Mamphela Ramphele facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mamphela Ramphele
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 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 | 28 December 1947 Bochum District, Transvaal, South Africa |
| Domestic partner | Steve Biko |
| Children | Hlumelo Biko |
| Occupation |
|
| Known for | Anti-apartheid activist Agang South Africa Former Managing Director of the World Bank |
Mamphela Aletta Ramphele (born 28 December 1947) is a well-known South African leader. She is a medical doctor, a successful businesswoman, and an important activist who fought against apartheid. Apartheid was a system of unfair laws that separated people based on their race in South Africa.
Mamphela Ramphele was a partner of the famous anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko. She later became the vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town, which means she was in charge of the university. She also worked as a managing director at the World Bank, a big international organization that helps countries develop. In 2013, she started a political party called Agang South Africa. Since 2018, she has been a co-president of the Club of Rome, a group that looks at global challenges.
Contents
Early Life and Childhood
Mamphela Ramphele was born on 28 December 1947, in a place called Bochum District in what was then the Northern Transvaal. This area is now known as Limpopo province. Her family belonged to the Pedi people. Both her mother and father were primary school teachers. Her father became a headmaster in 1944.
When she was just three months old, Mamphela became very sick with whooping cough. A kind church minister's wife helped her mother find medicine, which saved her life. This early experience showed her the importance of community support. In 1955, she saw a conflict between a racist church minister and the people in her village. This event helped her understand unfairness and sparked her interest in fighting for justice.
Mamphela Ramphele's Education
Mamphela Ramphele was a dedicated student. She attended G. H. Frantz Secondary School and later Bethesda Normal School, which was a boarding school. In 1964, she moved to Setotolwane High School for her final years of schooling. She was one of only two girls in her class there.
After finishing school in 1966, she started pre-medical courses at the University of the North in 1967. In 1968, she was accepted into the University of Natal Medical School. This was special because it was one of the few places where black students could study medicine without special government permission during apartheid. She received scholarships, like the South African Jewish Women’s Association Scholarship, to help her pay for her studies.
Advanced Studies and Degrees
Mamphela Ramphele earned her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) from the University of Natal. She also studied business, earning a BComm in Administration from the University of South Africa. She continued her learning by getting diplomas in tropical health and hygiene, and Public Health from the University of the Witwatersrand. In 1991, she earned her PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Cape Town. She has also written and edited several books.
Activism and Community Work
While at university, Mamphela Ramphele became deeply involved in student politics and the fight against apartheid. She was one of the people who helped start the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM). This movement encouraged black people to be proud of their identity and to stand up for their rights. It was here that she met Steve Biko, another key leader of the BCM.
Mamphela Ramphele worked closely with the South African Students' Organisation (SASO). This group was formed in 1969 by Steve Biko and other students. It focused on the needs of black students. She was elected as the chairperson of the local SASO branch. After qualifying as a doctor in 1972, she started working at hospitals in Durban and Port Elizabeth.
Fighting Apartheid Laws
In 1974, Mamphela Ramphele faced legal trouble under the Suppression of Communism Act. This law was often used by the apartheid government to silence activists. In 1975, she started the Zanempilo Community Health Care Centre. This was one of the first health centers outside government control in South Africa. It provided basic healthcare to people in a village near King William’s Town. She also managed the Black Community Health Programme in the Eastern Cape, helping organize community projects.
In August 1976, she was detained under the Terrorism Act, a very strict new law. In April 1977, the government issued "banning orders" against her. This meant her movements were restricted, she couldn't meet with more than one person at a time, and she couldn't be quoted in the media. She was forced to live in Tzaneen, a town in the Northern Transvaal, until 1984. Even under surveillance, she started the Isutheng Community Health Program there, helping local women grow vegetable gardens and become more independent.
During her time in Tzaneen, she continued her studies and even received visits from Helen Suzman, a brave Member of Parliament who opposed apartheid. Suzman helped Ramphele get a passport for travel abroad. In 1984, Mamphela Ramphele moved to Port Elizabeth and then to the University of Cape Town (UCT) to work as a research fellow.
Career Highlights
Mamphela Ramphele joined the University of Cape Town (UCT) as a research fellow in 1986. Her dedication and leadership quickly led to her appointment as one of the university's deputy vice-chancellors in 1991. In September 1996, she made history by becoming the Vice-Chancellor of UCT. This made her the first black woman to lead a South African university. In this role, she worked to make the university a more equal and inclusive place for everyone.
International Leadership at the World Bank
In 2000, Mamphela Ramphele took on a major international role. She became one of the four managing directors of the World Bank. This was a huge achievement, as she was the first South African to hold such a high position. At the World Bank, she was in charge of important areas like the World Bank Institute and external affairs, helping to shape the organization's global strategies.
Other Important Roles
Mamphela Ramphele has also served on the boards of many important organizations. She is a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which continues the legacy of Nelson Mandela. She has been a director of The Institute for Democratic Alternatives in South Africa (IDASA) and a board member for large companies like the Anglo-American Corporation and Transnet. She also served as a trustee for the Link-SA trust, which helps underprivileged students pay for university. She was also on the board of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, an organization that supports good governance and strong leadership in Africa. In 2004, she was voted 55th in the Top 100 Great South Africans. She is also a co-founder of ReimagineSA and, since 2018, a co-president of The Club of Rome.
Involvement in Politics
In 2013, Mamphela Ramphele decided to enter the world of South African politics. She resigned from her position as chairperson of Gold Fields, a mining company. On 18 February 2013, she announced the creation of a new political party called Agang South Africa. The name "Agang" means "Build" in Northern Sotho. Her goal was to challenge the ruling African National Congress party.
Some people questioned her use of Steve Biko's legacy in her political campaigns. In January 2014, she accepted an invitation from the Democratic Alliance to be their presidential candidate for the 2014 general election. However, a few days later, she said she would not join the Democratic Alliance and would remain the leader of Agang South Africa. This caused some confusion. She later apologized for changing her mind, explaining that the time wasn't right for people to overcome race-based party politics.
Agang South Africa won two seats in the National Assembly of South Africa. After some disagreements within the party, Mamphela Ramphele announced on 8 July 2014 that she was leaving politics.
Awards and Honors
Mamphela Ramphele has received many awards and twenty-four honorary degrees from universities around the world. These honors recognize her significant contributions to medicine, education, activism, and leadership.
Some of her notable awards and honorary degrees include:
- Honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow in 2023.
- Honorary doctorate from the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands, in 1997.
- Honorary Doctor of Law from the University of Cambridge in 2001.
- Honorary doctorate in humane letters from Hunter College in 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.
- She was also elected as an honorary member of the Alpha and Iota chapters of Phi Beta Kappa at Radcliffe College and Harvard College.
- Honorary doctorate of humane letters degree from New York University in May 2007.
- Admitted to the Order of Simon of Cyrene in 2010.
- Officer of the Legion of Honour, which is the highest award given by France.
- Lifetime Achiever Award from the National Research Foundation in 2007.
See also
- List of people subject to banning orders under apartheid
Images for kids
-
Mamphela Ramphele
