Ruth Kubone

Ruth Kubone (b. c. 1907) is a South African Bahá’í who served as a National Spiritual Assembly member and an Auxiliary Board member.

Background

Kubone was working as a teacher in Cato Manor, Durban, when she and her husband, Sam, were introduced to the Bahá’í Faith by her son Malcolm Shabane and they declared in 1959. Prior to becoming a Bahá’í she was politically active in protesting apartheid and in 1960 she was arrested under the Emergency Regulations Act. The Act had not been passed at the time she was arrested and she was scheduled to be released, however her release was delayed and she was immediately re-arrested after the Act had passed so she remained imprisoned for a time.

In approximately 1960 Kubone and her husband were both appointed to the Area Teaching Committee of Natal-Zululand and in approximately 1961 they were elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Isipingo and appointed to the National Teaching Committee of South Africa serving until 1963. During 1963 they began serving as full-time travel teachers and secured hundreds of declarations and established many Local Spiritual Assemblies across South Africa, however due to a lack of consolidation the majority of the Assemblies were disbanded shortly after the end of the Ten Year Crusade. After the Crusade they both served on the National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa and Ruth was the first native woman to serve on the body.

As of 1966 Kubone had been appointed as an Auxiliary Board member for Transkei and made travel teaching trips across the state. She and her husband served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Umlazi for a time although the body was ultimately dissolved.