Former Eastern Cape Health MEC and Rhodes University Honorary Doctorate, Dr Trudy Thomas, passed away on Monday at age 82, after a lengthy illness.

Dr Thomas trained at Wits University and Baragwanath Hospital, before moving to the Eastern Cape as a young doctor to work in the mission hospital of St Matthews, near Keiskammahoek. In 1974, she moved to East London, where she got involved with the human rights organisation, the Black Sash, and collaborated with Black Consciousness icon Steve Biko. Dr Thomas became a community health pioneer and activist, and served in the first democratic provincial government of Premier Ray Mhlaba from 1994 to 1999.

In 1996, Dr Thomas was awarded the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights, and she was conferred with an honorary doctorate of Laws (LLD) by Rhodes University in 2003.

Her memoir, Healthy Outrage, was published recently.

- Issued by the Communications and Advancement Division on behalf of Rhodes University

Last Modified: Mon, 18 Jun 2018 14:58:54 SAST