Agenda Feminist Media (AFM) expresses its deep sadness at the sudden passing away last week, of activist and scholar Mikki van Zyl.
She was a regular contributor to the AFM journal Agenda, her articles reflecting her scholarship in the fields of sexuality and sexual rights, and committment to justice for and rights of lesbian women.
An independent scholar, internationally recognised, she was a participant at a workshop ‘Differentiated Citizenship: governing populations beyond state territorial borders’ held at Wits University, when she died. The workshop was co-hosted by Wits’ African Centre for Migration and Society and the (Norwegian) University of Bergen’s Centre for Women’s and Gender Research (SKOK).
One of her most compelling writings (done in conjunction with J de Gruchy, S Lapinsky, S Lewin and G Reid) is the aVersion Project. It was published in 1999 and exposed for the first time, the horrific human rights abuses of gays and lesbians in the South African Defence Force (SADF), by health workers during the apartheid era.
We salute a forthright and brave feminist who will be missed. We extend our condolences to her family, friends, colleagues and fellow activists.
I know that you are in heaven, may your soul rest in peace, you will alwaus be in my thoughts, thank you for changing my life