Ray Alexander, 1913-2004

November 17, 1993
Issue 

Saranel Benjamin, Durban

Rachel (Ray) Alexander died at her Cape Town home on September 12. She had lived a long life of 90 years and during this time she painted the South African political landscape with courage, fierce determination and commitment, leaving behind a legacy of a woman activist that will be difficult to surpass.

Ray arrived in South Africa from Latvia in 1929. Just five days after her arrival she joined the South African Communist Party. Within five years, she was elected as secretary of the SACP, a position she held for two years. During this time she became increasingly involved in organising workers into the unions.

While she helped organise workers from different trades, Ray's name became synonymous with the Food and Canning Workers Union (FCWU). She dedicated over 10 years of her life to building the union until she received her first banning order forcing her to resign from her position of general secretary of the FCWU.

Her political activities centred on organising workers into unions but her strength was also in working tirelessly to organise women into political organisations thus giving them a collective voice to fight their repression. In 1954 she helped found the Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW) that went on to organise the infamous 1956 Women's March. Although her banning order prevented her from participating in the march, Ray worked tirelessly to organise 175 women from Cape Town to participate on the march. The banning order forced her to resign from her position at FEDSAW.

The day after she formed the FCWU, Ray married Jack Simons. After Jack received many banning orders together with Ray, the two left South Africa for Zambia. They spent 25 years in exile in Zambia.

During this time, Ray and Jack wrote the seminal text, Class and Colour in South Africa: 1850-1950. The book traced the development and interaction of race and class and how it shaped South African political landscape. The book was banned for possession as well as distribution and was read clandestinely by many left activists.

Ray Alexander had stayed active and busy in her political life all through her exile. Ray and Jack were among the first exiles to return to South Africa in 1990. Jack died in 1995. Ray continued her involvement with the trade union movement, the African National Congress and the SACP.

Ray's death has left a void on the political landscape. During her time as an anti-apartheid women's activist, she was a formidable opponent to the state's continuous repression. Ray's contribution to South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle will be remembered for a long time to come.

From Green Left Weekly, October 13, 2004.
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