Statues of 1956 women leaders unveiled
IT WAS a joyous occasion as women ululated and proudly celebrated Women’s Day at the launch of the Women’s Monument in Pretoria yesterday.
They had gathered early in the morning for the launch and the unveiling of four slightly larger-than-life-sized bronze statues of the four leaders of the march to the Union Buildings 60 years ago. President Jacob Zuma officially opened the first phase of the monument, which contains years of information on the struggles of South African women.
“Today is the day women must shine; no better reason to shine than to celebrate the completion of a place dedicated only for telling HER story,” said Sport and Recreation MEC Faith Mazibuko.
Notable women, some of whom walked on that day 60 years ago, were there, along with women leaders in industry, academia and sport.
The unveiling of the statues of Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn evoked emotion, and some watched spellbound or burst into song as the drapes were removed.
The first three were unveiled by Zuma, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and ministers Susan Shabangu and Bathabile Dlamini, while De Bruyn unveiled her own likeness to ululation, singing and a few tears.
“When people read their history as a book, they do not get a grip of the real people behind it,” said Dali Tambo, whose company constructed the statues. He said they personalised the women leaders.
“They breathed life into the well-known icons …They were a big part of the symbolic monument because they embodied the struggle and showed that the women were actually real.
“These women were graceful, beautiful, and classy. They were strong but normal women; that is what the sculptures stand for,” he said.