“A Legacy in Question: Remembering Gertrude Shope Amid the ANC’s Struggles”
Viable News Team 
By [Viable Media]
Johannesburg – August 2025
As the African National Congress (ANC) Women’s League gathered in Johannesburg to commemorate what would have been the 100th birthday of struggle stalwart Gertrude Shope, the mood was both celebratory and somber. While speakers paid tribute to a life of unwavering commitment to justice and gender equality, there was an unspoken tension hanging in the air a reckoning with the uncomfortable truth that the movement Shope gave her life to is not the movement she left behind.
ANC veteran and Minister of International Relations, Dr. Naledi Pandor, spoke candidly during the commemorative event. Her words cut through the ceremony with honesty that many in the party have struggled to voice: “Gertrude Shope would have been deeply disappointed with the ANC today.”
It was a powerful admission, one that reflects a broader sentiment growing within the ranks of former liberation fighters those who remember a time when political office was not about power, but about service.
A Woman of Iron Will and Integrity
Gertrude Shope’s life was one of selfless dedication. Born in 1925, she became a leading figure in the anti-apartheid struggle, playing a critical role in the formation of the ANC Women’s League and later serving as its president. Her activism took her into exile, where she represented the ANC across the globe, championing the rights of South African women and pushing the global community to confront the brutality of apartheid.
Shope was not just a foot soldier; she was a visionary, a strategist, and, above all, a woman of principle.
“She despised corruption,” said ANC stalwart Snuki Zikalala at the memorial. “She believed in ethical leadership and was never afraid to speak the truth, even when it was uncomfortable.”
Those who knew her best say Shope remained critical of the ANC’s shortcomings, even in her later years. She watched with concern as public service faltered, municipalities collapsed under the weight of mismanagement, and trust in the ruling party began to erode.
“She was aware of the failings in local government,” said Pandor. “And she did not shy away from pointing out that our public service has too often become a site of inefficiency and neglect.”
A Party at a Crossroads
The ANC that Shope helped build disciplined, united, and driven by moral clarity is now navigating a period of deep internal crisis. Corruption scandals, factional infighting, and declining public support have plagued the party, culminating in an historic low during the 2024 national elections.
It’s within this context that Shope’s legacy feels particularly relevant and painfully ironic. Her lifelong fight for justice, accountability, and dignity stands in stark contrast to the reality on the ground today.
Municipalities across South Africa continue to struggle with basic service delivery. Auditor-General reports regularly flag irregular expenditure, while many citizens remain without access to clean water, reliable electricity, or safe housing. Despite these failures, political accountability is rare, and cadre deployment continues to trump merit.
Pandor’s comments, then, were not just about honoring Shope they were a call to action. A reminder that the struggle did not end in 1994. It merely changed form.
The Weight of a Legacy
As the ANC Women’s League reflected on Shope’s 100th birthday, there was a recognition that celebrating her is not enough. To truly honor her memory, the party must embody the values she lived by: discipline, humility, and above all, integrity.
“We must ask ourselves,” said Pandor, “what would she say if she saw the state of the ANC today? Would she recognize the party she gave her life to?”
It’s a question that many in the movement are beginning to ask especially the younger generation, many of whom feel alienated from a party that once inspired millions.
Shope’s legacy is not simply a historical artifact to be admired; it’s a moral compass that the ANC must find its way back to. Her life is a mirror, and what it reflects today is deeply uncomfortable.
Remembering Her Rightly
There’s a tendency in South African political culture to revere struggle heroes after death while ignoring or contradicting their values in life. The memorial for Shope risks becoming yet another example unless it sparks a serious reckoning within the ANC.
Tributes and commemorations are easy. Reform is hard.
But if the party is to survive if it is to remain the home of the people as Shope intended it must confront its failures with honesty and urgency. It must admit, as Pandor did, that one of its brightest daughters would be heartbroken by the party’s current trajectory.
And it must act.
Because to truly remember Gertrude Shope is to finish the work she began not with slogans or songs, but with the kind of ethical leadership and public service that puts people, not politics, first.
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