Seasonal resident from Bobcaygeon wins South Africa’s highest honour

Brenda Wall, a seasonal resident from the Bobcaygeon area, along with Toronto’s Ken Luckhardt, have been awarded South Africa’s highest honour – the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo.

Previously, the only other Canadian to have been given this award was former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney for his persistent stand against apartheid in the African nation.

Wall and Luckhardt are both long time trade union activists.

At the time, they were anti-apartheid activists from the University of Alberta, who faced charges for demonstrating against a cricket team linked to apartheid in the late 1970s. They left their studies and joined the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU), which was allied with the African National Congress (ANC) under the leadership of OR Tambo and in exile at the time. Their efforts raised anti-apartheid awareness among Canadian trade unions, leading to various forms of protests, such as boycotts of South African goods, and pushing for sanctions against the apartheid regime. Their activism influenced the Canadian government’s decision to stop trade with apartheid South Africa. The committee also collected significant funds for the SACTU Strike Fund, setting a new standard in Canadian trade union solidarity.

Wall is an active member of Truth and Reconciliation Community Bobcaygeon.