JOHANNESBURG - Gertrude Shope was a revolutionary. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa says that from a young age, she was on a path to change things close to her heart, like Bantu education.

He was delivering the eulogy at Shope's funeral.

Shope was a key figure in the anti-apartheid movement, serving in exile, underground structures, and later in the democratic Parliament.

MaShope led the ANC Women’s League and the Women’s Section in exile, influencing the party’s direction and the fight for women’s rights.

Former President Thabo Mbeki says the ANC has lost a stalwart, who's contributions to the struggle, went far beyond her role as leader of the women's movement.

"She is part of a very important generation – a generation that led us to liberation, and a generation that has led us as we build a new South Africa," Mbeki described Mam' Shope.