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South African political activist (1928?1980)
Kate Molale
OMSS
(22 January 1928 ? 9 May 1980)
[1]
was a South African political activist, between 1970 and 1975 she represented the
ANC Women's League
/Women's Section in the
Women's International Democratic Federation
.
She joined the
African National Congress
Sophiatown
branch in the early 1950s. In 1954 she was elected as secretary of the Sophiatown ANC branch. She was an activist in the popular resistance against the forced eviction of the Sophiatown residents. She mobilised people against the 1953
Bantu Education Act
, organising
pioneers
(
Masupatsela
) to bolster the school boycotts in protest against the Bantu Education Act.
[2]
[3]
Under her leadership many children were mobilised for school boycotts in Sophiatown,
Orlando
,
Brakpan
,
Randfontein
and
Alexandra
.
[2]
Molale became a member of the National Executive of the ANC Women's League. She was also the
ANC Youth League
Transvaal
secretary.
[2]
Conducting surveys amongst the South African populace, Molale played a key role in the drafting process of the
Freedom Charter
.
[2]
In 1955 Molale was part of a delegation that went to the Native Commissioner in
Johannesburg
to deliver a protest against the extension of
pass laws
to include African women. As the delegation left the Native Commissioner's office, they were detained and charged. Molale was one of the key activists in mobilising women during 9 August 1956 anti-pass campaign, travelling to various corners of the country on agitation tours.
[2]
Molale was one of the ANC activists targeted at the time of the launching of 90 days' detention without trial. After being released from detention, she went underground and became a commander of
Umkhonto we Sizwe
.
[2]
[4]
Between 1970 and 1975 Molale represented the ANC Women's League/Women's Section in the
Women's International Democratic Federation
. After leaving the WIDF office, Molale based herself in
Morogoro
, Tanzania. In Tanzania she dedicated herself to the care of children of exiled South African activists. Molale suffered a traffic accident in Tanzania on 3 May 1980. Whilst co-traveller Peter Sithole died immediately, Molale passed into coma. She was pronounced dead on 9 May 1980.
[2]
References
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