The Legacy of Mandisa Monakali
The story of Ilitha Labantu is inseparable from the life and vision of its founder, Mandisa Monakali (1960 – 2024).
A respected anti-apartheid activist, community leader, and tireless advocate for women's rights, Monakali established the organisation in 1989 after witnessing the devastating impact of domestic violence, poverty, and social exclusion on women and children in township communities. As a survivor of gender-based violence, she understood the immediate realities faced by survivors and the systemic barriers that prevented many from accessing support, protection, and justice.
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For more than four decades, Monakali dedicated her life to advancing the rights, dignity, and wellbeing of women and children. Her work extended beyond individual cases to challenging the structures and social norms that enabled violence and inequality to persist. She was also a strong advocate for ensuring that women's voices influenced policy and decision-making, including her contribution to civil society participation in the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 1995.
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Today, her legacy lives on through every aspect of Ilitha Labantu's work. Her commitment to survivor support continues through the organisation's clinical, psychosocial, and legal services. Her belief in prevention, empowerment, and community leadership remains central to education, advocacy, livelihoods, and capacity-building programmes. Her conviction that lasting change requires strong institutions and informed practitioners is reflected in the work of the Ilitha Labantu Academy.
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Monakali also understood the importance of preserving and amplifying women's stories. This vision is carried forward through the Isisele Senyathi Women's Hub on African Women's History and publications such as the Our Stories, Our Voices anthology series.
Her legacy is further honoured through the Annual Mandisa Monakali Memorial Lecture and Annual High Tea, which serve as important platforms for dialogue, advocacy, leadership recognition, and partnership building. These events bring together community leaders, policymakers, activists, donors, and supporters to advance conversations on gender equality and social justice while helping mobilise the resources and relationships needed to sustain and expand Ilitha Labantu's work.
