Who is Gertrude?

Getrude is Phephelaphi’s mother. It is implied that Getrude was a sex worker who used to bring her daughter with her to all her meetings with clients. Getrude dies when Phephelaphi is young. She is shot by a white police officer, one of her clients, after the man becomes jealous witnessing Getrude sleeping with another man. Phephelaphi seeks to distance herself from her mother’s legacy and refuses even to hold onto the dress that once belonged to her mother. Phephelaphi dreams of a new life for herself.