Doing It For Democracy

Retired IEC chair Dr Brigalia Bam is full of life at 83. At her Pretoria home, we learn her battle for democracy isn’t over yet.

- Mziwakhe Hlangani

AGEING is unfair because it cannot be reversed, she tells us. But this 83-year-old, who refuses to sit back and do nothing in her golden years, almost seems to have escaped its effects. On the contrary, Dr Brigalia Ntombem hlophe Bam is as active as ever, and her love for community service means she will never really retire.

Her name is still synonymous with the Independent Electoral Commission. Officially she retired in 2012, after 12 years as its Chairperson, but she continues to be involved in electoral work both at home and all over the continent. Among other things, she was involved in the most recent local elections as an observer, and she heads up a conflict resolution team in the so-called “Panel of the Wise” that advises the African Union’s Peace and Security Council.

When she’s not keeping tabs on our constitutional rights, Sis Hlophe, as she’s affectionately known, hides out in the leafy suburb of Lynnwood outside Pretoria. The recipient of seven honorary doctorates welcomes us to her luxury French-style villa, and immediately we see she’s lost none of her wit and sparkle.

Her spacious lounge is a testament to her career: it’s decked with impressive metal sculptures – mostly gifts from African leaders – and her walls are adorned with celebrity photographs. There’s one of her with Nelson Mandela, and she tells us it’s precious because it was taken when Thabo Mbeki was recalled as President.

Never one to miss an opportunity for justice, Dr Bam says she regrets that Mbeki was recalled by the ANC leadership, and not by Parliamentary or ordinary party members.