[ad_1]
Priscilla Jana speaking at a conference at the Landsdowne Road Hotel in Belfast on December 10, 2007.
Paul Faith – PA Images / PA Images via Getty Images
Famous human rights lawyer Priscilla Jana has died.
ANC spokeswoman Pule Mabe said in a statement Saturday night: “The passing of Priscilla Jana has robbed the liberation movement and the people of South Africa of one of their most distinguished daughters who served her nation with distinction. From an early age, Priscilla Jana developed an awareness of the brutality and injustice of apartheid. “
Jana served as an MP in Parliament from 1994 to 1999, was South African Ambassador to the Netherlands and Ireland and served as Vice Chair of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). She served as one of former President Nelson Mandela’s attorneys while he was incarcerated on Robben Island.
He also represented Solomon Mahlangu and played a role in raising international awareness against Mahlangu’s execution.
I was only 19 years old when the apartheid regime brought me out of my hiding place. For 3 days no one knew where they had me. It took this brave woman to force the regime to declare my whereabouts after I was tortured. #RIPPriscillaJana pic.twitter.com/6lcgFDurUn
– Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) October 10, 2020
“Her clients include some of the key political figures, as well as the defenseless and the oppressed. Her determination to fight the vicious and evil apartheid system led her to join the clandestine ANC networks,” Mabe said.
The SAHRC said in a statement on Saturday, “South Africa has lost a giant, who selflessly sacrificed for all of us to enjoy the fruit of constitutional democracy we enjoy today … She continued to give herself, well up to 76, still working. tirelessly to substantially make South Africa a country where all people living there are equal, enjoy their freedom and innate human dignity.
We live in a world where fact and fiction blur
In uncertain times, you need journalism you can trust. For only R75 per month, you have access to a world of in-depth analysis, investigative journalism, leading opinions, and a variety of features. Journalism strengthens democracy. Invest today in the future.
[ad_2]
