But what of the women who were employed to guard the detained activists during this time of struggle?
Sweeping changes by the ANC to the chairpersons of portfolio committees in Parliament on Thursday resulted in the demotion of prominent ANC leaders.
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has accused Helen Zille, the leader of the Democratic Alliance and mayor of Cape Town, of fanning the flame of xenophobia by saying that attacks on foreigners were in part due to the fact that foreigners were selling the drug tik to South African children.