Josie Mpama - 1903–1979

Origin date: March 2023
Updated: 11 Apr 2023

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Summary

This study discusses the life and political struggles of Josie Mpama (1903–1979), a leader in the resistance against colonial oppression and the apartheid system in South Africa. Josie was a key figure in the history of women organisers in South Africa and a leader in the Communist Party of South Africa. Her life teaches us about the importance of grassroots and mass organising, as well as the challenges that come with that work. Like so many women involved in radical politics, particularly in the Global South, Josie’s extraordinary political contributions and theoretical acumen have been overlooked and largely excluded from the mainstream historical record.

How we know this

01Tricontinental - Institute for Social Research - March 2023

Last updated · 11 Apr 2023

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2023, April 11). Josie Mpama - 1903–1979. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/R-0151983

South African History Online (2023) 'Josie Mpama - 1903–1979', South African History Online, 11 April. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/R-0151983 (Accessed: 29 August 2026).

South African History Online, Josie Mpama - 1903–1979 [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/R-0151983, (accessed 29 August 2026).

"Josie Mpama - 1903–1979." South African History Online, 11 Apr. 2023, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/R-0151983. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "Josie Mpama - 1903–1979." South African History Online. April 11, 2023. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/R-0151983.