Today marks the 35th anniversary of the assassination of Nonyamezelo Victoria Mxenge (a midwife, activist and attorney) just days after delivering her keynote speech at the funeral of the Cradock 4 (Fort Calata, Matthew Goniwe, Sicelo Mhlauli, Sparrow Mkhonto).

She was murdered in front of her children by vlakplaas thugs in front of her children, four years after her husband Griffiths Mxenge was killed by the same murder squad. Griffiths was a lawyer who'd established a firm in Durban. After his death, Victoria headed said firm up.

As an activist umama occupied leadership positions in the KZN section of the United Democratic Front, and in the Natal Organisation of women. As a lawyer she defended young activists making her target for assassination. She also set up a scholarship in memory of her husband.

Born eTamara in 1942, she went to school at Forbes Grant in Ginsberg (another alum is Steve Biko) matriculated in Healdtown. She trained as a nurse at Victoria Hospital in eDikeni and served as a community nurse eMlazi by 1964. She obtained her LLB from UNISA in 1981.

She was also a member of the Realease Mandela Campaign. She was buried in Rayi (just outside King William's Town toward Bulembu airport) on 11 August 1985 next to her husband. 10 000 people attended her funeral. In 1987 an inquest into her death was refused.

Victoria Mxenge was loved by young people. Not only did she provide legal assistance to detainees most of who were youth, she also held political education classes at her home. Her death ignited so much rage that boycotts soon followed notably Durban and Duncan Village, eMonti.

We also need to understand the way young people rallied behind Mam' Nomzamo in the 1980s in relation to this tragic moment. Both women were regarded mothers of the nation and were loved dearly by young people when Victoria was murdered, youth feared Mam' Nomzamo would be next.

Victoria Mxenge was also a lawyer for the families of victims of the Matola (in Mozambique) and Lesotho raids in which some activists were murdered by SADF. I want to do an Ohio/Jacana Pocket book series on this woman (well every black woman who contributed to SA liberation).