Background
She was born in Latvia as Rachel Alexandrovich and moved to Cape Town in 1929 to escape the persecution of Jews and communists.
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Rachel Simons
Edit ProfileCareer
She joined the South African Communist Party immediately. She was generally known then by the name of Ray Alexander. In 1935 she was the secretary of the Industrial and Commercial Workers" Union.
She later worked for the Garment Workers Union, which paid her about £3 a month.
She and Jack lived in a house near Table Mountain where they offered hospitality and assistance to African trades union organisers. Ray Simons was instrumental in the formation of the South African Railways and Harbours Union and the Federation of South African Women of which she was the first national secretary.
They returned from exile in 1990. She died in Cape Town at the age of 91.
Politics
In the 1930s she was active in the communist and trade union movements and was elected a member of the political bureau of the Party in 1938. She was awarded the Isitwalandwe Medal in 2004 by the African National Congress.
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Born
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Died
September 12, 2004 (aged 90) -
Nationality
South African -
Political Party
Communist Party