative norms and stereotypes is going to require us all to adopt a zero tolerance for bullying, harassment, especially sexual harassment, and gender based violence inside and outside the factory gates.

Mama Winnie’s life example of being resolute and resilient until the end has taught us to stay “inside the ring and stay in the game” so as to be able to keep fighting and claim your voice and space. I once asked Mama naively, why don’t you just leave it alone? And her retort was, “it’s better to be inside the tent than outside – then you can play”.

She was so right. We need more warriors inside the boardrooms, especially in the private sector boardrooms; women who will be courageous enough to stand up and say, “Not under my watch”!

I am encouraged to see so many women leaders in mining – not only emerging, but already making a difference in their own chosen careers. Out of the top 40 JSE listed companies, there are less than seven women CEOs, and three of those are from the mining sector. These women are leading with their hearts and heads in what was, and still is dominated by men – and that takes courage, just like Mama had. The road ahead is long, however, more women are choosing this industry as a career; we dare not fail them.

Happy heavenly birthday Mangutyana!