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A memorial service in Johannesburg on Sunday 1 March will honour Helen Suzman, one of the most celebrated white opponents of apartheid. When she died in January at the age of 91, tributes to her inspirational struggle poured in from around the world.

For 13 years she was the sole parliamentary representative of the Progressive Party, and for six the only woman among 165 MPs. In that exposed position she was frequently subjected to fierce attacks, some of them anti-Semitic, but she refused to be intimidated, and was a regular visitor to Nelson Mandela on Robben Island.

She was twice nominated for the Nobel peace prize. The Queen made her an honorary Dame of the British Empire, and she was feted by governments, universities and other institutions. Her passion for justice remained undimmed to the end - in recent years she took mischievous delight in the fact that from Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe was declaring her 'an enemy of the state'.

Fifteen years ago, shortly after her retirement from a parliamentary career spanning 36 years, Roy Jenkins met Mrs Suzman in her Johannesburg home to record an interview for "All Things Considered". It was the eve of the first democratic elections for the whole South African people, and there were real fears that they'd be disrupted by violence.

In this week's "All Things Considered" (Sunday 1 March 8.30am; repeated Wednesday 4 March 6.30pm) there's an opportunity to hear that interview which was first broadcast in March 1994.

Related website:

Helen Suzman Foundation: