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IOL News
03-07-2025
- General
- IOL News
Celebrating 70 years of Black Sash: A legacy of human rights advocacy
Black Sash standing near the Parliamentary precinct where members frequently held silent protests to put an end to apartheid, a stop to unlawful imprisonment of anti-apartheid dissidents, the banning of activists, military conscription, and the breaking up of families. Image: UCT Special Collections – Black Sash One of the country's oldest civil society and human rights organisations, Black Sash, celebrated its 70th anniversary at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg on Wednesday. Established in 1955 by a group of white women activists, Black Sash has been at the forefront of some of the most fervent human rights campaigns, having taken the government and other entities to court over various human rights violations. In recent years, this formidable organisation has turned its attention to tackling issues of social protection, dignity, and democracy on behalf of millions of social grant recipients, who continue to bear the brunt of indignity, shame, and inequality more than 30 years since the advent of democracy. Black Sash's regional manager and advocate for social justice, Thandiwe Zulu, commended the founding members and those who dedicated their lives to fighting both social and political injustice, which continues despite the advent of democracy in 1994. "It is with immense pride and deep gratitude that we welcome you today. This celebration is more than a marker of time, but is a celebration of the contribution made by our founders. The women who dared to challenge the apartheid regime, known for its cruelty and inequality. This inequality remains etched into the geography of our cities and townships. "Over the years, Black Sash has created a space of dignity for those who were denied their rights to justice and equality. From the injustice of pass laws to forced removal to defending the right to social protection, our work has always been driven by the belief that every right must be protected," Zulu said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana gave a keynote address at the Black Sash 70th Gauteng regional event at Constitution Hill on Wednesday. Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers The organisation, which has evolved over the years, has been commended for its contribution towards equitable justice and equipping ordinary people with information and tools to fight for their basic human rights. In Gauteng, home to some of the country's most unequal and densely populated communities, the organisation is credited for having played a critical role in building civic resistance, providing paralegal advice, and defending the rights of the most marginalised. One of the earliest activists, Judith Hawarden, took guests down memory lane to Black Sash's formation and how in the 1970s, a group of women collaborated with other women in a series of pickets, protests, and other campaigns that placed human rights issues at the centre of the injustices of the apartheid regime. "When the apartheid regime tried to flex its muscles and tried to change the laws in Parliament, six women became outraged as they could not allow this injustice and racist law to go unchallenged, and each one of these women went home and called on other women to join in under the name, Women's Defense of the Constitution League. But because they wore a sash as a sign of mourning over these laws, the media then gave them the name Black Sash. Since then, the organisation became known as Black Sash," she stated.
TimesLIVE
03-07-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Black Sash celebrates 70 years of standing up for victims of human rights violations
Known for championing human rights and social justice for the marginalised, Black Sash celebrated its 70th anniversary on Wednesday at Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg. Started by a group of women activists in 1955 to assist victims of human rights violations, the organisation has been a strong voice in human rights campaigns and waged court battles against the government on behalf of the marginalised. The organisation's regional manager and advocate for social justice, Thandiwe Zulu, applauded her team and the founders of the organisation for their dedication to fighting for social justice for South Africans. 'It is with immense pride and deep gratitude that everyone is here to celebrate this milestone of 70 years of principled activism, courage, public service and unshakeable commitment to social justice, the celebration is far more than a marker of time. It is a living testament to an organisation that has stood through silence, struggle and solidarity,' Zulu said. She lauded Black Sash for its contribution towards equality for communities, creating a space of dignity and support for those who denied access to justice. 'We will continue in helping people fight past laws and forced human removals, to daily defending the rights of social protection through grants, health lines and community monitoring. Our work has always been driven by a simple but powerful belief that every person matters and every right must be protected, while it is balanced with responsibility,' she said. Former Black Sash activist Judith Hawarden shared how the organisation was formed. Sporting a black sash over one shoulder, she said that is how the name of the organisation was born, and that the sash represented a protest. 'Six women protested against a ploy by the national government to remove coloureds from the voters' roll and decided to show their disagreement with the injustice. They stood silently outside public buildings in the cities wearing a black sash,' she said, adding that Black Sash continues the battle today. Shirley Bengu from Alexandra township shared how the organisation helped her mother and late grandmother when they were defrauded of their social grants during the Covid-19 pandemic. 'We went up and down to post offices to enquire about getting the money back until someone told me about Black Sash,' Bengu said. Bengu added that the Black Sash helpline team assisted her loved ones to recover R12,330 of the stolen money. 'Unfortunately my grandmother passed away during the process but I am happy that I was able to fulfil her wishes once I received the money back,' she said.
