President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his condolences to the family of former struggle hero Gertrude  Shope who has died at the age of 99.

Ma Shope, who was a former Member of Parliament, educator, trade unionist and freedom fighter died in her home in Gauteng.
She was also a recipient of the Order for Meritorious Service (Silver), which recognises South Africans who have rendered exceptional public service.

“We have lost an eminent national heroine and mother to our nation. During a lifetime of close on a century, Ma Shope made a monumental contribution to our struggle for a free and inclusive South Africa, while inspiring generations of women and men to emulate her commitment.

“Her sacrifice, service and revolutionary bravery played out in formations from the African National Congress – where she was elected President of the Women’s League in 1990 – to the Federation of South African Women, the World Federation of Trade Unions and the first Parliament of the democratic South Africa,” President Ramaphosa said in a statement, on Friday.

Due to her anti-apartheid activism, Shope was forced to live in exile for nearly 25 years with her husband Mark and her children in countries, including Botswana, Tanzania and Zambia and in the then Czechoslovakia.

“She was indeed an mbokodo that apartheid failed to erode or fracture, and she entered our first democratic Parliament in 1994 with a vibrancy and vision that made her an exemplary first-generation parliamentarian. 

“Gertrude Shope lives on in our national memory and her life’s work is reflected in the transformation we have attained and continue to effect in our society. May her soul rest in peace,” President Ramaphosa said. –