US politician wins top SA honour
By Xolani Mbanjwa
President Thabo Mbeki has bestowed the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo on US Congresswoman, Maxine Waters.
Waters, 70, who founded and led the Los Angeles Free South Africa Movement, could not come to the country to receive the award when it was originally conferred on her in 2004.
But on Tuesday, accompanied by a US delegation at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Waters finally received her well-deserved tribute.
Waters was recently arrested in front of the White House while demanding justice for Haitian refugees and the restoration of democracy in Haiti.
A key figure in the US Congressional efforts to restore power to Haiti's toppled president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Waters was also recognised for the work she had done as a community organiser and as a champion of the poor.
Born in St Louis, Missouri, Waters graduated from Vashon High School in St Louis and attended Los Angeles State College (now California State University, Los Angeles).
Prior to her entry into politics, she was a teacher and a volunteer co-ordinator in the Head Start programme, which focuses on providing assistance to children from low-income families.
She organised and led marches and rallies in Los Angeles against diamond and Kruger Rand dealers in Beverly Hills.
She also secured provisions that gave women and minority-owned firms in the US preference in acquiring failed financial institutions and expanded debt relief for Africa and other developing countries.
In 1990, Waters and other anti-apartheid activists of the Free South Africa Movement learnt that Nelson Mandela would be released from Robben Island after 27 years of imprisonment and held an all-night vigil watching television coverage from Cape Town.
When they saw Mandela emerging from prison they sang Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika and marched in the streets of Los Angeles.
In June of that year, when Mandela toured the US, Waters chaired the welcoming committee that greeted him with a motorcade to City Hall at a rally attended by close to 100 000 people.
She also welcomed, in 1987, then ANC President Oliver Tambo in the US.
She is considered by many people as one of the most powerful women in American politics today and has a reputation as a fearless and outspoken advocate for women, children, black people and the poor
In addition to her service on the House Banking and Judiciary committees, Waters has served as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (of which she remains a member).
She is also a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Waters is a co-sponsor of the House resolution to impeach Dick Cheney.
In addition, she was the co-founder of Black Women's Forum, the founder of Project Build and is the chair of the "Out of Iraq" Congressional Caucus
She has been an advocate for international peace, justice, and human rights.
Mbeki said her fight for a non-racial and non-sexist South Africa and her dedication to the upliftment of the poor made her an "esteemed" member of the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo.
This article was originally published on page 2 of The Pretoria News on March 26, 2008
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