Mary Turok

Mary Turok (20 October 1932 – 9 August 2025) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician. She was a member of the South African Communist Party, the Congress of Democrats and the African National Congress. She was imprisoned for her activism and later lived in exile before returning to South Africa in 1990. She served as a Member of Parliament from 1994 to 1999 and was involved in advocacy for women and older people. Quotes “Nowhere in the world have women been handed equality on a plate; everywhere they have had to fight for it. South Africa will be no exception. We do not want our daughters to turn on us in the years to come and ask: ‘Where were you when the Bill of Rights and the new Constitution were being drafted?’” Women in the Struggle “We have to spend the last years of our lives fighting for what we’ve neglected. And looking round this room, I can see that many of us don’t have much time left.” Daily Maverick External links Category:1932 births Category:2025 deaths Category:Activists from South Africa Category:Politicians from South Africa Category:Anti-apartheid activists Category:Women activists