Native life in south africa sol solomon tshekisho plaatje on. The class focuses on african and caribbean literature, neither of which im very familiar with. This year also marks the centenary of his most important nonfiction work, native life in south africa, which exposed the catastrophe wrought on the country by the 19 natives land act. The novel was republished many times subsequently, including in the influential heinemann african writers series. It is the story of native life in south africa when the colonizer landed the crippling blow that would render the native powerless.
I have it in mind to unsettle two largely dismissive readings of his work that are influential today. Solomon tshekisho plaatje was born 140 years ago in what is today south africas free state province. Travel has been further implicated in the persistent if erratic circulation of native life since its. Sol plaatjes pioneering book arose out of an early african national congress campaign to protest against the discriminatory19 natives land. Manosa nthunya department of english, university of the witwatersrand, south africa correspondence manosa. Celebrating a century of sol plaatje, south africas. Travel was integral to native life in south africas material creation, as well as to the books intellectual development and narrative architecture. First published in 1916, native life in south africa was written by one of south africas most talented early twentiethcentury black leaders and journalists. The immemorial opening phrase of the book describes the acts devastation. First published in 1916, sol plaatjes native life in south africa was written by one of the south africas most talented early twentiethcentury black leaders.
Reading sol plaatjes native life in south africa in. One of the first novels written in english by an african, mhudi, which was published in but probably largely written about or, has not been. The natives land act dispossessed black south africans and prevented them from competing with white farm workers for jobs. First published in 1916, sol plaatjes native life in south africa was written by one of the south africas most talented early 20thcentury black leaders and. This was an important moment for south africa because this is a. Sol plaatje a life of solomon tshekisho plaatje 18761932. Native life in south africa, before and since the european. The first sentence is perhaps one of the hardest hitting political statements in south african history. One of south africas newest universities, the sol plaatje university in kimberley, will this year celebrate native life in south africa, the hundredyear classic that records the colonial land grabs of 19 the university will host public lectures on 19 june 2016 marking the day plaatje died in 1932 and 9 october 9, his birthday. Project muse sol plaatjes native life in south africa.
History, literary studies, biography print isbn sol plaatjes native life in south africa 978 1 86814 981 0 past and present sol plaatjes epub isbn. Sol plaatjes native life in south africa wits university press. Native life 100 after sol plaatje published it the. The sol plaatje local municipality, which includes the city of kimberley, is named after him, as is the sol plaatje university in that city, due to open its doors in 2014 plaatje was born in doornfontein near boshof, orange free state now free state province, south africa, the sixth of eight sons. Sol plaatjes native life in south africa edited by janet. Plaatjes pioneering book arose out of an early african national congress. Native life in south africa, before and since the european war and the boer rebellion by sol. Of all the antinative laws conceived by white men in the history of european colonisation in south africa, no single measure has ever created so much misery and distress among the natives as the did natives land act of 19. Mhudi is a 1930 historical fiction and romance novel written by south african writer, journalist, linguist, and. In his book, native life in south africa, sol plaatje uses many of the narrative. Plaatje was born in doornfontein near boshof, orange free state now free state province, south africa, the sixth of eight sons.
Sol plaatjes pioneering book arose out of an early african national congress campaign to protest against the discriminatory19 natives land act. Pdf click to increase image size click to decrease. He has written extensively on sol plaatje and other aspects of nineteenth and twentiethcentury south african history, his most recent book being sol plaatjes native life in south africa. It arose out of the protest campaign of the south african native national congress sannc founded in 1912, renamed in 1923 the african national congress anc, africas oldest liberation movement and, since 1994, south africas ruling party. First published in 1916, sol plaatjes native life in south africa was written by one of the south africas most talented early twentiethcentury black leaders and journalists. Solomon tshekiso plaatje was a journalist extraordinaire. This book is a necessary read especially for young south africans of all cultural backgrounds, although the only drawback i found is the oldschool english which might be a little challenging at times. Peterson has contended recently, in terms of analysis, native life is a much neglected book sol plaatjes native life in south africa. Plaatjes pioneering book arose out of an early african national congress campaign to protest against the discriminatory19 natives land act. Indigenous peoples south africa social conditions 20th century subject. Thus i focus on sol plaatjes native life in south africa as a key source, arguing that his repeated refrain that the act was cruel to animals was both a sincere response to its impact on. Sol t plaatje was born near boshoff in 1876 and was educated at pniel. Native life in south africa is one of the most remarkable books on africa, by one of the continents most remarkable writers.
