A stalwart of the struggle, Florence Mkhize, "Mam Flo" as she was popularly known in the ranks of the ANC and throughout South Africa is no more. Her heart ceased to beat.
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal announces with sadness the passing away of a revolutionary, a heroine Comrade Mam Flo. She passed away on 10 July 1999 at midnight of a congeslivic cardic (heart) failure. Mam Flo was born in 1932 at Mzumbe, Natal south coast.
She joined the Congress Movement at an early age. A young concerned African woman experiencing oppression and suffering brought by colonialism of a special type and apartheid, took a conscious decision, to be part of the solution of South Africa's problems and triple oppression of women that to fold her arms or being part of the problem. Being part of the solution was to be in the forefront of the struggle as a discipline cadre of the movement during the 1952 Defiance Campaign under the leadership of the late President of the African National Congress, Chief Albert "Madlanduma" Lutuli and the likes of the latest M B Yengwa, Moses Mabhida, Steven Dlamini, Dorthy Nomzansi "Mam D" Nyembe and, Fatima Meer, Dr Goolam and Phyllis Naidoo, a lawyer.
As a young woman at the time, together with Gladys Manzi and Tryphina "MaMboxela" Njokweni, were led by the late Titan of the Struggle, Dorothy Nyembe who guided them throughout the Defiance Campaign and the general political understanding.
It is this maturity that as a volunteer assigned to ensure maximum participation of all our people in the process of the formulation of the Freedom Charter getting their aspirations, both black and white, how they wanted South Africa to be governed, people were eager to go to the adoption of the Freedom Charter in Kliptown on 26 June 1955 having being part of the process.
Unfortunately, Mam Flo was unable to reach Kliptown as their busses were stopped by the police in the Free State and were forced to return to Natal.
The apartheid regime on many occasions would try to prevent Mam Flo to participate in mass gatherings which she was part of organising. Again, in 1956 Women March in Pretoria against pass laws, they were stopped by the police and were forced to return back home.
In 1959, she was one of the leaders of the Potato Boycott and the United Tobacco Company (UTC) boycott against the sale of Onsland (our land) cigars. By this time, she was in and out of detention and served many banning orders.
When the ANC was banned in 1960, she had to choose whether to "submit or fight" and Mam Flo had no choice other than to fight. As also an SACP member, struggle as an organiser for the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU) under the leadership of the late Steven Dlamini.
As the struggle for the emancipation of women was high on her vision for a democratic non-racial, non-sexist South Africa, she together with Dorothy Nyembe, MAMBOxela and others worked underground with Helen Joseph to organise women under Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW).
She will always find a way to communicate with her comrades under extremely difficult conditions of banning orders. When she received banning orders after the banning of the ANC, as a machinist, she used Mr Chetty's sewing factory at Lakhani Chambers in Durban to communicate with other underground leaders of the ANC. Florence Mkhize was incarcerated in 1963. Again, in 1965 she was imprisoned in Pietermaritzburg prison for Furthering the Aims of Communism.
In the 1970's together with Archie Gumede, Mewa Ramgobin, Griffiths Mxenge and others, they formed the Release Mandela Campaign in Natal,. When Griffiths Mlungisi Mxenge was murdered by the apartheid regime, Florence Mkhize had to take upon her shoulders to comfort the widow, Victoria and children.
When a call came to unite our people in the country, both black and white to build a non-racial front to fight crime against humanity, Florence Mkhize met with other comrades in Cape Town in 1983 and formed United Democratic Front (UDF).
In 1983, she worked tirelessly with Nozizwe Madlala and Mrs Victoria Mxenge, Natal Women Organisation (NOW) Chairperson and Treasurer respectively to mobilise women across racial lines. She also worked closely with Msizi Dube on Asinamali campaign in Lamontville, Durban.
Her wisdom and experience taught many generations of the struggle. It was due to her commitment that in 1996 first democratic and non-racial local government elections she was overwhelmingly elected as Lamontville ward councillor. Though her health was beginning to worry her but she stood before her health in an endeavour to serve her community in the best of her ability. Florence Mkhize dedicated her life to the struggle. Rightful so, the ANC Women's League awarded Florence Mkhize the Bravery Award in 1998 at its 50th Anniversary.
As a freedom fighter, a veteran of our glorious people's army, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), in 1999 at an MK Military Veterans Conference in Durban, Nelson Mandela bestowed on her a Military Gold Medal.
The ANC deeps its revolutionary banner in memory of this veteran of the struggle.
Mam Flo was an inspiration to us. We will honour her spirit of no surrender. Her spirit of no surrender will live with us. She may rest in peace for the seeds of her struggle and that of her organisation, the ANC, are beginning to germinate. The ANC sends its deepest condolences to the Mkhize family, friends and relatives.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, 17 July 1999 at Roman Catholic Church, Lamontville, Durban. Other funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.
Issued by: ANC KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Leadership
Contact Sipho Gcebashe, ANC Provincial Secretary.
11 July 1999