Patricia Rabanye, 41, is a dedicated community activist from Khutsong, Carletonville, in Gauteng’s West Rand. She has spent her life fighting for her community’s rights and development. Recently, Rabanye represented the Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) and Women Affected by Mining United in Action (WAMUA) at an OECD conference in Paris on 23 May 2023.
Reflecting on her Paris experience, Rabanye said, “I’ve always wanted to be outside the country, experience how it is to be where you are foreign to the food and culture. We usually have visitors from outsiders as the sinkholes are the celebrities in the community, not us.” Her speech highlighted the discrimination women face in mining, including barriers to holding positions and lack of recourse for sexual harassment.
Rabanye’s activism began at 14 when she attended community meetings. “This is what I love, I love doing everything for my community hence I’m all involved,” she said. She joined MACUA in 2015, became a branch secretary in 2018/2019, and a branch coordinator in January 2023. “MACUA has helped me grow because of the diversity with cultures, languages, and just how they treat us. Mostly it has been the fact that activism is vast and really a passion there,” Rabanye explained.
Rabanye holds various roles in local committees, including Ward Committee member for public safety, Deputy Chairperson of People in Parks, and Deputy President of Abanikazi Bendawo. She is also a project manager at Muduoane Community Development Centre and a secretary at Kananelooline ICT.
Her motivation is to fight for her community’s development without fear of victimization. “My motivation is simply fighting for the development of my community and being their voice without fear of being victimised or silenced. My community deserves better than what they see or what they are promised,” she stated.
▶️ The original post Patricia Rabanye: A Tireless Activist for Community Development first appeared on MACUA – with links to photographs and videos.
