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Emma Mashinini
South African trade unionist, Land commissioner · South Africa · On the map · Lived 1929 to 2017 · aged 87
Emma Mashinini was a South African trade unionist and political leader. Living in Johannesburg, her family was forcibly displaced several times during her childhood. She started working at age 14 and soon became a union organiser at her garment factory.
Emma Mashinini is read about 3 times a day, in 8 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 22 August 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 60 days, one point a day.
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About this person
She became active with the African National Congress (ANC) in 1956. Mashinini served for 12 years on the executive board of the National Union of Clothing Workers (NUCW) and founded the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU) in 1975. She was arrested and detained without charges for six months in 1981-82.