Africa-Press – South-Africa. Frene Ginwala was an inspired choice for that first post-apartheid Parliament. It had to bring together public representatives from very diverse political backgrounds and knit them together to carry out the immense task of shaping the new democracy that was South Africa, writes Naledi Pandor.
It is trite to say of Frene Ginwala that a giant has fallen. My sentiment is an epoch has fallen. A representative of an age of human dignity, respect for all, and commitment to humanity in all its guises, Comrade Ginwala has departed.
To those who do not know her she was the first Speaker of the first National Assembly elected by all South Africans. Ginwala was an inspired choice for that first post-apartheid Parliament. It had to bring together public representatives from very diverse political backgrounds and knit them together to carry out the immense task of shaping the new democracy that was South Africa.
I recall first seeing comrade Ginwala in our flat in London as a child when she came to have a meeting with my father, Joe Matthews and other leaders. I then met nearly thirty years later while teaching at the University of Cape Town in 1992.
She had been invited to speak about the gender policy of the African National Congress. There had been many amazing speakers of the Mass Democratic Movement at the university, but none from the leadership of the newly returned leaders of the ANC. We filled that lecture hall, and she provided a superb challenging analysis of the oppression of apartheid and the critical struggle for gender equality. A brilliant talk that resulted in a standing ovation.
We met many times as part of the ANC, but it was as an MP and as a newly elected Speaker that we got a measure of her mettle.
Progressive views
Speaker Ginwala believed the National Assembly was an institution of the people and that all elected representatives had to enjoy freedom in the House. Some did not appreciate this progressive view of parliamentary practice. Some believed a Speaker should be neutral and not participate in politics. Well, Speaker Ginwala would have none of that and attended the ANC caucus and participated in its work. Nevertheless, National Party MPs knew she would uphold their rights as well as the rights of the ANC.
Ginwala was an intellectual, always encouraging us to think. Public representatives should read the debate and understand the intentions of our Constitution. She played an active role in international organisations, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the SADC Parliamentary Forum, and South African Speakers that she initiated and guided.
Many may recall her leading role in crafting the protocol that led to the creation of the Pan-African Parliament. Her commitment to democracy shaped that institution of Africa, and she nurtured it at its early stage of establishment.
All her true friends know this tribute will be incomplete if I do not mention her care and love for family, especially her late mother, and I must confirm that she was not a goody-two-shoes paragon of virtue. She could be maddeningly stubborn and resolute and could bring one close to tears if you did something foolish or awful. But, all in all, an amazing founder of our democracy, a respected leader and a significant personality.
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