Her leadership and efforts to changing the conditions of communities while looking at ways to share experiences with the younger generation are pioneering. This was the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development’s message during the Charlotte Maxeke business breakfast and public lecture at the University of the Free State’s Bloemfontein Campus yesterday. Didiza spoke among others about feminist leadership, and South Africa’s land debate.

She said when South Africans are calm and sober they will be able to find solutions to the land issue, especially with regards to land inequality which is a reality in the country. She said land remains a resource for economic and social development.

Maxeke was born in Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape and was a colossus that impacted positively to South Africa and beyond. She was the first black woman to graduate and have a BSC Degree in Southern Africa in 1901. She was the first woman to participate in the Kings Courts under King Sabata Dalindyebo of AbaThembu and they started a school under this royal family. She was also the only woman that attended the first ANC conference in 1912 while she was also an initiator, organiser and the first President of Bantu Women's League in 1918 which later became the ANC Women's League. 

OFM News’ Christal-Lize Muller caught up with Didiza and managed to briefly speak to her after she delivered the public lecture….

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