Florence Mkhize

Florence Grace Mkhize (1932 – July 10, 1999) was an anti-apartheid activist and women's movement leader. Mkhize was usually called 'Mam Flo'.[1] Mkhize was also involved in trade unions in South Africa, organizing for the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU).

For the environmental patrol vessel see Florence Mkhize (patrol vessel)

Florence Mkhize
Born1932 (1932)
Natal, South Africa
DiedJuly 10 , 1999 (aged 66–67)
NationalitySouth African
Other namesMam Flo
Known foranti-apartheid activist
SpouseAmos Mswane
Children4

Biography

Mkhize was born in 1932 in Umzumbe, Natal South Coast. She started to become aware about politics at age 16 while attending a Roman Catholic school on the South Coast. Mkhize began fighting apartheid and took part in the Defiance Campaign in 1952.[2][1] A photo of her burning her passbook was taken by Ranjith Kally and is now exhibited as both art and a record of that struggle.[3] She was subsequently banned. Despite the ban on her political activity, she used her place of work, a sewing factory which placed on Lakhani Chamber, Durban, to communicate and organise. During formulation of Freedom Charter, her bus which on the way to Kliptown for Congress of People was turned back by the police and sent back to Natal.[4] In 1954, Mkhize with Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Fatima Meer and other women became the founding members of the Federation of South African Women.[5] Mkhize organized women to participate in the Women's March in 1956, but was not able to go herself when the bus she was traveling on to reach Pretoria was turned back by police. She was one of thel leader from the Potato and Tobacco boycotts against industries which was colluding with apartheid in 1959.[6] After African National Congress (ANC) was banned in 1960, as a member of South African Communist Party (SACP), she continue the struggle by joining South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU) until the organization suppressed by the government.[4] In June 1968, she was banned again for five years under the Suppression of Communism Act.[1]

In the 1970s, Mkhize was involved with the Release Mandela Campaign and used her home to hide others from security forces. During the 1980s, she was pursuing to solve education and housing crisis in Lamontville. Mkhize helped raise money to help educate students who were refused education in public school because of their parents' political involvement by going to Amsterdam. Phambili High School was founded after this trip.[6][2] She was also one of the founding members of United Democratic Front (UDF) in 1983 and in the same year, she was mobilizing women from other racial groups with Natal Organization of Women.[4]

In the 1994 elections, she became a councillor for ward 75, which she held until 7 July 1999.[2] She founded Zikhulise Cleaning, Maintenance and Transport company when she was a councillor in eThekwini on 1997.[7]

Personal life

She married her husband, Amos Mos Mtuno, in the 1950s and lived in Durban. They had four children: Her boys named Mandla and Thulani Khosi and her daughter Shauwn Mkhize.[8][9]

Death and legacy

She died of congestive heart (cardiac) failure on 10 July 1999.[10]

In 1998 the African National Congress (ANC) Women's League awarded her their bravery medal. In 1999 Nelson Mandela awarded her the South African Military Gold Medal.[1] Durban's city centre municipal offices were renamed in her honor.[2] In 2006 the South African Ministry of the Environment commissioned an environmental protection vessel, the Florence Mkhize.[11]

See also

References
  1. "Florence Mkhize". South African History Online. 27 August 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  2. "Florence Mkhize". eThekwini Municipality. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  3. "SABC Art Collection - Collection". art.sabc.co.za. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  4. Human Sciences Research Council. Group: Democracy and Governance. (2000). Women marching into the 21st century : wathint' abafazi, wathint' imbokodo. Pretoria: HSRC Press. pp. 31–32. ISBN 0-7969-1966-6. OCLC 45002090.
  5. Sheldon, Kathleen (2016). Historical Dictionary of Women in Sub-Saharan Africa (2nd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 99. ISBN 9781442262935.
  6. "60 Iconic Women — The people behind the 1956 Women's March to Pretoria (11-20)". Mail & Guardian. 25 August 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  7. Moore, Niki (11 February 2013). "The rise and fall of Shauwn and S'bu Mpisane, Durban's Teflon Couple". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  8. "Florence Mkhize". www.durban.gov.za. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  9. Mthehtwa B (17 February 2013). "Mpisane's billion-rand tender ride". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  10. "South Africa: Florence Mkhize - A Stalwart Is No More". allafrica.com. 12 July 1999. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  11. Caryn Dolley (9 June 2006). "Super-fast vessel to combat poaching". Independent Online. Retrieved 24 July 2020. A new super-fast patrol vessel was launched in Cape Town harbour on Thursday to reinforce marine protection and help combat poaching.
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