Struggle activist fondly remembered

• Published date: 14 September 2023
• Author: Lizahn Bowers lizahn.bowers@acm.co.za
• Publication title: Southern Suburbs Tatler

Ms Thornton, a former Rondebosch resident and Cape Community Media (CCM) columnist, died on Wednesday September 6 at the age of 91. She was at her daughter Helena’s home in Woodstock where she had stayed for the past three years. She leaves behind four children and three grandchildren

Ms Thornton was born in 1932 to parents who were actively involved in the struggle. It did not take long for her to follow suit, taking part in her first campaign against the National Party during the pivotal 1948 election when she was just 16.

In 1950 she joined the Modern Youth Society (MYS), a progressive youth movement involving mainly university students. Through MYS, Ms Thornton was involved in night school literacy classes for African workers in the Cape Town docks.

In 1952 she was appointed as the secretary of the Joint Congress Committee and was part of the delegation that was stopped by the police in Beaufort West and detained over the weekend in 1955.

From the start of the Treason Trial in 1956 she served on the Treason Trial Support Committee. She did voluntary work for the Guardian newspaper – doing research and editorial work for the publication.

In 1959 she was banned for the first time initially for two years, but this was extended several times. She eventually served 14 years under banning orders and lost her job as a nursery school teacher.

From 1976 to 1983, Ms Thornton worked part-time for the Food and Canning Workers’ Union; was a founding member and deputy chairperson of the United Women’s Organisation; was appointed as a patron of the United Democratic Front and was among those detained during the two states of emergency.

Ms Thornton was also a member of the Cape Town ANC regional leadership and served on the National Coordinating Committee for the Return of Exiles between 1990 and 1993.

She was honoured in 2016 with the National Order of Luthuli for her excellent contribution and unflinching commitment to the struggle for liberation and equality for all South Africans, and her commendable bravery in the face of an oppressive regime.

Her grandchild, Drew Thornton, had been trying to capture her life stories on film over the past few years while on holiday in Cape Town from America, despite having no experience making documentaries.

“My last trip in January, I hired a film crew and we drove to her nursery school where she used to work to get some footage. At this point, her memory was very weak, but while driving there, I played her favourite artist...