Indian-origin South African freedom fighter Frene Ginwala dies at 90

South Africa’s Indian-origin freedom fighter and winner of National Orders Frene Noshir Ginwala died at the age of 90. In a statement, President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed that Ginwala left for her heavenly abode on Thursday evening.Ginwala had suffered a stroke afortnight ago. She was a grandchild of one of the few Parsi families who belonged to India. She was sent to the UK for her studies by her parents before they settled in Mozambique, leaving South Africa.

After a ban was imposed on the ANC and the apartheid government arrested the High Command leaders in 1963, many ANC members, including Nelson Mandela, were helped by Ginwala.

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Ginwala also helped in establishing ANC in exile in Tanzania. She became the first parliamentary speaker of South Africa after Mandela became president of the first democratically-elected government in 1994.

“On behalf of the nation and of the legislative, executive and judicial components of the State, (I offer my) sincere condolences to Dr Ginwala’s family, her nephews Cyrus, Sohrab and Zavareh, and their families,” said Ramaphosa.

Ginwala, born on April 25, 1932, participated in the anti-apartheid struggle and fought for democratic dispensation of South Africa as an academic, lawyer, activist, journalist and political leader.

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“Frene Ginwala epitomised the ethos and expectations of our then fledgling Constitution and played an important role in building the capacity of Parliament through the transformation of activists and leaders into lawmakers who were, in turn, able to transform our country,” said Ramaphosa said.

“Beyond African shores, she positioned our young democracy both as one that had as much to contribute to as it had to learn from global precedents and experience,” he added.

(With inputs from agencies)