South Africa: President Ramaphosa Pays Tribute to Liberation Struggle Stalwart, Shanthie Naidoo

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a SAnews.gov.za report from Tshwane dated 26 July 2026, reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to anti-apartheid activist Shantavothie “Shanthie” Naidoo Tweedie after her death at the age of 91. Ramaphosa offered condolences to her husband, Dominic Tweedie, the Naidoo family, friends and former comrades, and described her life as one marked by sacrifice in the struggle for a free and non-racial South Africa.

According to the report, Naidoo Tweedie was born in Pretoria in 1935 and became politically active as a school student. She later took part in several liberation-era organisations, including the Transvaal Indian Youth Congress, the Federation of South African Women, the South African Congress of Trade Unions and the African National Congress. After leaving South Africa, she and her husband worked for the ANC at the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College in Tanzania, following years in exile in the United Kingdom from 1972 to 1991.

SAnews.gov.za reported that Naidoo Tweedie was detained repeatedly during apartheid, including periods in solitary confinement under the Terrorism Act, and was subjected to banning orders. She was also jailed for two months after refusing to testify against Winnie Mandela and 21 others accused of advancing ANC aims. The report said the apartheid government initially blocked her departure from South Africa, before pressure from supporters, including a campaign associated with former MP Helen Suzman, helped secure permission for exile.

Ramaphosa linked her passing, shortly before Women’s Month, to the wider history of women’s resistance to apartheid, including the 1956 march by 20,000 women to the Union Buildings. He urged South Africans to honour Naidoo Tweedie’s legacy by continuing efforts to build an inclusive country, particularly for women and girls.