Winifred Seqwana

Winifred Seqwana was born in 1897 and settled in Cape Town, where she became the first African woman member of the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA) in Langa in 1930. She became increasingly involved in political activity in the region and was a founder of the Langa Women’s Vigilance Association. In March 1947, Seqwana was arrested for her part in a protest opposing the introduction of beer halls in Langa, but was later acquitted. Two people died during the protest, and municipal beer halls were not introduced until May 1962. She became chairwoman of the African National Congress Womens League (ANCWL) in Langa in 1954, a founding member of Federation of South African Women (FSAW) in the same year and national vice-president of the National Council of African Women (NCAW). Winifred died in Langa, Cape Province in 1961.