On this Women’s Day, 9 August, I want to honour a woman whose presence has become a steady anchor in my life over the past few months. Her name is Tannie Truida. We have been side by side on our election campaign, and from the very first day she has shown me what true resilience looks like.
Tannie Truida is the kind of woman who simply never quits. No matter how long the day, how heavy the load, or how many setbacks come our way, she always shows up. She arrives with the same calm determination, ready to roll up her sleeves and get the work done. In a campaign where energy can fade and spirits can dip, she is the constant — reliable, unflinching, and quietly fierce.
What makes her strength even more profound is the sorrow she has carried from a very young age. She lost her child early in life. That kind of pain could have broken many people. Yet Tannie Truida chose to keep walking. She never allowed grief to stop her. Instead, she turned that deep loss into a well of compassion and endurance. You feel it in the way she carries herself — soft-spoken but unbreakable.
To me, she has become like a mother. In the long hours of campaign work, when the pressure mounts or the road feels lonely, Tannie Truida is simply there. She listens without judgement, offers a quiet word of encouragement, and somehow makes you feel safe and seen. Her care is practical and warm at the same time — the kind of motherly presence that steadies everyone around her.
This Women’s Day I celebrate Tannie Truida not for grand speeches or public recognition, but for the everyday courage she lives. She teaches us that real strength is showing up again and again, even after the hardest losses. She reminds us that a mother’s heart can hold both deep pain and unwavering love, and still keep moving forward.
Thank you, Tannie Truida, for walking this campaign road with me. Thank you for never quitting. Thank you for being the steady, motherly light in our corner. On this Women’s Day, and every day, I am proud to stand beside you.