ANC deputy secretary general and former ambassador Jessie Duarte was laid to rest on Sunday afternoon.
She succumbed to cancer on Sunday morning and, as per Muslim rites, she was buried after a funeral service at Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg.
In his message of condolence, President Cyril Ramaphosa described Duarte as a selfless leader whose love and passion for assisting the poor were immeasurable.
“Jessie Duarte’s sense of justice was keen. Her sympathies for the poor, the vulnerable, the destitute, and the marginalised ran deep.
“She had empathy and could walk in other people’s shoes and see through their eyes. It is this that enabled her to see the suffering of our people and empathise with them.
“She took up their cause and stood firm on her principles, even when her stance attracted criticism or personal attack. She was a champion of the oppressed everywhere,” said Ramaphosa.
The president said ANC officials had planned to visit Duarte on Sunday afternoon, but were instead met by the news of her death.
He stressed the pivotal role played by her in her pursuit of equality.
“As the secretary of the Federation of Transvaal Women, she was part of building and leading a powerful women’s movement that directly challenged the oppression of black women and shook the foundations of the apartheid state.
“She mobilised women across the country to resist the restrictions imposed upon them by a racist and sexist political system and a patriarchal society.”
Ramaphosa declared a special official funeral for Duarte.
She was granted the special funeral as a result of having been South Africa’s ambassador to Mozambique from 1999 to 2003.
The 69-year-old Duarte was undergoing cancer treatment and had been on medical leave since November last year. – News24