A Mustafa Butt Production

Author of book: Chris van Wyk

Lilian Ngoyi wanted to be a teacher. She

went to the school in Pretoria called

Kilnerton Teacher Training College. Her

Parents couldn’t afford the school so she

dropped out of the school and instead of

becoming a teacher she became a nurse

at City Deep Hospital.

Lilian's Mother’s name was Annie

Matabane. Her Father’s name was John

Matabane. Lilian had 5 brothers. At the

City Deep Hospital Lilian met a man

named John Ngoyi. They were married

and had 1 kid. Her name was Edith Ngoyi.

Soon after Edith was born, her husband

died. She also had an adopted daughter

named Memory.

Lilian was a Christian, so she went to

church. She prayed every night. One day

when she was in church she heard the

story of Esther in the Bible. In this story a

girl named Esther begs the Persian King,

Xerxes, to not kill the Jews. The king

listened to her and he didn’t kill the jews.

So now Lilian knows that to get help you

help yourself first.

In 1912 the African National Congress was formed, and in 1953 the African National Congress Woman’s League was formed. In 1954 Lilian Ngoyi became the National President of ANCWL. On the 17 April 1954, The Federation of South African Woman was formed. In 1955 She was smuggled to Switzerland in Europe to show the world how bad apartheid was. She was accompanied by Helen Joseph. In 1959 she became national president of Fedsaw.

In 1955 the government decided to make passbooks to prevent Black men to move to urban areas. You had to have one if you were 16 or over. In the passbook was your name, your picture, your address, etc. There were also stamps to say if you were allowed in certain areas. A policeman could stop you on the road to see your passbook. If you didn’t have a stamp or if you didn’t have your passbook you would most probably be arrested.

In 1956 the government decided to give the woman passbooks also. Fedsaw planned a protest for this. So in 1956 9 August, 20,000 woman, of all races, marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria. When they marched they sang a song called ‘You Strike a Woman, You strike a rock! They didn’t stop that law, but, on 9th August every year that is woman’s day here in S.A.

This is a passbook from the time of apartheid.

On the 5th of December 1956, the government came and arrested Lilian. They took her to the Johannesburg Central prison. At the prison there was a separation. Woman were in a different part than men, and Different races were in a different part. On 19th December 1956 all of the prisoners were accused of treason. If they were proven guilty than they might have died. The treason trial started in 1957 and ended in 1961. Everyone involved in the trial was proven innocent.

During the treason trial the PAC (Pan-African Congress) made an anti-pass campaign. It happened on 21st March 1960. The anti-pass campaign was that everyone in Sharpeville should leave their passbook at home and go to the police station and get themselves arrested. When they did it the Police got scared so they started shooting. 69 died and a lot of others were injured. The whole world heard about this and now everyone knew how horrible apartheid was. The government didn’t care. It was declared to be a state of emergency, so hundreds of people, including Lilian, were arrested. Lilian was released soon after she was arrested.

In 1961 Lilian was banned from Fedsaw for

5 years! A year later, in 1962 she was

living in Orlando, Soweto and she was

banned from leaving Orlando for 10

years! Finally, in 1972 she continued her

work and spoke out to people to

encourage them. Then, in 1975 she was

banned for another 5 years!

Unfortunately, Lilian (some people called her MaNgoyi) died in 1980 March 12 just two months away from the end of the ban. She was 68 years old when she died. But, she died on my birthday and she died on the date this project was due! Many people attended her funeral. Blacks and Whites both attended. They sang the hym “Nkosi Sikel’ iafrika. That means ‘God Bless Africa.’

The legacy that Lilian Ngoyi has, is she has

a square named after her called, Lilian

Ngoyi Square. It is in Pretoria. It was the

place where those 20,000 woman

marched for their rights and for their

freedom. We will always remember…

LILIAN NGOYI

Her grave

Click below to see my easybib!

http://easybib.com/key/73059e

Go to address below to see more!

http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/lilian-

masediba-ngoyi

Massacre – A lot of people killed at one time in a mean way.

Mealie Pap – Porridge made from corn Rural – In the countryside. State of Emergency – A bad time when

the government doesn’t follow proper rules so they make new ones.

Treason – The crime of trying to take over the government

Urban – In the cities and the towns.