Sister Bernard Ncube

Sister Mary Bernard Ncube (1932 - August 31, 2012) was a South African nun and anti-apartheid activist. As a Catholic nun, she often faced criticism from the church over her politics, including her more liberal stance on abortion.[1] Because of her anti-apartheid activities, she was often arrested and is probably the first nun to be arrested in South Africa.[2]

Biography

Ncube was born in 1932 in Johannesburg.[3] She earned a degree in theology from the Roma College in Lesotho and entered the Companions Catholic Order in 1955.[3] She worked as a teacher until 1960.[3]

Ncube lived at the St. Mary's Convent in Kagiso where she was known around the community as Mma Rona (Our Mother).[4] Ncube helped establish the Federation of Transvaal Women (FEDTRAW).[5] Previously, she had been very active with youth groups in Kagiso.[6] In 1984, she became the president of FEDTRAW.[4]

In 1983, she was arrested and sentenced to four months[7] in prison for possessing "banned literature."[6] The item in her possession was a pamphlet published by the African National Congress (ANC), which had been outlawed in South Africa.[8]

In 1986, Ncube was arrested for attending a United Democratic Front (UDF) gathering, and was later let out on a $200 bail on the charge of attending an illegal gathering.[9] Not long after, police with dogs raided her convent and took over 70 documents, many relating to the UDF.[10] In March of 1986, a gasoline bomb was tossed into her convent room, fortunately not harming anyone.[11] Later that year, in June, she was detained again and "held in solitary confinement under Section 29 of the Internal Security Act for over one year."[4] During much of that time, she did not have access to necessary medical supplies or the type of special diet she needed.[4] Eventually she was released on bail.[4] Ncube was banned from Kagiso in 1987.[6] On March 17, 1988, the government dropped the charges against her.[2]

In 1989, she was part of a UDF delegation to meet with President George Bush.[3] Ncube went a "nation-wide speaking tour" of the United States and sponsored by Global Exchange in 1990.[12] In 1991, she started to serve as a member of the National Executive Committee for the ANC.[3]

Ncube was elected into Parliament in 1994 and chaired the portfolio committee on arts and culture.[13] She became the mayor of the West Rand municipality in 2002.[1]

See also

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Moshenberg, Sammie (2 September 2012). "Hamba Kahle Sister Bernard Ncube". Women In and Beyond the Global. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  2. 1 2 "National Newsbriefs". The Catholic Advance. 24 March 1988. Retrieved 16 September 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sister Bernard Ncube". South African History Online. 17 February 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Davis, Jennifer (May 1988). A Woman's Place Is In the Struggle - Not Behind Bars (PDF) (pamphlet). The Federation of Transvaal Women. pp. 18–19.
  5. ↑ "Sister Ncube Described as Champion of Women's Rights". SABC. 7 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 Van Kessel 2000, p. 159.
  7. ↑ "Black South African Nun Jailed for Radical Papers". Jet. 65 (20): 24. 23 January 1984. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  8. ↑ "South African Nun Convicted Of Having an Illegal Pamphlet". The New York Times. 9 December 1983. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  9. ↑ Parks, Michael (11 January 1986). "6 Lawmakers End S. Africa Trip, Insisting on Sanctions". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  10. ↑ "Seven Miners Die in S. African Fight". Santa Cruz Sentinel. 20 January 1986. Retrieved 16 September 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "The World". Los Angeles Times. 25 March 1986. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  12. ↑ "Recent Meetings". ASA News: For African Studies Association Members. 23 (1): 27. January 1990.
  13. ↑ "Zuma Saddened by Death of Sister Bernard Ncube". Mail & Guardian. 1 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2016.

Sources

External links

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