Theresa Solomon was born in District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape, in 1945. Solomon lived in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, where she worked as a community activist from the 1970s to the 1990s before being elected Cape Town’s first black woman mayor from 1996 to 1998, after serving as deputy mayor the previous year.
In 1975, Solomon joined the Black Women’s Organisation and became actively involved in the civic movement. Between 1976 and 1979, she worked as the office secretary of the Western Cape region of the Black Sash. She helped set up several civic organisations, which eventually merged into one umbrella civic organisation, the Cape Areas Housing Action Committee (CAHAC). CAHAC was one of the founding members of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the Western Cape.
In 1980, Solomon organised one of the first marches against rent increases in Woodlands, Mitchells Plain. From 1980 to 1983, she was actively involved in several campaigns, such as the Consumer Boycott (to protest discrimination against workers), the Bus Boycott (to protest against bus fare increases), and was also involved in a massive campaign to have electricity charges reduced.
She was involved in the formation of the UDF and served on the General Council of the Western Cape of the UDF, and also as secretary of the Mitchells Plain Region of the UDF. In 1988, she was elected Treasurer of the UDF Western Cape region, a position she served in until March 1990.
From 1983 to 1985, Solomon gave up full-time employment to give more attention to civic work and helped set up several crèches in the Mitchells Plain area. She was chairperson of the Woodlands Resident Association and also secretary of the Mitchells Plain Co-ordinating Committee of Civics.
In 1985, she re-joined the Western Province Council of Churches as Assistant Organising Secretary. She was appointed as a consultant to the Bishops Conference and set up to plan and implement programmes of action for the church, such as the Standing For The Truth Campaign, which was part of a general protest against the general elections for the then racist government and its tricameral parliament.
She coordinated the “Sanctuary” Programmes, giving moral/financial assistance to activists being sought after by the Security Police as well as the exile family programme, aiding families of exiles.
In 1989, Solomon was responsible for establishing the Woodlands Peoples Centre in Mitchells Plain, financed by the Norwegian Council of Churches. She was appointed full-time coordinator of this project, which included a crèche, library, resource centre, advice office, education office and computer training centre and also several extra mural activities.
Solomon was elected chairperson of the Woodlands African National Congress (ANC) branch and nominated as a candidate for the first democratic elections in 1994. During her involvement in these activities, which were seen by the state as subversive, she was detained several times and charged for various political offences.
From 1995 to 1996, Solomon was the Deputy Mayor of the City of Cape Town, and from 1996 to 1998, she was Mayor of the City of Cape Town. Furthermore, she spent one year in the Western Cape Provincial Legislature as the spokesperson for the ANC. In 2000, she was appointed as High Commissioner to Tanzania, where she completed her tenure. She was then transferred to Canada as the South African High Commissioner.
The Mitchells Plain Development Action Collective (MPDAC), which she helped establish, paid tribute:
MPDAC mourns the passing of Theresa Solomon (79), a mother, grandmother, community leader, former Cape Town Mayor, a diplomat and founder member of MPDAC. Fondly known as Com T or T, born in 1945, Theresa dedicated her life to the struggle for justice and equality.” Her life was rooted in service to others. The Solomon family moved to Woodlands in 1979, and from there, she worked tirelessly to improve the lives of Mitchells Plain residents. Your loss is our loss,” said the organisation.
Present Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis also paid tribute, highlighting Solomon’s courage and unwavering commitment to justice during apartheid’s most difficult years. Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis conveyed his condolences, expressing that her legacy will continue to inspire future generations.
Former Mayor Theresa Solomon will be remembered for her dedication to justice and activism, which brought about meaningful change, especially on the Cape Flats, where she played a pivotal role in establishing civic organisations to campaign for amenities in the wake of forced removals in the 1970s, including schools, hospitals and police stations,’ said Hill-Lewis. As a mother, activist and leader, her legacy will continue to inspire future generations.
Theresa Solomon passed away peacefully in Cape Town, Western Cape, on 7 July 2025.