HELEN Suzman, anti-apartheid and human-rights activist and founding member of the Progressive Party, who devoted her life to the fight against apartheid, has been recognised by the SA Post Office, which recently issued a postage stamp to celebrate her life and achievements.
The stamp sheet was designed by Rachel Ackermann of the SA Post Office, and the stamps can be used as postage on ordinary domestic stamps. The stamps cost R3,90 each and can be ordered from SA.Stamps@postoffice.co.za and are on sale at all major post offices.
A limited number of 30 000 stamp sheets will be printed. Compared to the 2,5 million items that the Post Office delivers each work day, this is a very limited number.
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Helen Suzman was born Helen Gavronsky on 7 November, 1917 in Germiston, South Africa. Unlike many white children of her time, she was aware of inequality based on religion, race and culture as her parents were Lithuanian Jews who had immigrated to South Africa to escape oppression.
Suzman became an MP in 1953 and served for a further 36 years. For six of those years she was the only female in a patriarchal parliament where she consistently challenged discriminatory legislation and the spate of security laws introduced by the apartheid government.
She died on 1 January 2009. She had lived for 91 years, and retained her vision and purpose to the end.
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