Who Was Robert Sobhukwe ?

		Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe 1924 - 1978
Robert Mangaliso, which means ' wonderful ', Sobukwe was born in Graaff-Reinet in the Cape Province in 1924. His father was a farm labourer and his mother had no formal education. Sobukwe showed signs of being an excellent student from an early age and won a scholarship to the Methodist boarding school at Healdtown in the Eastern Cape. Following the completion of his schooling he enrolled at Fort Hare University, where he displayed a keen interest in literature. At Fort Hare, where generations of young Black South Africans were exposed to politics, he joined the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) in 1948. The organisation had been established on the campus by Godfrey Pitje, who later also became president of the ANCYL. In 1949 Sobukwe was elected as president of the Fort Hare Students' Representative Council, where he proved himself to be a good orator. In 1950 Sobukwe was appointed as a teacher at a high school in Standerton, a position he lost when he spoke out in favour of the Defiance Campaign in 1952. He was, however, reinstated. During this period he was separated from mainstream ANC activities, but still held the position of secretary of the ANC branch in Standerton. In 1954 Sobukwe was appointed as a lecturer in African Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand. He moved to Johannesburg and soon his outstanding intellect was recognised. During his time in Johannesburg he edited ' The Africanist ' and soon began to criticise the ANC for allowing itself to be dominated by what he termed 'liberal-left-multi-racialists'. He was an ardent supporter of an Africanist future for South Africa and rejected the idea of working with Whites. 'The Prof', as his friends knew him, was a charismatic speaker, and in 1958 was instrumental in a breakaway from the ANC, resulting in the birth of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). He was unanimously elected as the president of the movement at its inaugural congress. Sobukwe's eloquence as a public speaker, his intelligence and commitment to his cause soon established him as natural leader, and helped him rally support for the PAC. On 21 March 1960, at the launch of the PAC anti-pass campaign, he resigned from his post as teacher. He made last minute arrangements for the safety of his family and left his home in Molofo. He intended to give himself up for arrest at the Orlando police station in the hope that his actions would inspire action among other Black South Africans. On the 8 km walk to the police station small groups of men joined him from neighbouring areas like Phefeni, Dube and Orlando West. The small crowd arrived at their destination and most of them, including Sobukwe, were arrested. He was given a surprisingly harsh sentence of 3 years ' imprisonment, at the end of which Parliament enacted a General Law Amendment Act, which empowered the Minister of Justice to prolong the detention of any political prisoner indefinitely. He was moved to Robben Island, where he remained for six additional years. On his release in 1969 Sobukwe was allowed to join his family in Kimberley while remaining under twelve-hour house arrest. He was also restricted from any active political activity as a result of a banning order. During his incarceration Sobukwe had obtained an Honours Degree in Economics from the University of London, and had also started a Law Degree. He articled in Kimberley and started his own law practice in 1975. Although he was offered several teaching posts at American universities he was prevented from going overseas by the government of the day. Robert Sobukwe passed away on 27 February 1978. More about him" Robert Sobukwe From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe) Jump to: navigation, search Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe (5 December 1924 ; 27 February 1978) was a South African political dissident, who founded the Pan Africanist Congress in opposition to the Apartheid regime. Contents [hide] 1 Early years 2 Mainstream politics 3 Internment 4 Robben Island imprisonment 5 Kimberley: internal exile 6 Illness and death 7 Trivia 8 See also 9 External links [edit] Early years Sobukwe was born in Graaff-Reinet in the Cape Province on the 5 December 1924. He came from a poor household and was educated locally. He attended a Methodist college at Healdtown and later Fort Hare University where he joined the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) in 1948. [edit] Mainstream politics In 1952 Sobukwe achieved notoriety backing the Defiance Campaign. He identified with the Africanists within the ANC and in 1957 left the ANC to become Editor of The Africanist newspaper in Johannesburg. He was a strong believer in an Africanist future for South Africa and rejected any model suggesting working with anyone other than blacks in RSA. He later left the ANC and formed the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), where he was elected its first President in 1959. Robert Sobukwe became known as the Professor to his close compatriots and followers. This was witness to his educational achievements and powers of speech. He spoke of the need for black South Africans to "liberate themselves" without the help of non-blacks. His strong conviction and active resistance inspired generations of South Africans, and also inspired many organizations involved in the anti-apartheid movement, notably the Black Consciousness Movement. [edit] Internment On 21 March 1960, the PAC led a nationwide protest against the hated Pass Law which require black people to carry a pass book at all times. Sobukwe led a march to the local police station at Orlando, Soweto in order to openly defy the laws. He was joined on route by a few followers and, after presenting his pass to a police officer, he purposely made himself guilty under the terms of the Pass Law for being present in a region/area other than that allowed in his papers. In a similar protest the same day in Sharpeville, police opened fire on a crowd of PAC supporters, killing 69 in the Sharpeville Massacre. Following Sobukwe's arrest, he was charged and convicted of incitement, and sentenced to three years in prison. After serving his sentence, he was kept in prison, this time without trial, on Robben Island. The new General Law Amendment Act was passed, allowing his imprisonment to be renewed annually at the discretion of the Minister of Justice. This procedure became known as the "Sobukwe clause" and went on for a further three years. Sobukwe was the only person imprisoned under this clause. [edit] Robben Island imprisonment Sobukwe was kept in solitary confinement but permitted certain privileges including books, newspapers, civilian clothes, bread etc. He lived in a separate area on the Island where he had no contact with other prisoners. The only contacts were his secret hand signals whilst outside for exercise. Despite this he succeeded in giving his approval to the external PAC to adopt a Maoist political program. He studied during this time and received among others a degree in economics from the University of London. It is speculated that the South African administration had profiled Robert Sobukwe as a more radical and difficult opponent than the regular ANC prisoners. Throughout his imprisonment, Sobukwe maintained communication with his friend Benjamin Pogrund who later became his biographer ("Sobukwe and Apartheid," Johannesburg, J.Ball, 1990). [edit] Kimberley: internal exile Sobukwe was released in 1969. He was allowed to live in Kimberley with his family but remained under house arrest. Kimberley was suggested as an area where he could not easily foster subversive activities and also a place where he could live and work, whilst being easily monitored by the state. He was also restricted through a banning order, which disallowed political activities. Various restrictions barred Sobukwe from travelling overseas, thus curtailing his attempts at furthering his education. For this same reason he had to turn down several positions as a teacher at various locations in the United States. Robert Sobukwe finished his Law degree with the help of a local lawyer, in Galeshewe. On completion he then started his own practice in 1975 in Kimberley. [edit] Illness and death Due to lung cancer, he was hospitalised in 1977. His doctors requested that the authorities allow him freedom of movement on humanitarian grounds. This request was refused. He died on 27 February 1978, and was buried in Graaf-Reinet on 11 March 1978. [edit] Trivia In 2004 Sobukwe was voted 42nd in the SABC3's Great South Africans. [edit] See also Benjamin Pogrund, Sobukwe's biographer [edit] External links Robert Sobukwe - Leader of the Africanist Collection of historical papers on Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe at The University of the Witwatersrand Library Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sobukwe" Categories: 1924 births | 1978 deaths | Alumni of the University of London | Anti-apartheid activists | Pan Africanist Congress of Azania

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