Albertina Sisulu

Nontsikelelo Albertina Thethiwe was born on 21 October 1918 in the village of Camama in the Eastern Cape. Orphaned at the age of eleven, she was raised by Catholic missionaries at the Mariazell Mission, where she trained as a nurse.

In 1944, Albertina married Walter Sisulu, beginning a partnership that would span six decades. Together they raised eight children. But Albertina was far more than a wife and mother; she was a leader in her own right, a founding member of the ANC Women's League, and a courageous activist who faced arrest, banning orders, and police harassment with unshakeable dignity.

During the 1950s, Albertina played a central role in the women's anti-pass campaigns. She was one of the organisers of the historic women's march to the Union Buildings in 1956. Her nursing skills were put to use in the townships, where she cared for the sick and injured during the violence of the apartheid era.

When Walter was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964, Albertina became the sole provider for her family. She was banned and restricted to Orlando, Soweto. Despite these constraints, she continued her work through underground networks, establishing health clinics and supporting the families of political prisoners. Her home became a sanctuary for activists.

After Walter's release in 1989, Albertina returned to public life. She was elected president of the United Democratic Front and later co-president of the ANC Women's League. She served as a member of parliament from 1994 to 1999. Albertina Sisulu passed away on 2 June 2011 at the age of ninety-two and was laid to rest alongside Walter at Croesus Cemetery in Soweto.