Alina Rantsolase
Alina Rantsolase worked for Checkers-Vereeniging as an Inventory Control-ler. She joined the Commercial Catering and Allied Workers’ Union of South Africa (CCAWUSA) in 1978 and served in the union’s Regional and Central Executive Committee. In 1984, she became a National Negotiator representing the union in negotiations with Checkers.
Two years later, Rantsolase became a Regional Chairperson of the Com-pany Council (and internal bargaining council). In 1987, she became CO-SATU’s Western Transvaal Regional A RantsolaseEducation Officer coor-dinating shopstewards and was elected SACCAWU’s regional treasurer – rising to become the union’s regional chair in 1993. Rantsolase was elected the union’s National Treasurer the same year.
Like other members of COSATU, she is a member of the ANC and serves in the movement’s Vaal Region’s disciplinary committee. Challenges faced by women activists Alinah highlights the challenges faced by women activ-
ists within their affiliate unions in terms of convincing the leadership on adoption of gender equity policies and implementation of such policies. Her argument also indicates that the adoption of policies at the COSATU national congresses is fruitless without changing male sexist attitudes that dominate key decision-making structures. It also brings to the fore the fail-ure of the federation to have in place effective system for monitoring pro-gress on gender equity policies, and for making affiliates and leadership accountable.
Bheki Ntshalintshali
Early Life The name Beki (Bheki) was given to me by a white-man official at Home Affairs when I applied for my identity document. This is the legal name I am using even today while my real name given to me my parents is Veli. After completing my Junior Certificate I could not receive my sym-bols to be admitted at High School and I had to wait for my certificate. While waiting I was employed by the school in which I was studying as a Librarian teacher for a year. Career Life Eventually my certificate came but there was no money to further my studies as my younger brothers were at secondary school then. My parents decided that I was the one to be com-promised. I came to Johannesburg undocumented in that I did not have section 10 (1) (a) and I had running battles with police and used all man-ner of tricks available to me to remain in Johannesburg.
I was deported out of Joburg more than four times (issued with 72 hours special to leave Joburg) and every time I was sent off I would get a new ID and came back. Without proper documentation I was almost unemploy-able in Johannesburg. I eventually got employed by my uncle who owned taxis at the time. Here again I got two nick names – Mtshana because it
was how my uncle called me and everybody followed suit but others called me Mshagaan which I would explain some time in the future if I get time. Within a year I graduated in the taxi industry from being a taxi driver to be taxi operator (Owner). My intention was not to stay long in this industry. Due to the nature of the industry, the violence, roughness, greed, rude-ness and the fact that I was street wise, life and death were two sides of the same coin. Many people that I knew died of violence while other closer to me were arrested for all sorts of things I decided to leave the sector. I had enough money to go back to school and look after my young brothers who were at high school by then.
