The Deputy Secretary General of the ANC, Jessie Duarte, has died.
Duarte died in the early hours of this morning, July 17, 2022. She was 68 years old. She was buried this afternoon in Johannesburg according to Muslim rites.
According to a media statement released by the ANC, Duarte was undergoing treatment for cancer and had been on medical leave since November 2021.
“The passing of comrade Jessie is a great loss, not only to the family but to the democratic movement and the country as a whole. As a committed internationalist and former diplomat, not only will she be mourned by South Africa, but by colleagues and comrades on the African continent and in the international progressive movement,” the statement read.
“The ANC expresses its heartfelt condolences to the Duarte, Dangor and Whitley extended families, loved ones and friends. She was both a tower of strength to the organisation as well as a matriarch and pillar of her family. She dedicated her entire life to the struggle for a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, prosperous, and just South Africa. A committed gender activist, she relentlessly championed the emancipation and empowerment of women. Her life and work reflected a consistent commitment to advancing the rights of the poor and marginalised,” the statement continued.
Duarte is survived by her children, grandchildren, siblings and extended family.
