NOW that the mourning for Winnie Madikizela- Mandela is over, the work she started must continue in earnest.
Tributes lauded her indefatigable fight against all forms of injustice and the unrivalled victories she scored still echo across the world.
For that, she will forever remain in the hearts of many.
Her charm ignited fires of passion for the betterment of the country in many young women’s hearts.
She, like the ‘new dawn’ the country rides on today, has inspired a spirit of hope and renewal in young women to realise that they need to pick up the baton.
Given this, though, the nation should not forget the victory she failed to notch.
While many among us would like to hush her fight for the Qunu homestead, that fight symbolised the claim women should make in today’s South Africa.
Emotive as it is, the issue of land and women must be placed in the centre of the land debate.
Anything less than that would be a betrayal of the worst kind to Winnie.
Women have been kept in the periphery of such deliberations for a long time, even though they are the ones who crack their nails and soles working the land – as the cheapest labour nogal!The sprinkling of women in commercial farming, the built industry, and other areas is a good demonstration of their immense proficiencies.
More opportunities must be opened up for more of them.
It must be remembered that her fight did not only rattle the mighty hold to power of those in royalty.
Her claim to the Qunu homestead had gone as far as the high court and only death could stop her from striving for what is right.
Her fight was a challenge to the exclusive male ownership of land in rural settings – something that seems to be sacrosanct.
Her fight highlighted the fact that patriarchy still holds sway in traditional societies, hence issues such as inheritance are always clothed in controversy.
If personages such as Winnie could be treatednin such disparaging ways, how much more the illiterate women in rural areas?
Opening land ownership to women would be the best gesture to honour Winnie.
Her undaunted fight for the dignity of women shouldn’t be in vain.
Lawmakers should revisit the inheritance clauses to correct the treatment of women as sub-humans in their country.
Winnie’s victory in this regard will be our victory as the nation.
