Mamphela Ramphele
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Mamphela Ramphele | |
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Co-President of the Club of Rome | |
Assumed office October 2018 Serving with Sandrine Dixson-Declève | |
Preceded by | Anders Wijkman |
President of Agang South Africa Founder of Agang South Africa | |
In office 18 February 2013 – 8 July 2014 | |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Andries Tlouamma |
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town | |
In office 1996–2000 | |
Chancellor | Harry Oppenheimer |
Preceded by | Stuart J. Sanders |
Succeeded by | Njabulo Ndebele |
Personal details | |
Born | Transvaal, South Africa | 28 December 1947
Domestic partner | Steve Biko |
Children | Hlumelo Biko |
Occupation |
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Known for | |
Mamphela Aletta Ramphele (/ˈmʌmpiːlə ˈrʌmpiːli/;[1][2] born 28 December 1947) is a South African politician, anti-apartheid activist, medical doctor and businesswoman.[3] She was a partner of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, with whom she had two children. She is a former vice-chancellor at the University of Cape Town and a former managing director at the World Bank.[4] Ramphele founded political party Agang South Africa in February 2013 but withdrew from politics in July 2014. Since 2018, she has been the co-president of the Club of Rome.
Early life
Ramphele, a
In 1955, Ramphele witnessed a conflict between a racist Afrikaner church minister and the people of the village of Kranspoort. This contributed to her political awakening.
Education
Ramphele attended the G. H. Frantz Secondary School but in January 1962 she left for Bethesda Normal School, a boarding school which was part of the Bethesda teachers training college. In 1964, she moved to Setotolwane High School for her matriculation where she was one of only two girls in her class. On completion of her schooling in 1966, in 1967, Ramphele enrolled for pre-medical courses at the
Ramphele received her Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) from the University of Natal, a BComm in Administration from the University of South Africa as well as diplomas in tropical health & hygiene and Public Health from the University of the Witwatersrand. In 1991 she received her PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Cape Town. Ramphele has also authored and edited a number of books.
Activism
While at university, Ramphele became increasingly involved in student politics and anti-apartheid activism, becoming one of the founders of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM), where she met Steve Biko, with whom she had a relationship. As a member of the BCM, she was crucially involved in organising and working with community development programmes. Biko and Ramphele had two children during their affair; Lerato Biko, born in 1974, and Hlumelo Biko, born in 1978. Lerato contracted fatal pneumonia when she was two months old.[7] Their son Hlumelo Biko was born after Biko's death.[8] Ramphele and her son would eventually work together in the Circle Group holding company for their family investments.[9]
Ramphele worked with the South African Students' Organisation (SASO), a breakaway from the National Union of South African Students (NUSAS) that operated on English-speaking white campuses. NUSAS had black and white students as members. SASO was formed in 1969 under the leadership of Steve Biko.
From 1970 onwards Ramphele became increasingly drawn into political activism with Biko, Barney Pityana and other student activists at the Medical School. She was elected the chairperson of the local SASO branch. Ramphele received her qualification in medicine in 1972. She began her medical internship at Durban’s King Edward VIII Hospital, later transferring to Livingstone Hospital in Port Elizabeth.
In 1974, Ramphele was charged under the Suppression of Communism Act for being in possession of banned literature. In 1975, she founded the
In April 1977, Ramphele was issued with banning orders and banished to
During her stay in Tzaneen, Ramphele enjoyed occasional illicit outings to escape everyday life, as well as visits from Helen Suzman, MP of the Progressive Party. Suzman assisted Ramphele in securing a passport when Ramphele travelled abroad. Ramphele also enjoyed visits from a Father Timothy Stanton; an Anglican priest who visited her and celebrated Eucharist with her.
In 1983, she completed her BComm degree through UNISA (the University of South Africa), which she had registered for in 1975. She also completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Tropical Hygiene and a Diploma in Public Health at the University of Witwatersrand. This required that Ramphele apply for a special dispensation to travel to Johannesburg where she had to report at the John Vorster Square Police Station upon her arrival and departure.
Ramphele left Lenyenye in 1984 to go to Port Elizabeth where she was offered a job at Livingstone Hospital. However, she left to take up an appointment at the University of Cape Town (UCT) that Francis Wilson, a Professor of Economics, had arranged. She was to work with him at the South African Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU) as a research fellow.
Career
Ramphele joined the University of Cape Town as a research
In 2000, Ramphele became one of the four
Ramphele serves as a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, and served as the director of
Ramphele also served as a trustee for the Link-SA trust, a charitable organisation that raises money to subsidise the tertiary education of South Africa's brightest underprivileged students. She was on the board of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, an organisation that supports good governance and great leadership in Africa.
She was voted 55th in the
She is co-founder of ReimagineSA
Politics
In 2013, Ramphele expressed interest in South African politics and resigned as the chairperson of
Some critics have challenged Ramphele's drawing on Steve Biko's legacy in her political campaigns.[13][14][15]
On 28 January 2014, Ramphele accepted an invitation from the
Agang South Africa won two seats in the National Assembly of South Africa. Following internal conflict within the party, Ramphele announced her withdrawal from politics on 8 July 2014.[21]
Honorary degrees and awards
Ramphele has received twenty-four honorary degrees and numerous awards,[22] including:
- Honorary doctorate University of Glasgow https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_973362_en.html 2023
- Honorary doctorate at the International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, The Netherlands, in 1997.
