It is with a broken heart that I note that my dear friend and mother-in-law Rhoda Kadalie passed away early Saturday morning, during the Easter weekend and the Passover holiday. We will likely hold a formal memorial service in Cape Town in late June, and an informal gathering in Los Angeles in the coming days.

Rhoda was a wonderful sister, mother, and grandmother who fought for her principles, and did everything she could to uplift others. She was a pioneering feminist who stood up for women within the anti-apartheid movement, and created the Gender Equity Unit at the University of the Western Cape. She served in President Nelson Mandela's administration on the Human Rights Commission, and became its most visible and active member. She resigned in protest at the commission's failure to do more to promote socioeconomic rights. She then founded Impumelelo, an organization that identified and rewarded successful development programs and partnerships between government and the private sector. She also became one of the country's best-known opinion columnists, and was among the first to speak out against corruption and abuses of power, regardless of party. Born in District Six in 1953, she was the daughter of Pastor Fenner Kadalie and Joan Kadalie (née Francis), and the granddaughter of Clements Kadalie, the first black trade union leader in South Africa. Rhoda and her family, including eight siblings, were forcibly removed from Mowbray in the early 1970s. She matriculated from Harold Cressy High School and earned degrees in library science and anthropology from UWC. She later earned a master’s degree from the International Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands, and received several honorary doctorates. Despite her direct experience of the brutality of apartheid, Rhoda focused on the task of building a better society with South Africans of all races. She believed firmly in non-racialism, and resigned from the governing bodies of UCT and Stellenbosch University when she felt they had sacrificed academic excellence for affirmative action and political correctness. She turned down BEE opportunities and retained her integrity and her independent voice. Her sole business interest was her service on the advisory board of the Molteno Brothers farm in Grabouw, where she learned about agriculture and helped direct social investments in rural communities. Rhoda also adored the Afrikaans language, and while she was beloved by many who read her columns in English, she had a special connection with her Afrikaans-speaking audience. An astute observer of politics around the world, Rhoda was among the first to predict Donald Trump's victory in 2016, and she delighted in his victory, seeing in him an anti-establishment, can-do spirit to which she could relate. She reveled in his disregard for the media and his defiance of the stultifying rules of political correctness. She was a woman of deep Christian faith, and advocated for a greater role for women in the church, as well as for tolerance toward gays and lesbians, at a time when few were doing so. She also admired and defended Israel, and had many friends and supporters in the Jewish community. She was an inspiration to her students and colleagues, and changed the lives of the people she mentored, particularly young women from disadvantaged backgrounds. She loved music, especially the symphony and opera, and was proud of South Africa's artists on the world stage. She was also an incredible cook, and hosted frequent dinner parties with friends from every political persuasion and every walk of life. She was a fierce debater who cherished the contest of ideas and embraced friends with different points of view. Rhoda also had a delightful sense of humor, which she retained until her last moments. She moved to the U.S.A. in 2018 to be with her daughter, Julia, and with her grandchildren, Maya (10), Alexander (6), and Amira (9 months). She was diagnosed with lung cancer last year, despite never having smoked, and battled quietly. She continued to write and to enjoy life; she was blessed to have her sister, Judy, at her side in her last weeks. In her last hours, she listened to Gospel music and was surrounded by love. It is perhaps fitting that her memory will forever be linked to a central holiday of the Christian faith, and to the Jewish festival of liberation. Rhoda was a woman of valor who lived her principles, loved life, helped strangers, walked with God, and left a lasting impression on South Africa and the world. Her memory will continue to be a source of joy for all of us.