Rhoda Kadalie’s legacy is her reward
Kadalie was a principled activist from a lost generation, who thumbed her nose at the establishment
At some point she was going to klap you. You would not know where, when or perhaps even why, but Rhoda Kadalie would give you that metaphorical slap when you least expected it. That’s how she was, that’s who she was: stubborn, argumentative and opinionated. I should also add interesting, thoughtful and fiercely independent. If you wanted to be Rhoda’s friend, you would have to learn to live with that mix of qualities, the combination of which made this remarkable South African persona.
It did not take anyone long to remind you of her illustrious grandfather, the trade unionist Clements Kadalie. Reading most of the postings on social media since her death last Saturday, you could swear she had no biological parents. I came to know Rhoda through my sister and later through her teaching and activism at UWC on gender issues. She was admired by many of her students, not least because she refused to toe any party line and because she always had a point of view on both politics and personalities...
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