Victoria Mxenge
| Victoria Mxenge | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
1 January 1942 King William's Town, Eastern Cape |
| Died | 1 August 1985 (aged 43) Umlazi, Durban, Natal |
| Nationality | South African |
| Occupation | lawyer, nurse |
| Known for | anti-apartheid activist |
Victoria Nonyamezelo Mxenge, (1 January 1942, King William's Town, Eastern Cape - 1 August 1985 Umlazi, Durban, Natal) was a South African anti-apartheid activist; she was trained as a nurse and midwife, and later began practising law.
Mxenge was born in Tamara Village on 1 January 1942 in King William's Town. She trained as a nurse at Victoria Hospital and earned her qualifications in 1964. After she married Griffiths Mxenge, she and her husband moved to Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal). She took midwifery at King Edward Hospital and worked as a community nurse in Umlazi. In 1965, her husband was convicted under the Suppression of Communism Act and was imprisoned for two years on Robben Island. During their marriage, her husband faced various government-sanctioned bans and detentions. She and her husband had three children, two boys and a daughter.
Mxenge earned her degree in law from UNISA in 1981 and was admitted as a lawyer that same year. She became part of her husband's law practice in 1981. She joined the Natal Organisation of Women (NOW), which was affiliated with the United Democratic Front (UDF). Mxenge also joined the Release Nelson Mandela Committee.
On 19 November 1981, her husband was brutally assassinated by Vlakplaas agents led by Dirk Coetzee in Umlazi township, south of Durban. He had multiple stab wounds and his body was found near the soccer field in Umlazi. It was claimed by police general Dirk Coetzee that her husband was murdered by the African National Congress (ANC) which she vigorously refuted.
...
Wikipedia