We honour Crecentia Mofokeng, affectionately known to many as “Mama Africa,” a towering leader within the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) and beyond, whose life’s work has been inseparable from the fight for workers’ rights, women’s leadership, and decent work across Africa and the world.

From the workplace to the global stage, she carried the voices of workers, especially women, with courage, clarity, and unwavering principle. Crec did not merely serve the trade union movement; she transformed it.

She opened doors for women, strengthened regions, built movements, and reminded us that workers’ solidarity and gender equality are not slogans, but daily practices rooted in justice and care.

As she retires, her legacy lives on in every organised worker, every woman and young leader she mentored, and every victory won through collective action. We move forward stronger because she walked before us.

Crecentia, your BWI family cannot thank you enough. Your struggle is our inheritance. Your courage is our call to action.