- Honorary Doctor of Law from the University of Cambridge in 2001.
- Honorary doctorate in humane letters from Hunter College of the City University of New York in 1984.
- Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Tufts University in May 1991.
- Honorary doctorate in medicine from the University of Natal.
- Medal of Distinction from Barnard College in the United States.
- Ramphele is also a former fellow of the Bunting Institute and was elected as an honorary member of the Alpha and Iota chapters of Phi Beta Kappa at Radcliffe and HarvardColleges.
- Honorary doctorate of humane letters degree from New York University in May 2007.
- Admitted to the Order of Simon of Cyrene in 2010.[23]
- Officer of the Legion of Honour, the highest decoration in France.
- Lifetime Achiever Award from the National Research Foundation in 2007.[24]
Publications
- Dreams, Betrayal and Hope. Penguin Random House. 2017. ISBN 9781776090921.
- A Passion for Freedom: My Life. I.B.Tauris. 2014. ISBN 978-1-78453-042-6.
- Uprooting poverty: the South African challenge : report for the Second Carnegie Inquiry into Poverty and Development in Southern Africa. David Philip. 1989. Noma Award, an annual prize given to African writers and scholars whose work is published in Africa.
- Bounds of possibility: the legacy of Steve Biko & Black consciousness. D. Philip. 1991. ISBN 978-0-86486-210-5. co-editor with Barney Pityana, Francis Wilson, et al
- Restoring the Land: Environment and Change in Post-apartheid South Africa. Panos Publications, Limited. 1991. ISBN 978-1-870670-27-2. co-editor with Chris McDowell, this publication deals with the ecological challenges facing post-apartheid South Africa.
- A Bed Called Home: Life in the Migrant Labour Hostels of Cape Town. New Africa Books. 1993. ISBN 978-0-86486-227-3. This book was based on Ramphele's PhD thesis in social anthropology, The Politics of Space, and deals with life in the migrant labour hostels of Cape Town.
- Conversations with My sons and daughters. Penguin Books Limited. 2012. ISBN 978-0-14-352982-8.
- Across Boundaries: The Journey of a South African Woman Leader. Feminist Press at CUNY. 1999. ISBN 978-1-55861-166-5. with Johnnetta B. Cole
- Steering by the Stars: Being Young in South Africa. Tafelberg. 2002. ISBN 978-0-624-04096-5.
- Laying Ghosts to Rest: Dilemmas of the Transformation in South Africa. Nb Pub Limited. 2008. ISBN 978-0-624-04579-3.
See also
Notes and references
- ^ Enoch, Benita (28 January 2014). "Mamphela...Mampeela... wait, what?". eNCA. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
- ^ "'This is not about me' says DA Presidential Candidate Mamphela Ramphele". Primedia Broadcasting. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014. Name pronunciation question starts around 10.30 minutes.
- ^ Campbell 2004, pp. 162–163.
- ^ a b Mamphela Ramphele to the rescue? Daily Maverick
- ^ "Dr Mamphela Aletta Ramphele". South African History Online. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
- ^ Leib, Bonnie. "Mamphela Ramphele, a Biography" (PDF). womeninworldhistory.com.
- ^ Mothibeli, Tefo. "Mamphela Ramphele: Academic Giant and Ray of Hope" Archived 25 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Financial Mail, Johannesburg, 7 July 2006.
- ^ Daley, Suzanne. "The Standards Bearer", NY Times, New York, 13 April 1997.
- ^ Leib, Bonnie (2015). "Mamphela Ramphele, a Biography" (PDF).
- ^ a b "Our Founders and Team". ReimagineSA. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ^ "Dr. Mamphela Ramphele and Sandrine Dixson Declève appointed Co-Presidents of the Club of Rome • Club of Rome". 21 October 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ^ "Anti-Apartheid Leader Forms New Party in South Africa." New York Times. 18 February 2013.
- ^ Sacks, Jared. "Biko would not vote for Ramphele". The M&G Online. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ^ "But What Would Biko Do? | Daily Maverick". www.dailymaverick.co.za. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ^ McKaiser, Eusebius. "Ramphele more Mazibuko than Biko on questions of race". The M&G Online. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ^ "Ramphele: This is an astonishing moment for SA". News24. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
- ^ "Ramphele announced as DA presidential candidate". Mail & Guardian. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
- ^ "I won't be accepting DA membership on Monday – Mamphela Ramphele". Politics Web. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
- ^ "Mamphela Ramphele has reneged on our agreement – Helen Zille". Politics Web. 2 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
- ^ "Ramphele says she made the right decision with DA candidacy". Times LIVE. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
- ^ "Ramphele quits party politics". News24. SAPA. 8 July 2014. Archived from the original on 8 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
- ^ "Awards".
- ^ Anon. "Award: Order of Simon of Cyrene to Mamphela Ramphele". The Witness. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
- ^ "Legends of South African Science II".
- Campbell, Carol (2004). Great South Africans: the great debate. Johannesburg: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-302461-3.
- Leib, Bonnie. "Mamphela Ramphele, a Biography" (PDF). Retrieved 13 May 2015.
- "Dr. Mamphela Ramphele, Managing Director, The World Bank Group" (PDF). 2003. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
- Andrew Ainslie; et al. (2006). The Road to Democracy in South Africa. Vol. 2, 1970–1980. Pretoria: South Africa Democracy Education Trust. p. 136.
External links
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