Sheila Weinberg

Born 1 October 1945
Died 11 November 2004

Anti-apartheid activist, African National Congress member and former Gauteng MPL Sheila Weinberg (59) died in the intensive care unit of the Linksfield clinic in Johannesburg on the night of Thursday, 11 November 2004. She suffered a brain aneurysm two weeks earlier and had not recovered consciousness.

Sheila was the daughter of anti-apartheid photographer and trade unionist Eli Weinberg who, with his wife Violet, were African National Congress and South African Communist Party members. She leaves her only son, Mark, who continues to contribute to the building of democracy in the NGO sector in Cape Town. Sheila's life long contribution to the struggle for liberation and transformation forms part of the proud history of the liberation movement.

Sheila served as a member of the Gauteng legislature from 1994 to 2004 and worked actively in her constituency in Westonaria, as well as in the area where she lived in Johannesburg East.

Sheila was born in Johannesburg and from an early age was part of her parent 's political activities. Sheila's brother Mark was born in 1941 and died at the age of 24. He was deaf as a result of head injuries sustained in a car accident while a young child. Both of his parents were in prison at the time of his death, and Sheila had to carry the burden alone.

The Weinberg family made an enormous contribution to the building of our non-racial democracy. Eli Weinberg left Latvia and came to South Africa in 1929. In 1932 he joined the Communist Party of South Africa and from 1933 to 1953 he was active in the trade union movement in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg. By 1948, the year Sheila was born, her father was restricted from carrying out his trade union work and supported the family by taking up photography. From 1953 onwards he was placed under further banning orders. Eli could not be a delegate to the Congress of the People in Kliptown in 1955, but he was 'conspicuously present' taking photographs from nearby houses. Sheila, then only 7years old, did attend this historic event. When the State of Emergency was declared in 1960, both Eli and Violet were banned and Eli was detained for a period of three months. In 1964, Violet was called upon to serve on the Central Committee of the Communist party.

In November 1965 Violet was arrested and interrogated non-stop for 70 hours concerning the whereabouts of Bram Fischer. In this time she was kept standing almost the whole time. She was then held for 179 days incommunicado in detention. Eli was arrested together with Bram Fischer and held in detention for seven months. After a lengthy trial, he was found guilty of being a member of the Central Committee of the South African Communist Party and sentenced to five years' imprisonment. On his release in 1970 he was banned for five years and restricted to his house and was required to report daily to the police. In 1976, at the height of the Soweto uprisings, Eli left the country for Tanzania where he was later joined by Violet. Sheila was then 28 years old. Eli Weinberg died on 18 July 1982 in exile in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Violet returned to South Africa after political organizations were unbanned and died a few years later.

Sheila was born into the struggle for freedom and social justice and did all she could to confront apartheid injustice. In 1964, she was the youngest detainee in South Africa when at the age of 17 she was held at The Johannesburg Fort under the 90 day detention provisions. She was held for 65 days and released without charge. Her mother was held in a cell close to hers. She later served a short jail term for painting a pro-ANC slogan on a public building. In 1976 she was served with a banning order spanning a number of years that restricted her to Johannesburg and confined her to her home at night, weekends and holidays. At the time she was secretary of the Human Rights Committee which based its demands on the UN Declaration of Human Rights and published a bulletin detailing apartheid repression (the journal was also banned).

In February, 1977 she was accused with Jeanette Curtis (later Jeanette Schoon who was murdered by an apartheid death squad in Angola with her daughter when she opened a parcel bomb) of breaking their banning orders by speaking to each other. They were acquitted. She was later convicted of 'attending a pre-arranged social gathering' - lunch with a friend and was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment, suspended for 3 years. She appealed against her conviction but although the Transvaal Division of the Supreme Court reduced the sentence, it upheld the conviction.

Sheila testified before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission at the amnesty application of police officer, Paul Erasmus who as part of Operation Omega of the Security Branch was involved in "dirty tricks" against white activists like Sheila Weinberg, Helen Joseph and Beyers Naudé, ranging from fire bombing their homes to interfering with their vehicles.

She was central to the activities of the Johannesburg Democratic Action Committee (Jodac), Black Sash, and 5 Freedoms Forum - all dedicated to building broad support for the movement among the middle class and in activating white resistance to apartheid in particular. Sheila was a founder member and played a leading role in the establishment of the Administrative Training Project which provided training and support to civics, trade unions and the UDF in the 80s. Her work for the Henk van Handel Trust was also significant. She also was a founding member of Friends of UDF - which raised funds for the UDF when it was restricted.

Sheila maintained an important friendship with Helen Joseph who was a friend of her mother before Violet and Eli Weinberg went into exile. At her Norwood home, the home she grew up in, she would frequently accommodate those in need. Her kitchen table often had chairs drawn around it as people discussed politics. During the Delmas trial which had people like Defence Minister, Mosiuoa Lekota and former North West premier, Popo Molefe as defendants, Sheila was one of their most frequent visitors traveling the arduous three hour journey there and back, taking food and books, when allowed, for the trialists. Her son Mark would accompany her during school holidays.

Sheila was a valued member of the Gauteng Legislature and made an important contribution for 10 years to the building of our democracy through this institution. She took a particular interest in Finance and Economic Affairs, Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Land Affairs. She was particularly passionate about the rights of the disabled and was persistent in her pursuit of these rights. Her constituency was Westonaria, and she worked diligently in this area taking a particular interest in the development of emerging farmers.

After retiring in April 2004, Sheila was enthusiastically pursuing her interest in pottery and had opened a pottery studio at home. Even in this recreational interest she sought to assist others and was training and sharing her resources with unemployed aspirant artists. She was also involved in a personal development programme which, in her own words, "enhances your sense of your own humanity, and hence allows you to relate in a more real way with others".

Sheila Weinberg spent her life in the service of freedom and social justice. She never sought status, fame, leadership or wealth; she preferred to play a backroom role - as an engineer of change. Her life was humble and exemplary in the service of the land and people she loved.

Issued by the Office of the Speaker, Gauteng Legislature 16th November 2004