Refilwe Pieterse has proved to be one of Alex’s arts creatives’ toughest cookies as she managed to soldier on with her work requirements despite the heavy odds stacked against her.
She might have been undergoing a traumatic experience of losing her unborn baby at Edenvale Hospital but that did not deter her from performing her duties regardless of the conditions and what was happening around her.
Being the tough cookie she is, the arts creative found time in between the pain and trauma to take important calls and perform her duties while at the same time bleeding profusely without any apparent form of medical care.
A call came through on 7 April from the former CEO of Freedom Park in Pretoria, Alexandrian Professor Wally Mongane Serote while she was in the hospital.
Oblivious of what was happening in her life at the time, Serote was asking her to make urgent arrangements for a book donation to the Alexandra Book Club which coincided with its launch, having been co-founded by Pieterse and other creatives in the township.
“I could not say no or ask the Prof to call me another time. I took the call and the Prof informed me to make arrangements as he wanted to drop the books for us, and I immediately set the ball rolling and called various people with instructions on what to do to facilitate the handover,” Pieterse said.
Pieterse added that the trauma of losing her baby occurred at the same time the elections of the newly formed South African Association of Arts Administrators were taking place and despite her troubles, she ascended to the position of treasurer-general of this national body.
Asked where she found the strength for it all Pieterse said, “Being the tough cookie I am, I guess where there is a will, there is a way. God always provides the strength.”
