Issued by: North West Communication Service
19 June 1997
The North West Acting Premier Zacharia Tolo, on behalf of the people, the government and the African National Congress in the province, wishes to express his heartfelt sorrow to the family, friends and the national democratic movement at the sad news of the passing away of the veteran of human rights struggle, Mrs Frances Baard.
The death of Mrs Baard, 84, brings to an end an illustrious career as a champion for the rights of women and the people of South Africa as a whole.
She and fellow freedom fighters, Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph and Mrs J B Marks led the historic march to the Union Buildings in 1956 to protest against the extension of pass laws to African women, a move which visited the injustices of raciapression and gender discrimination to the majority of South Africa's citizens.
She was also active in Mabopane, Odi region, as a member of the ANC branch and the civic movement during the 1980s, inviting the ire of the Bophuthatswana homeland administration, which had no scruples to harass an old woman whose only fault was to articulate the plight and aspirations of her fellow citizens.
The Acting Premier sends his personal condolences and those of the provincial government to the Baard family.