Who is bettie du toit

It was her involvement in the this campaign, which led to her banning in under the Suppression of Communism Act. According to this Act Du Toit was prohibited from taking part in any trade union activities for the rest of her life. This book looks at the workers' struggle in the textile industry, where she spent most of her time.

In her interview with Callinicos she describes the difficulties she experienced writing the book. The people she meant to interview were afraid to be seen with her for the fear that they might also be banned or imprisoned. Despite being banned Du Toit helped found a welfare organisation known as Kupugani in Soweto. To enable her to fulfil Kupugani's work she had to travel to Soweto in disguise at night, but before long the police discovered her activities.

Fearing long-term imprisonment after numerous arrests her friends and political colleagues convinced her to leave the country.

Du Toit finally left South Africa without a passport and went into exile in She fled to Ghana and worked for Radio Ghana, but eventually moved to London.

At the time of her interview with Callinicos in Du Toit had lost her sight after an ear infection that developed into Steve-Johnson disease and had taught Braille to other sight-impaired people. She managed to rebuild the union, but it was never as strong after that. Du Toit met Nadine Gordimer in the s and they became friends. Her participation in that campaign caused her in to be banned for life from participating in trade unions under the Suppression of Communism Act.

She was smuggled out of the country by friends of Gordimer who were Indian. Du Toit was reported by her friend, Gordimer, to have "met death without any religious beliefs of another life, as she had taken on, and lived to the full deprivation and danger, the life of a revolutionary for freedom.

The work describes the early development of the Union through strike action; the problems which arose between the craft unions and the industrial unions; the way the trade union movement failed to respond to the threats of fascism and Afrikaner nationalism; the growth of African unions in the Cape after ; Government repression in the s; and finally, the revival of black trade unionism in the s.

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The manuscript has was later published as 'Ukubamba Amadolo: worker's struggles in the South African textile industry' London, Onyx Press, By Bettie Du Toit. London: Onyx Press, Ok Borthcat uses cookies to enhance your ability to browse and load content.

Borthwick Institute for Archives. Date s Creation. Level of description fonds. Extent and medium 0. Name of creator Toit, Bettie, Du, , trade unionist. Biographical history Born Elizabeth Sophia Honman in the in Transvaal Province, South Africa, Bettie du Toit began working as a trade unionist in the textile industry in the s: firstly in the Transvaal, and later in the Cape.