[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 126 (Thursday, July 26, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1085]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNIZING FORMER AMBASSADOR THANDEKA LUTHULI-GCABASHE

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 26, 2018

   Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
an inspiring activist, dedicated servant for mankind, and former South 
African Ambassador to the Caribbean, Thandeka (Thandi) Luthuli 
Gcabashe. Ambassador Gcabashe will be in Albany, Georgia this week and 
it is my honor and pleasure to welcome her to the Second Congressional 
District of Georgia where she will be visiting her friend of 
longstanding, Dougherty County Commissioner, Gloria Gaines.
  Thandeka, also known as Thandi, is one of two daughters born to Chief 
Albert Luthuli and Nokukhanya Bhengu. Chief Luthuli was Nelson 
Mandela's predecessor in the African National Congress where he served 
as President from 1952-1967. He was also the second black man to win 
the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent approach to fighting South 
Africa's Apartheid.
  Throughout her life, Ambassador Gcabashe continued to uphold her 
father's dedication to peace and human rights through her work in South 
Africa and the United States of America. While in South Africa, she 
coordinated South Africa's Peace Education Program and lectured to 
civic, cultural, and educational institutions on the pressing issues 
surrounding Apartheid. In 1970, shortly after the death of her father, 
she fled South Africa with her husband and four children, and they 
settled in Atlanta, Georgia with the help of the American Embassy and 
the late activist, Mrs. Caretta Scott-King. While in the U.S., she 
continued to condemn the Apartheid and played a pivotal role in 
coordinating the American response. She returned to South Africa in 
1996, following the end of Apartheid. She went on to join South 
Africa's Department of Foreign Affairs in 1998 and in 1999 was 
appointed Ambassador to Venezuela, Latin America, and the West Indies 
(the Caribbean).
  Former Ambassador Gcabashe's work has earned her numerous awards and 
accolades such as the ONI Award from the International Black Women's 
Congress, the Civil Liberation Award from the Civil Liberties Union of 
Georgia, and an honorary Doctorate from Haverford College.
  Nelson Mandela said, ``A good head and a good heart are always a 
formidable combination.'' Ambassador Gcabashe undoubtedly possesses 
this combination and the evidence is noted in her distinguished service 
to her country, devotion to her work, and the compassion she has shown 
for the people of the Caribbean.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing 
former South African Ambassador, Thandeka (Thandi) Luthuli Gcabashe. 
The Second Congressional District of Georgia welcomes this outstanding 
woman and applauds her dedication and service to the betterment of 
mankind.

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