Rhoda Kadalie

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Rhoda Kadalie
Born(1953-09-22)22 September 1953
District Six, Cape Town
Union of South Africa
Died16 April 2022(2022-04-16) (aged 68)
Los Angeles, California
United States of America
Spouse
Richard Bertelsmann
​
(divorced)​
ChildrenJulia Pollak
Parent
RelativesJoel Pollak (son-in-law)
Academic background
EducationHarold Cressy High School
Alma materUniversity of the Western Cape
International Institute of Social Studies
Academic work
InstitutionsUniversity of Western Cape
Websiterhodakadalie.com

Rhoda Kadalie (22 September 1953 – 16 April 2022) was a South African activist and academic. She was a member of the South African Human Rights Commission from 1995 to 1997. She also founded the Gender Equity Unit at the University of the Western Cape.

Early life and education

Kadalie was born on 22 September 1953 in District Six, a predominantly Coloured neighbourhood of Cape Town.[1] Her father, Fenner Kadalie, was a prominent Christian clergyman, and her grandfather, Clements Kadalie, had been an important trade unionist. She was one of nine siblings.[1] The family lived in District Six until 1961, when they moved to the suburb of Mowbray. In 1970 they were forcibly removed from Mowbray under the apartheid-era Group Areas Act, and they moved to Primrose Park near Athlone.[2]

After matriculating at Harold Cressy High School, Kadalie attended the University of the Western Cape, where she studied library science and anthropology. She later completed a master's degree at the International Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands.[1]

Career and activism

During apartheid, Kadalie was involved in feminist activism and anti-apartheid activism.[3] In 1993, using seed funding from the Ford Foundation, she founded the Gender Equity Unit at the University of the Western Cape and became the university's inaugural Gender Equity Coordinator.[4]

Under the post-apartheid government of President Nelson Mandela, she was appointed as a member of the Land Claims Commission and, from 1995 to 1997, as a member of the South African Human Rights Commission.[5] She went on to serve as director of the Impumelelo Centre for Social Innovation, a non-profit that promoted private-public partnership.[6] She also published social and political commentary in both English and Afrikaans, in which capacity she was often highly critical of the African National Congress government.[3]

Personal life and retirement

Kadalie married and divorced Richie Bertelsmann, a white academic;[7] their marriage contravened the apartheid-era Immorality Act.[8] Their only child, Julia Bertelsmann, became an economist, and she married American politician Joel Pollak in 2009 during a ceremony at the residence of Helen Zille, then the Premier of the Western Cape.[9][10] Pollak published a biography of his mother-in-law in 2023, entitled Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order!.[11]

In 2018, Kadalie moved to Los Angeles, California to live with her daughter's family.[6] She became a supporter of Trumpism.[7] Though a committed Christian, she was also increasingly outspoken in her support of Israel.[12] Friends later said that her political conversion alienated her from former allies in South Africa.[7][13] Pollak, who is a Republican campaigner, suggested that Kadalie supported "the ongoing anti-'woke' backlash" and admired Trump "as a skollie – a 'ruffian,' in South African slang – who would shake up a complacent American establishment".[14]

She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 and died at home in Los Angeles on 16 April 2022.[6][8] A memorial service was held in Rondebosch, Cape Town in June, and Helen Zille was among the speakers; she joked that Kadalie's character was such that she could have made a success of any pursuit "except a diplomatic career".[12]

Honours

In June 1999 she received an honorary doctorate from Uppsala University.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c Pollak, Joel B. (4 January 2023). Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order!’: A Biography. UJ Press. ISBN 978-1-7764134-8-5.
  2. ^ Kadalie, Rhoda (22 July 2013). "Forced to move from home". Cape Times. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b Barron, Chris (18 April 2022). "Rhoda Kadalie fought for women's rights and against state incompetence". Sunday Times. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  4. ^ Oyegun, Julie (1998). "Working Masculinities Back into Gender". Agenda: Empowering Women for Gender Equity (37): 13–23. doi:10.2307/4066167. ISSN 1013-0950.
  5. ^ "Interview with Rhoda Kadalie, human-rights activist". Issue. Helen Suzman Foundation. 30 November 2001. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  6. ^ a b c McCain, Nicole (16 April 2022). "Human rights activist Rhoda Kadalie, 68, has died". News24. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Thamm, Marianne (17 April 2022). "Rhoda Kadalie, friend and mentor, political provocateur and groot bek". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  8. ^ a b Pollak, Joel (16 January 2023). "Rhoda Kadalie's impact on South Africa and the world". PoliticsWeb. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  9. ^ "A not-so-proudly South African link to Trump's inner circle". The Mail & Guardian. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Kadalie: Columnist to trade SA for U.S." The Witness. 8 April 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  11. ^ Horler, Vivien (26 February 2023). "'Comrade Kadalie, you are out of order!'". The Books Page. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  12. ^ a b Gruzd, Steven (30 June 2022). "Remembering Rhoda Kadalie, feisty friend of Israel". Jewish Report. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  13. ^ Ndlovu, Mandisa (28 April 2022). "Rhoda Kadalie, the loudmouth, is dead". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  14. ^ Pollak, Joel (8 April 2022). "Rhoda Kadalie's journey to Trump supporter". PoliticsWeb. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  15. ^ "Honorary Doctors of the Faculty of Social Sciences". Uppsala University (in Swedish). Retrieved 23 October 2018.

External links

Retrieved from "https://mdwiki.org/wiki/Rhoda_Kadalie"