On 9 August 1956, an estimated 20 000 women from all corners of South Africa and from every racial background converged on the Union Buildings in Pretoria. Their unified purpose was to protest the extension of the hated pass laws to African women, a move by the apartheid government designed to further control and restrict their freedom of movement.
This monumental event, organised by the Federation of South African Women (FSAW), saw women leave thousands of petitions at the office door of then-Prime Minister J.G. Strijdom, stand in a powerful, 30-minute silent protest, and sing the defiant words that would echo through history: ‘Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo’ — you strike the women, you strike the rock.
Among the many inspired by this era of resistance was Mariam Saloojee-Vally, a political and social activist whose own journey began in the shadow of her father’s defiance. Her political awakening started around 1946, at the tender age of ten, when her father, Maulvi Ismail Saloojee, was imprisoned for his role in the passive resistance campaign.
While initially confused, thinking her father had committed a crime, her uncle explained the reality of the situation. “He said to us, ‘no your father’s doing a very good job. He’s defying a law that is unjust to many people’,” Saloojee-Vally recalls.
This moment ignited a lifelong commitment to justice, a value her father continuously instilled in his children. He told them, “I’m inculcating these values to you so that you carry the torch of freedom always in your heart. And if there’s any injustices anywhere in the world, anywhere around you, you always see that you fight for the truth and equality of people.”
This foundational belief shaped Saloojee-Vally’s life, from her activism to her career as a teacher during the darkest days of apartheid. While open political discussion was impossible under the watch of uncooperative principals, she found discreet ways to empower her students.
“We had talked about justice to the children. We asked and discussed about racial segregation, how and what they thought about it,” she explains.
She saw her students as the future and used every opportunity, whether on the sports field or during excursions, to convey a powerful message: “You are the torchbearers of the future of South Africa.”
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A new struggle for an old promise
Decades after the fall of apartheid, Saloojee-Vally expresses a profound sense of disappointment with the current state of the nation, particularly in education. The dream of a liberated South Africa, where schools would be well-resourced and every child would have an opportunity to thrive, has not been fully realised.
“What we had expected from coming out of the apartheid era, many people had thought that now our schools would be well-nourished as far as education is concerned. Unfortunately, that hasn’t taken place,” she states.
She points to systemic failures, including corruption and a lack of investment in teachers and infrastructure, as major obstacles. Classrooms are overcrowded, with sometimes 60 or 80 students, making individual attention impossible. Teachers are underpaid and undervalued, a stark contrast to their critical role in shaping society.
“The teacher is the forbearer of actually informing and educating the masses of the community,” she asserts, questioning why the profession doesn’t receive the same respect and investment as medicine or law.
Despite these challenges, her spirit remains unbroken. She believes in the potential of the country and its people, especially the youth. “I still have a great, I have great hope that we will manage to overcome these difficulties,” she says with conviction. The solution, she argues, lies in tackling corruption and making a genuine investment in the next generation. For her, the torch of freedom is not a historical artefact but a living responsibility that must be passed on.
The legacy of the 1956 march was not just about protesting a single law; it was about women claiming their power and demanding a just future for their children. The petition they delivered declared, “an insult to African women is an insult to all women.”
Today, Saloojee-Vally’s reflections serve as a powerful reminder that the fight for true liberation continues. Her life story is a testament to the idea that the struggle for justice is passed down through generations, and it is now up to the youth to carry the torch of freedom forward, ensuring that the sacrifices of the past pave the way for a truly equitable and prosperous South Africa.
Image via SAFTU.
