African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa has described Lungi Mnganga-Gcabashe as a woman of integrity, courageous, and very compassionate.
Ramaphosa was delivering the eulogy at the funeral of the ANC Women’s League deputy president, who passed away last weekend after a short illness, aged 64.
Ramaphosa adds that her legacy must live on and her life must be celebrated, as she had an impact on many people’s lives.
The funeral service started with tributes from relatives as well as National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza and leaders from the ANC and its alliance partners.
The President also conveyed condolences to the family of anti-apartheid stalwart Gertrude Shope, who died at her home in Gauteng on Thursday at the age of 99.
Ramaphosa says gender-based violence is a pandemic and a scourge that continues to destroy lives and divide communities.
He told thousands of mourners that she was always one of the first people to take to the streets to protest against gender based violence.
“We must recognise, as she did, that this is not a struggle not to be waged by women alone. It’s a struggle that men must also pursue with as much vigor and purpose and resolve as the women of our country, but perhaps to an even greater extent than the women, because it is us, men, who are the perpetrators, and it is us, men, who must mobilise amongst our own.”
