Mama Nomaka Epainette Mbeki was a selfless revolutionary, an educator, community builder and one of the mothers of our nation and midwives of our freedom for democracy, North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo said in paying tribute to veteran struggle heroine who died in the early hours of Saturday.
 “Ma-Mbeki lived for her community and gave her life and everything that was hers to the course for the struggle for liberation of our people. In her we have lost a humble role model, a courageous and fearless anti-apartheid activist and an independent thinker. Her passing away has left the Ngcingwane rural community and South Africa poorer but enriched by invaluable lessons to be learnt from her legacy of selflessness,” Premier Mahumapelo said.“On behalf of the provincial government and the people of North West Province, we wish to express our heartfelt condolences to former President Thabo Mbeki, his brother Moeletsi, the Moerane and Mbeki families who are in mourning and communities she loved and served,” Mahumapelo added.
The 98-year- old Ma-Mbeki who was the second black woman to join the Communist Party of South Africa after Josie Palmer (nee Mphama) in 1937 was the brain behind the Khanyisa beadwork project, which has sustained the art of traditional African beadwork and provided livelihoods for 24 women in her rural village.
She was also a prominent force in the
 Linda Mbeki Hospice which operates  from the former Mbeki home in Mbuweleni founded to commemorate the life of her daughter who died in 2005.
Ma-Mbeki who was passionate about education had also established the Nomaka Mbeki Technical Senior Secondary School
 and owned the Goodwill Trading Store, whose cash-counting and bookkeeping she did herself.
Among the accolades that the hard working Ma-Mbeki had earned was the Community Builder of the Year award, the  NAFCOC founder member award, a Transkei chamber stalwart award, the King Cetshwayo African Image Award and the Eastern Cape arts and culture award for Khanyisa, given her by former Premier of the Eastern Cape Rev
 Makhenkhesi Stofile.
Ma-Mbeki was also recipient of the Order of the Baobab in Gold National Award conferred on her by the South African government for her “exceptional contribution to the economic upliftment of the underprivileged communities of the Eastern Cape and her commitment to the fight against apartheid.”
Rhodes University had also conferred the degree od Doctors of Laws,honoris causa on her in 2012.
-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_