Remembering Florence Mophosho (1921 – 1985): Forty Years On
(Obituary, “Florence Mophosho, 1921 – 1985”, Sechaba, November 1985)
The South African national democratic revolution lost one of its most stout-hearted and able fighters with the death of Mama Florence Mophosho in Lusaka, on Women’s Day, 9 August 1985. Mama Florence was born in Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, the first of three children, in 1921. Her father was ill, and her mother – who had trained as a teacher – worked as a domestic worker. Because of the need to help her mother bring up the younger children, Florence left school at Standard Six and went to work, first as a domestic worker and later in a factory.
‘Domestic work’ in South Africa then was akin to imprisonment: long working hours, no free time (except Sunday afternoon), no access to anybody (even your children were not supposed to be with you), nobody knew how you lived, the ‘madam’ knew you as ‘Jane’ or ‘Jemina’.
But life is not static. It changes. Small incidents or historical events can have such an impact that communities or individuals change. The Defiance Campaign in 1952 was such an event. Inspired by the Defiance Campaign, she joined the African National Congress (ANC). She was inspired first by the leaders of Alexandra Township, and this included Alfred Nzo and TT Nkobi. As she became more involved in the ANC, she met other leaders – Moses Kotane, Moretsele, JB Marks, OR Tambo, Nelson Mandela and
