On 9 August 1956 Lilian Ngoyi led a group of 20 000 women marching to the Union buildings in Pretoria in protest against the then Government requiring black women to carry pass books. Ngoyi was not an intellectual but rather a strong orator and a source of fiery inspiration to her fellow colleagues in the ANC. Lillian Ngoyi: biography 25 September 1911 – 13 March 1980 Lillian Masediba Ngoyi "Ma Ngoyi", 25 September 1911 – 13 March 1980, was a South African anti-apartheid activist. She was the first woman elected to the executive committee of the African National Congress, and helped launch the Federation of South African Women. Ngoyi joined [].