12th Year Anniversary Dinner

In order to successfully celebrate the Group, the current Group Leader, Buhle Lekokotla, facilitated a panel discussion between the Founding members, together with the Mxenge family regarding the history and ethos of the Group. 

However, before delving into the history of the Group, the Mxenge family represented by Viwe and Ntombi Mxenge shed light on who their mother was.

Victoria Mxenge was born in 1942 and was killed in 1985. She grew up in a small village in Eastern Cape, previously known as Ciskei. She had just qualified as a nurse when she met her husband Griffiths Mlungisi Mxenge. They soon married in 1964 and moved to Durban.

Victoria became an anti-apartheid activist while working as a professional nurse, initially at King Edward Hospital in Durban. She also worked as community nurse in Umlazi.

Victoria was passionate about assisting those in need. She had a first aid kit in the house and would assist the community with minor ailments. Victoria’s helpful nature extended outside nursing where she became a member of the Umlazi Residents Association, which assisted members of the community who could not pay their rent or those who had no food at home or who did not have enough money to take their kids to school. The work of the Association was endless and Victoria addressed all issues that troubled her community members.

In the early 60s, Griffiths was not working because he was banned by the Apartheid government. As a result of the ban, Griffiths elected to pursue an LLB degree through the University of South Africa (“UNISA”) and Victoria continued to work as a nurse and supported their family.

After several petitions to the Minister of Justice, the ban on Griffiths was lifted, enabling him to start his own firm and practice as an attorney. Victoria assisted with the daily administrative tasks in the firm and continued to practice as a nurse. That sparked her desire to pursue a career in law. As a result, Victoria studied towards an LLB degree at  UNISA and qualified as an attorney. She was able to assist her community members through providing pro bono legal services to those in need. 

Ntombi Mxenge, informed us that Victoria would give advice to women on a regular basis and would say:  “Plan your life like you will be single for the rest of your life” – Victoria Mxenge.

Victoria believed and practised women empowerment. She would preach that the development of women was through education, which was not only through academic qualifications but it was about achieving the goals you have set for yourself and becoming the best version of yourself. She saw women as natural leaders and always saw potential in rural women. According to Ntombi, Victoria’s desire was to educate rural women by going to church congregations etc. so that they could be self-sufficient. Ntombi’s vision was for lawyers to do the same and to encourage women to pursue degrees in law. Victoria practised as an attorney for four years until her untimely death.

Viwe Mxenge expressed his appreciation towards the Group for continuing his mother’s legacy and said that the Group embodies his mother’s spirit, beliefs, ethos and vision.

“How Mam’Victoria became an important figure to me was when I used to be bundled in and out of detention when I was a teenager. When I was 18 years old, no one knew that I had been bundled at the police station for the weekend. On Sunday of that weekend, I heard a woman screaming at reception and I was called out. This woman demanded that I should be released from detention. I had known of a Victoria Mxenge but I had not met her. Victoria Mxenge was the woman who demanded my release from detention and of course, I was.

After I was released from being detained, we became very close. I would work with her and take notes with her.

Victoria was then headed to the Cradock Four (4) funeral and she wanted me to draft her speech for the funeral. Many people who buried the Cradock Four would know of that speech. So it became an important name to me, this is not to reduce the name of Bab’Griffiths, but she was someone that sacrificed so much and she had never been recognised.”

Sikhakhane SC’s relationship with Victoria continued to grow from strength to strength until her untimely death. Although Victoria passed on, Sikhakhane SC still maintains a strong relationship with the Mxenge family.

The Founders of the Group wanted to create an environment where they felt free to practice law and to be themselves; to create a group of integrity, a group that would uplift women and also support transformation at the Bar.

The Founders had a meeting at Houghton where they discussed possible names for the Group. After heavy discussions, the name of Victoria Mxenge was proposed. At the time, there were several lawyers who were doing great work in the country. However, the Founders felt that no one had sacrificed themselves in the name of justice, the way Victoria Mxenge had, so it was appropriate to name the Group after her.

