Dora Tamana: 'We have opened the way for you'

Abstract

Dora Tamana grew up working hard to survive, and left school in Standard Four, but she never thought of herself or her family as poor. She did not read newspapers, and was unaware of momentous events like the Union of South Africa, the 1913 Land Act and World War I. But when she experienced forcible removal from her informal dwelling on the Cape Flats, she responded with a determination that became the hallmark of her long and dedicated commitment to the freedom struggle. She was a grassroots activist who had an innate understanding of social and gender issues, an inspirational leader, a poet, and an advocate for tolerance and equity long before the words gained the significance they now hold.