Mamphela Ramphele facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mamphela Ramphele
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| Co-President of the Club of Rome | |
| Assumed office October 2018 Serving with Sandrine Dixson-Declève
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| Preceded by | Anders Wijkman |
| President of Agang South Africa Founder of Agang South Africa |
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| In office 18 February 2013 – 8 July 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Andries Tlouamma |
| Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town | |
| In office 1996–2000 |
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| 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 |
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| Known for | Anti-apartheid activist Agang South Africa Former Managing Director of the World Bank |
Mamphela Aletta Ramphele (born 28 December 1947) is a South African leader. She is a medical doctor, a businesswoman, and an activist who fought against apartheid. Apartheid was a system in South Africa that separated people by race and gave white people more rights.
Mamphela Ramphele was a partner of Steve Biko, another important anti-apartheid activist. They had two children together. She was also the vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town. Later, she became a managing director at the World Bank, which is an international organization that helps countries develop. In 2013, she started a political party called Agang South Africa. She left politics in 2014. Since 2018, she has been a co-president of the Club of Rome, a group that studies global challenges.
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Early Life and Childhood
Mamphela Ramphele was born in the Bochum District in what was then the Northern Transvaal. This area is now called Limpopo. Her parents, Rangoato Rahab and Pitsi Eliphaz Ramphele, were both primary school teachers.
When she was three months old, Mamphela became very sick with whooping cough. A kind church minister's wife helped her mother get medicine, which saved her life.
In 1955, Mamphela saw a conflict between a racist church minister and the people in her village. This event helped her understand unfairness and made her want to fight for justice.
Education and Learning
Mamphela Ramphele went to G. H. Frantz Secondary School. In 1962, she moved to Bethesda Normal School, which was a boarding school. She then went to Setotolwane High School, where she finished her studies in 1966.
In 1967, she started pre-medical courses at the University of the North. The next year, she was accepted into the University of Natal Medical School. This was one of the few places where black students could study medicine without special government permission during apartheid. She received scholarships to help pay for her studies.
Mamphela Ramphele earned her medical degree (MBChB) from the University of Natal. She also studied business administration at the University of South Africa. She received diplomas in tropical health 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 Fighting for Change
While at university, Mamphela Ramphele became very involved in student politics. She joined the fight against apartheid. She was one of the people who started the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM). This movement encouraged black people to be proud of their identity and to fight for their rights.
Through the BCM, she met Steve Biko. They worked together on community development projects. Mamphela and Steve Biko had two children. Their daughter, Lerato, passed away when she was very young. Their son, Hlumelo Biko, was born after Steve Biko's death.
Ramphele also worked with the South African Students' Organisation (SASO). This group was formed in 1969 by Steve Biko and other students. It focused on the rights of black students.
In 1972, Mamphela Ramphele became a qualified doctor. She worked at hospitals in Durban and Port Elizabeth.
Facing Challenges
In 1974, Mamphela Ramphele was accused of having banned books. In 1975, she started the Zanempilo Community Health Care Centre. This was one of the first health centers in South Africa not run by the government. It helped people in a village outside King William’s Town. She also managed the Black Community Health Programme in the Eastern Cape. She traveled a lot, helping people start community projects.
In 1976, she was arrested under a new law called the Terrorism Act.
Banishment and Continued Work
In April 1977, the government ordered Mamphela Ramphele to leave her home. She was sent to Tzaneen in the Northern Transvaal and had to stay there until 1984. She lived with two nuns and later made her own home. Even though she was watched by the police, she started the Isutheng Community Health Program. This program helped local women grow vegetable gardens and become more independent.
During her time in Tzaneen, she continued her studies. She earned another degree and two diplomas. To do this, she had to get special permission to travel and report to the police station every time she arrived and left.
In 1984, Mamphela Ramphele moved to Port Elizabeth. Soon after, she joined the University of Cape Town as a research fellow.
Career and Leadership
Mamphela Ramphele became a research fellow at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 1986. In 1991, she became one of the university's deputy vice-chancellors. In September 1996, she was appointed the vice-chancellor of UCT. This made her the first black woman to lead a South African university. One of her main jobs was to make sure everyone at the university had equal opportunities.
In 2000, Mamphela Ramphele became one of the four managing directors of the World Bank. She was in charge of the World Bank Institute and its international relations. She was the first South African to hold this important position.
Mamphela Ramphele has also served on the boards of many important organizations. She is a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. She was also on the board of the Anglo-American Corporation and Transnet. She helped the Link-SA trust, which raises money to help bright students from poor backgrounds go to university. She was also on the board of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, which supports good leadership in Africa.
In 2004, she was voted 55th in the "Top 100 Great South Africans." In 2018, she became a co-president of The Club of Rome.
Politics and Public Service
In 2013, Mamphela Ramphele decided to get involved in South African politics. She resigned from her position as chairperson of Gold Fields, a mining company. On 18 February 2013, she announced that she was starting a new political party called Agang South Africa. The word "Agang" means "Build" in Northern Sotho. Her goal was to challenge the ruling African National Congress party.
In January 2014, she was invited by the Democratic Alliance party to be their candidate for president in the 2014 general election. However, she later changed her mind. She said that the time was not right because people were still too focused on race-based politics. She apologized for the confusion this caused.
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 Recognition
Mamphela Ramphele has received many awards and twenty-four honorary degrees from universities around the world. Some of these include:
- An honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow in 2023.
- An honorary doctorate from the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands, in 1997.
- An honorary Doctor of Law degree from the University of Cambridge in 2001.
- An honorary Doctor of Science degree from Tufts University in 1991.
- The Medal of Distinction from Barnard College in the United States.
- An honorary doctorate from New York University in 2007.
- She was admitted to the Order of Simon of Cyrene in 2010.
- She received the Officer of the Legion of Honour, which is a very high award from France.
- She received a Lifetime Achiever Award from the National Research Foundation in 2007.
See also
- List of people subject to banning orders under apartheid
