25 March 2001
The South African Communist Party (SACP) announces with great sadness, the passing away on Saturday 24 March of Sonia Bunting after a short illness. The SACP mourns the loss of a loyal and dedicated activist whose entire adult life was spent in selfless service to the African National Congress and the SACP. In the struggle against apartheid, as a Treason Trialist, under house arrest and banning, as a detainee and as an exiled activist, Sonia Bunting displayed a courage and commitment worthy of the finest traditions of our liberation movement.
The SACP extends its deepest condolences to the family of Sonia Bunting her husband of 55 years, Brian Bunting and their children Peter, Margaret and Stephen.
Sonia Bunting was born in Johannesburg in 1922 and after passing her first year of medical studies at Wits University she left to work full-time for the then Communist Party of South Africa. She held various positions in the Party in Johannesburg before moving in 1946 to Cape Town with her husband. After the banning of the Communist Party under the Suppression of Communism Act in 1950, she worked until 1963 for the long line of publications, which the regime repeatedly attempted to ban, including the Guardian, New Age and Spark.
In 1951 she attended the World Youth Congress in Berlin as a member of a South African delegation lead by Ahmed Kathrada.
In 1955 Sonia Bunting was one of the platform speakers at the Congress of the People in Kliptown in 1955 where the Freedom Charter was adopted. She dealt with the section, +AGA-All shall enjoy equal human rights.
In 1956 Sonia Bunting was one of 156 activists arrested and charged with high treason. After being held in prison for two weeks she was finally acquitted, along with 91 others in October 1958. In 1959 she was banned from attending meetings and ordered to resign from 26 organisations. In 1960 she was detained for three and half months at Pretoria Central Prison and in 1962 placed under house arrest with her husband Brian.
In 1963 Sonia Bunting went into exile where she remained until her return in 1991 after the un-banning of the ANC and SACP. In exile she held numerous positions in the liberation movement including running the only office of the SACP in the world for twenty years.
In addition she was the organiser of the World Campaign for the Release of South African Political Prisoners, which mobilised worldwide support for the Rivonia accused and played a significant part in saving Nelson Mandela and other leaders from the death penalty.
CONTACT
Chairperson SACP Western Cape.
Leonard Ramatlakane
Cell: 082 896 3946
OR
Mazibuko K. Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Media, Information and Publicity South African Communist Party
Tel: 27 11 339-3621/2
Fax: 27 11 339-4244
Cell: 083 651 0271
Email: sacp1@wn.apc.org