Family members of the late Guma and the Mandela University community gathered to honour the young activist, remembered for her humility, courage and unwavering commitment to social justice. Guma tragically lost her life in a car accident in 2015. At the time, she was the personal assistant to the ANC Eastern Cape provincial secretary and a student activist. She was just months away from graduating with her honours degree in Public Administration and Management from Mandela University.
Her legacy was subsequently honoured when a student residence on the University’s 2nd Avenue campus was renamed in her memory.
Yolanda’s mother, Trudy reflected on the pain of losing her daughter more than a decade ago, while celebrating the strength and character that defined her life. “What happened was painful but we have gone down this route for 11 years and you ask yourself, ‘Why Yolanda?’ but we are told not to question God’s deeds,” she said.
“Yolanda was like a sheep and a wolf at the same time. She was very kind, very humble, but just step on her toes, then you’d see a side of her that you never expected. That is why she progressed into the several leadership positions she held,” said Trudy Guma.
Addressing attendees at the lecture, Sipokazi Lusithi, MEC for Public Works, Infrastructure and Human Settlements in the Eastern Cape described Guma as one of the finest products of progressive student activism in South Africa, whose political consciousness and organisational discipline distinguished her as a revolutionary leader, deeply rooted in the struggles of ordinary people.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say that Yolanda stood out amongst the finest products of the progressive student activism of this country. She was disciplined, politically conscious and deeply rooted in the struggles of working-class students and poor communities.”
The MEC said Guma understood that higher education was not simply about academic success, but about dignity, social mobility and liberation for black and working-class students. She understood that student activism was never about self-promotion or individual advancement, but about collective struggle and the transformation of society.”
Tracing Guma’s activism journey from residence leadership structures to the Student Representative Council, the MEC highlighted her ability to lead without arrogance despite occupying influential political spaces. “She worked in some of the highest offices in politics, but she never became egotistical or arrogant about it.”
The lecture further explored the role of student activism in South Africa’s liberation history, linking Guma’s activism to broader struggles against apartheid, patriarchy, economic exclusion and inequality. “Student activism in South Africa has always been an intergenerational phenomenon. From the struggles against apartheid to the democratic era battles around transformation, decolonisation and access to education, students have consistently shaped the political and social direction of our country,” said Lusithi.
The memorial lecture also highlighted the importance of women’s leadership in politics, academia and governance, noting the growing presence of women in leadership positions across the Eastern Cape and South Africa.
The greatest tribute we can pay to her memory is not “only through words, but through building the kind of movement and society she believed in — a movement rooted in unity, humility, ethical leadership, working-class solidarity and the total emancipation of our people”, the MEC said.