Centenary of sol plaatjes native life in south africa. Foreword native life in south africa electronic text. Plaatje native life 100 after sol plaatje published it by janet remmington, brian willan, bhekizizwe peterson mail and guardian, 30 september 2016. It reminds us that this country needs more sol plaatjes, more crusading journalists who use. Plaatjes pioneering book arose out of an early african national congress campaign to protest against the discriminatory 19 natives land act. Plaatje 7 followers solomon tshekisho plaatje was born near boshof, orange free state now free state province, south africa. Sol plaatjes mhudi, english studies in africa johannesburg, xiv, 21971. Sol plaatje university spu opened in 2014, the first of two new universities to be established in postapartheid south africa.
Native life in south africa before and since the european war and the boer rebellion language. South africas pioneering black writer, politician and polymath sol t plaatje was born 140 years ago this month, on 9 october 1876. Solomon tshekisho plaatje south african history online. First published in 1916, sol plaatjes native life in south africa was written by one of the south africas most talented early 20thcentury black leaders and journalists. The 100th anniversary of the foundation of the university of fort hare 50. We take him as exemplar and standard, said former education minister professor kader asmal in the foreword to native life in south africa, the 1916 plaatje classic republished in 2007. Foreword by njabulo ndebele first published in 1916, sol plaatjes native life in south africa was written by one of the south africas most talented early 20thcentury black leaders and journalists. Awaking on friday morning, june 20, 19, plaatje wrote, the south african native found himself, not actually a slave, but a pariah in the land of his birth. His grandfathers name was selogilwe mogodi 18361881 but his employer, the boer farmer groenewald, nicknamed him plaatje in 1856 and the family started using this as a surname.
He was one of the foremost black leaders of his generation in south africa. Sol t plaatjes groundbreaking work native life in south africa was published 100 years ago in 1916. My professor is a 60yearold feisty black woman who grew up in the rural midwest and has traveled to africa several times senegal, south africa, and swaziland i believe. Plaatje s pioneering book arose out of an early african national congress campaign to protest against the discriminatory 19 natives land act. Read, highlight, and take notes, across web, tablet, and phone. Reading sol plaatjes native life in south africa in contemporary south africa. As sol plaatje wrote in the opening lines of native life in south africa, awakening on friday morning, june 20, 19, the south african native found himself, not actually a slave, but a pariah in the land of his birth. Solomon tshekisho plaatje was born in 1876, sixth son of african farm ers of the barolong people. Native life in south africa, before and since the european war and the boer. An event to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the publication of sol plaatjes native life in south africa and to celebrate the publication of sol plaatjes.
Native life in south africa by sol plaatje read free. Solomon plaatje 18761932 wrote native life in south africa, before and since the european war and the boer rebellion in order to protest against the natives land. Considered to be a very important contribution to early south african literature, mhudi is believed to be the first english novel written by a black south african. Ship this item qualifies for free shipping buy online, pick up in store is currently unavailable, but this item may be available for instore purchase. Request pdf on jan 2, 2018, manosa nthunya and others published sol plaatjes native life in south africa.
Sol plaatje snative life in south africa, originally published in 1916, was first and foremost a response to the landmark natives land act of 19. First published in 1916, sol plaatje s native life in south africa was written by one of the south africa s most talented early 20thcentury black leaders and journalists. Remembering sol plaatje as south africas original public. Centenary of native life in south africa by sol plaatje. Pdf it is as bad to be a black mans animal as it is to. South african novelist sol t plaatje was a pioneer in the fight against. His political tract, native life in south africa, was an angry denunciation of the 19 natives land act. Mhudi was the first book assigned for my current english class, multicultural literary studies. Foreword by njabulo ndebele first published in 1916, sol plaatje s native life in south africa was written by one of the south africa s most talented early 20thcentury black leaders and journalists. It arose out of the protest campaign of the south african native national congress sannc founded in 1912, renamed in 1923 the african national congress anc, africa s oldest liberation movement and, since 1994, south africa s ruling party. Past and present, coedited with janet remmington and bheki peterson wits university press, 2016. This edited extract from the new biography of one of south africas pioneering journalists details his disbelief at the callousness of a legislative monstrosity, and his unwavering attempts to halt a travesty. Sol plaatje, south african nationalist, 18761932 brian.