Parliament, Wednesday, 27 November 2024 - The Presiding Officers of Parliament, National Assembly Speaker Ms Thoko Didiza and National Council of Provinces Ms Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, have learnt with profound sadness about the passing of Ms Louise Asmal - a founding member of the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement.

Ms Asmal was a distinguished human rights activist, writer and researcher who, together with her late husband and renowned law professor - Prof Kader Asmal, worked tirelessly to found and build the anti-apartheid movement in Ireland in the 1960s.

Ms Asmal, an English-born activist and her South African-born husband who met in Britain in 1960s, were barred from entering apartheid South Africa under the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act of 1949. The Act, which made it illegal for white people to marry people of other races, was one of the first pieces of discriminatory legislation passed during Apartheid. The Act was amended in 1968 to make provision for it to invalidate interracial marriages contracted in other countries.

"We have fond memories of how Ms Asmal quietly but powerfully contributed to the establishment and maintenance of a peaceful transition from an evil apartheid South Africa to the democratic nation we have become. Her unwavering commitment to human rights, justice, and equality helped give our country and the world a more humane face. Her legacy, alongside that of Prof Kader Asmal, will continue to inspire future generations in their pursuit of social justice," said the Presiding Officers.

On behalf of Parliament, the Presiding Officers wish to extend their heartfelt condolences to the Asmal family, friends, and all those whose lives she touched through her dedicated work as a human rights activist and champion of democracy.