She was 91 years old.
Mbeki said Khuzwayo would be remembered for her outstanding role in the struggle against apartheid and for the development of literature in South Africa.
“She became one of the pathfinders of our democratic dispensation whilst serving her country and people as a member of the Legislature between 1994 and 1999,” he said.
He expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Khuzwayo.
The Gauteng government also paid tribute to her, saying her contribution would be missed as the country prepared to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the June 16 uprisings.
“Ellen Khuzwayo spoke out against the denial of a decent education to black children and stopped teaching in protest at the brutal way the apartheid government squashed the 1976 student uprising,” the provincial government said in a statement.
Khuzwayo was a prolific author and her published works included Call me Woman and Sit and Listen: Stories from South Africa.
The Universities of Natal, Port Elizabeth and Witwatersrand awarded her honorary doctorates in recognition of her remarkable work.
Although she worked as a teacher after graduating from Lovedale College in 1936, her career peaked when she accepted a position as General Secretary of the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) -Transvaal Region in 1964.
Khuzwayo maintained connections with her community, encouraging women to work together in groups.
Shrotly after the 1976 uprisings, she was chosen by Soweto residents as a member of the Group of Ten. But all members were arrested by the police and detained without trial.
She was held in the Johannesburg Fort for five months.
Khuzwayo is survived by two sons, two daughters-in-law, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
She will be buried next Friday in Soweto. – BuaNews
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