JOHANNESBURG, August 17 (ANA) – The proper story of women who joined the armed struggle in the aftermath of the 1976 Soweto uprising still needs to be told, Small Business Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said on Thursday.
Zulu, a former Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) trained freedom fighter, addressed a gathering of women organised by the Progressive Business Forum (PBL) in Johannesburg.
“No one in SA can say women do not have pioneers to look up to. As we celebrate women, I proudly say the generation of 1976 delivered on what they were meant to do,” said Zulu.
“However, as the 1976 generation, we have not told our story…it is being twisted and swallowed up. It is your responsibility as the young generation and ours as well to tell the story of women of 1976 so that you can understand why, even in the worst of times we continue to soldier on because we believe the ultimate goal that we started fighting for has not been realised yet.”
She told the women not to be “diverted by other things” but to support government’s efforts of implementing its radical economic transformation plan.
“Do not trample on our history and begin to be diverted by other things, we did what we needed to create this space we are here in today and you cannot take that away from us,” she said to an applause from the audience.
“For you, your 1976 should be the focus on radical economic transformation…I know people make noise about it, and ask why we are taking that route… we know what we are talking about and they know it too.”
– African News Agency (ANA)
