Ruth Rose Makiwane

Record No. PER-002 — Person Record

RELATION:
Maternal Grandmother

MAIDEN NAME:
Gumbi

BIRTH:
11 June 1939, Umkhomazi

DEATH:
11 November 2018, eManzimtoti

BIOGRAPHY (EULOGY PENNED BY LINDELWA NDZIBA):
Ruth Makiwane was born at [Mahlongwa Mission] in Umkhomazi, South Coast on the 11th of June 1939. She was fondly known as Marosana and was the last surviving sibling of all the children of Winnet and Elsie Gumbi: Stanley, Dorcus, Molly, Jabulani, Ruth, Oscar, Nokuthula and Thandi.

After matriculating at Adams College in 1957 she attended the Baragwanath Nursing College in Johannesburg and completed her nursing studies in 1959. Whilst attending nursing college in 1958 she participated in the erstwhile Miss Johannesburg beauty pageant and was crowned Miss Johannesburg. As a very prestigious event of that time, the Miss Johannesburg beauty pageant was covered by Drum Magazine. As the winning contestant she made it into the cover-page of Drum Magazine and her iconic photograph became synonymous with the glamorous 1950’s Black African urban vibe and culture.

During her stay in Johannesburg she met a handsome young Africanist by the name of [Tennyson Xola Makiwane], to whom she was married in 1959. They were introduced to each other by [Rosette Ndziba], who was Tennyson Makiwane’s friend and fellow Africanist in the movement.

Tennyson and Ruth were forced into self-exile fleeing the harsh political situation of that time in our country. They first sought refuge in Ghana, where they stayed for a few years. They subsequently moved to England where they also stayed for a few years, which was followed by a brief sojourn in Tanzania. They eventually resettled in Zambia, where they raised a family and stayed for a number of years until 1977. While in Zambia, she worked for the City Council of Lusaka and the Embassy of Yugoslavia.

Whilst in England she and her husband met the late Maya Angelo and her then husband, the late Vusi Make. She befriended Maya Angelo and they were close friends for many years.

In 1977 the family moved to Swaziland and later to Lesotho and in both countries she worked for the United Nations. In 1979 after spending almost 20 years in exile they decide to return to her husband’s home in Umtata,
Transkei, where Tennyson Makiwane met his untimely death in 1980. Whilst in Transkei she worked for the Transkei Development Corporation.

Following her husband’s untimely death in 1980, she left Transkei with her children and returned to her home in KwaZulu-Natal where she found employment as the Protocol Officer to the then Chief Minister of the erstwhile KwaZulu Government, Dr Mangosuthu Buthelezi. In 1994 she served in the then Government of National Unity as a senior official in the Ministry of Home Affairs under the then Minister of Home Affairs, [Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi].

In 2004 she was appointed by former [President Thabo Mbeki] to serve as a diplomat in Algeria. She took retirement in 2007 when she returned from her diplomatic service in Algeria. Whilst in retirement she was once again called to service and she served as a protocol adviser to his [Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu] until 2010. In her illustrious public service career she was blessed with the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the world.

She is survived by her son and daughter, Mzwandile and Lindelwa, son-in-law, Mvuyo Ndziba and grandchildren, Miliswa, Mzukisi and Nokuzola.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did, but people will never
forget how you made them feel”—Maya Angelo

LALA NGOXOLO NYOKANA

RELATED PERSONS:
[Tennyson Xola Makiwane (husband)], Lindelwa Ndziba (daughter), Mzwandile Makiwane (son), [Miliswa ka Lindelwa (granddaughter)], Mzukisi Ndziba (grandson), Nokuzola Ndziba (granddaughter), Rosette Ndziba (former co-in-law), Mvuyo Ndziba (former son-in-law)