Sikhakhane SC exclaimed that: 

“The name came up because we wanted to live like she lived. Victoria Mxenge was the only name we could think of and it was a great moment at the time to be able to recognise someone who had not been recognised by the country.”

 Sikhakhane SC approached the late Chief Justice Pius Langa and informed him of the Founders’ intention to start an advocates’ Group named  after Victoria Mxenge. The late Chief Justice Pius Langa facilitated a meeting with Sikhakhane SC, Viwe Mxenge and the eldest brother, Mbasa Mxenge. This meeting was to formerly request, on behalf of the Founders, to use Victoria Mxenge’s name. The Mxenge family was thrilled to have the Group use Victoria’s name. The only thing they said was “Thank you for recognising her”.

Sikhakhane SC was the first Leader of the Group. He describes Nasreen Rajab-Budlender SC as the matriarch of the Group because of the time she spent ensuring that the Group comes to fruition. Rajab-Budlender SC was the second Group Leader and had the following remarks about the Group:

“The true test was not forming the Group but rather to see what happens to the Group when you leave. It’s great to see the Group thriving and being the Group we had hoped it would be.”

Nasreen Rajab-Budlender SC

It was Isabel Goodman SC who came up with the Group logo and the colours of the Group. 

Victoria Mxenge Group has grown over the years from 9 members who were soon joined by Buhle Lekokotla and Nomzamo Mji at the end of 2011. The Group has grown to 37 members. The Group has been led by seven leaders who have upheld the values, ethos and ideologies of the Group and mirrored it in their leadership. The past Group Leaders are: Muzi Sikhakhane SC, Nasreen Rajab-Budlender SC, Honourable Judge Gcina Malindi, Fana Joe Nalane SC, Sesi Baloyi SC, Emma Webber. Our current Group Leader is Buhle Lekokotla. 

The Group still upholds the ideologies of the Founders, in that out of the 7 Group Leaders, 4 of them have been female. In 2021 to 2023, the Group had an executive committee of only women, with Emma Webber as Group Leader serving with Isabel Goodman SC and Buhle Lekokotla. 

Sikhakhane SC expressed his appreciation to the Group that:

“Victoria Mxenge Group remains a marvel to watch. It’s still the Group we formed many years ago.”

Lekokotla asked Rajab-Budlender SC, the above question. Her answer was to see more women in positions of leadership and feeling confident in that position.

Rajab-Budlender SC, elaborated and said that:

“I think the difficulty in our profession is that women don’t get access to certain kinds of work. It’s better now than when I started 20 years ago, but it’s still bad. We get put in particular kinds of work then there’s an assumption made as you get more senior, that you’ve only done Family Law and therefore you cannot do anything else. It’s really about a lack of opportunities, so what I would wish that people in positions of power and/or leadership give junior women an opportunity. But not only to give junior women a brief but to actually support them in that and have an open door policy.”

Lekokotla called one of the Founders, who is a current member, Matthew Chaskalson SC to reflect on where the Group is at the moment. He indicated that the Group is still upholding the values that the Founders espoused and has retained its core, despite its growth in numbers.

Honourable Judge Gcina Malindi expressed his appreciation for the Group’s growth and remarked how impressive that it has stuck to the Founders’ vision over the years.

The Group has grown from strength to strength over the years. The main idea of the Group was to start something new and the Group has achieved that goal. The Group prides itself on its values and ideologies. The Group is dedicated in doing more pro bono work as envisioned by Victoria Mxenge, the Founders and the Mxenge Family. 

The Group has recently embarked on a journey to engage in pro bono work in Kwa Zulu Natal where Victoria Mxenge practised. The idea is to fulfil the Mxenge family’s wish, which was expressed by Ntombi at the Dinner, which is to educate women about their rights and the youth about career opportunities that are available, particularly in law. This would be done in a day, in partnership with one of the advocates’ Group in Durban and with the help of local lawyers within the NGOs, universities and other stakeholders. 

The Group will continue to strive to grow and adhere to the values and ideologies of it’s name sake Mam’Victoria Mxenge.