The ANC in the Northern Cape has described Tina Joemat-Pettersson as a gallant leader who fought against apartheid from a young age.
It said Joemat-Pettersson had also served in various structures of the party in the cause of the Struggle.
Joemat-Pettersson rose through the ranks of government, first serving in the provincial legislature from 1994 to 2009. She was appointed minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries after the 2009 elections.
Acting secretary of the ANC in the Northern Cape, Maruping Lekwene said there was no doubt about Joemat-Pettersson’s credentials as a leader in government.
“Comrade Tina passed on at a time when the Northern Cape had resolved to support her in contesting for the deputy presidency of the ANC Women’s League and with this move having found expression countrywide as we awaited the declaration of the nomination processes. It should also be noted that as a province, we were behind Tina contesting for the first deputy secretary-general (position) at the ANC’s 55th national conference at Nasrec in December last year,” said Lekwene.
Lekwene said Joemat-Pettersson had started her activism in the Azanian Students Organisation and was then part of the struggles waged by the United Democratic Front.
Joemat-Pettersson then became a leader of Sadtu in the Northern Cape and the SACP.
This was before she joined the provincial government at the age of 30 when she became MEC Agriculture before moving to other portfolios during her time in the province.
Current Affairs