Alumnus launches book on contributions of Charlotte Maxeke to liberation struggle

With the general outcry of moral decay and a deficit of ethical leadership in various spheres of society and government in South Africa, a book emphasising morality and ethics is both prompt and noteworthy – especially since the government has declared 2021 as ‘The Year of Charlotte Maxeke’.

Struggle icon Charlotte Maxeke has a long list of firsts as a black woman involved in multiracial movements, as well as a strong commitment to ethical leadership. A book drawing lessons from her life has been published. Titled “Lessons from Charlotte Makgomo Mannya-Maxeke”, the book was launched virtually on October 7 by the University of Limpopo (UL) in collaboration with the Charlotte Mannya Maxeke Leadership Legacy.

The book gives an important insight into the power of education, influence, and clean leadership. The author Advocate Modidima Mannya, a UL alumnus, says the book is a timely publication written in an era when former freedom fighters, fuelled by excessive greed, have a sense of entitlement to loot state resources unabatedly.

Adv Mannya described Maxeke as a cooperative leader whose values were deeply entrenched in the service of humanity, resulting in the Ubuntu philosophy being deduced as the revolving theme throughout the book.

Adv Mannya stated that while writing the book, he was surprised to discover that Maxeke’s identity and character had been so distorted over the years.

“Some have not hesitated to classify her on an ethnic basis, and even that got it entirely wrong. Some have conveniently characterised her to reduce her to the status of a mere gender activist, which I believe is part of the narrative to undermine the impact of African women, in particular,” said Adv Mannya.

He stated that when one mentions Koko Charlotte, as he referred to her as grandmother during the book presentation, one is forced to mention the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.

“That is an institution that made Koko Charlotte and who she became,” he informed saying the AME Church was born of the desire for freedom and equality, which created the building blocks for this giant to be made.

Adv Mannya added that the Bantu Women’s League was a product of a grave historical injustice perpetrated by colonialists and patriarchs.

“It was formed after a decision to reject the participation of women in the South African Native Convention. The first pass law protests were mounted under Koko Charlotte’s leadership but because the hunters write the narrative, we are only told about the past protests of many years later without being told that these later processes were a lesson from what the women, led by Koko Charlotte, did many years earlier,” he contested.

Adv Mannya then invited the audience to imagine a woman who gave her all in the service of humanity during the darkest period in history.

“We must imagine a woman who never abused that position in their time and who was a true servant,” he stated.

The book is critical in this watershed moment in South African political discourse in which there is an intense battle between those who would like to restore ethical leadership and those who would like to maintain the status quo of corruption.

UL alumnus Dr. Mathews Phosa, who wrote the book’s foreword, submitted that Charlotte Maxeke, as a servant, would not have approved of the state of affairs in modern South Africa, where corruption is rampant.

“She vehemently and tirelessly opposed corruption and all forms of injustices. That’s why we are celebrating here today and this whole year,” said Phosa.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Partnerships at UL, Prof Jesika Singh, said that the book presents Charlotte Maxeke’s life from the perspective of a loved one (Adv Mannya-grandson). She said that in an age where values and morals are on the back burner, Maxeke’s lessons serve as a reminder that humility, selflessness, and service to others can change the world.

“In a day and age where women are vulnerable to abuse, human trafficking, and patriarchy remaining the order of the day, let us come together and fight for the rights of the downtrodden, the vulnerable, and those who suffer gender discrimination,” urged Prof Singh.

She implored that Maxeke’s legacy is something that should be taught in schools. Maxeke was often honoured as the ‘Mother of Black Freedom in South Africa’, and had an ANC nursery school named after her in Tanzania. She died in Johannesburg in 1939.

By Moses Moreroa