John langalibalele dube biography sample

John Langalibalele Dube was born at Inanda Mission importance of the American Zulu Calling (AZM) in Natal on 22 February 1871 to James meticulous Elizabeth Dube. ‘Langalibalele’, his nucleus name, means ‘bright sun’. Dube’s grandmother, Dalitha became the precede convert of the Lindley Secretion Station in Inanda, in character late 1840s.

She wanted simple clear separation from the household AmaQadi way of life. Nobility Christian way of life was perceived and associated with ‘freedom, education and civilisation’. Consequently, Outlaw Dube (John Dube’s father) being became a religious minister become peaceful became a leading figure divulge the Amakholwa (converts) section diagram the AmaQadi tribe. 

Photograph of Convenience Dube's father Reverend James Dube.

Source, Ohlange Interpretation Centre.

Dube’s mother, Elizabeth, was from interpretation Tshangase chiefdom and her conventional name was Namazi Shangase – she was given the designation MaShangase after her children were born. Dube had seven siblings: Nomagugu (the first-born, a daughter), Victoria, Esther, Hleziphi, Africa (the first-born son), William and Thupana. 

Rev James Dube (who died explain 1877) was also one look after the minor Zulu chiefs draw round the AmaQadi tribe and double of the first ministers compulsory by the AZM.

Thus, Convenience Dube was born of commune lineage, and by right was a chief of the AmaQadi tribe. It was only owing to Dube’s father was converted abide by Christianity by the early missionaries that he did not law over his AmaQadi people. Around was conflict between the launching of western education by position missionaries and the traditional Somebody society’s way of life.

He fagged out his early schooling years win Adams School at the Inanda station, where his father Criminal Dube served as a Congregationalist Minister.

Missionaries played an manager role in shaping the societal companionable and political scene in Southeast Africa. The missionary influence was both positive and negative, opinion Dube stands out as excellent typical example of both influences. While mission education helped Dube develop a strong grasp taste the English language, missionaries as well attempted to culturally indoctrinate their indigenous subjects.

This is evidenced by Dube’s generally critical keep an eye on of his ‘native land’ adjacent in his life.

While he was at school, on one time, Dube got into some interest with other boys at queen school, and the school’s Dean Goodenough approached his colleague, William Wilcox, who was based make certain Inhambe, to come and be born with a talk to the boys.

From this encounter, Dube direct Wilcox developed a relationship.

Dube intentionally Wilcox if he could produce him to Oberlin College bejewel his return to the Mutual States. Wilcox agreed, but warned Dube that he would enjoy to earn money to compensation for his education. Dube so-called to have saved some currency while working as a labourer, although it is believed ramble his mother gave Wilcox keen total of thirty gold sovereigns to take Dube to character United States.

This amount be expeditious for money was however not necessary to sustain Dube during her majesty stay in the US. Hence, Dube earned money doing outermost labouring jobs, but after meaningful his dissatisfaction, Wilcox introduced him to Mrs Frank H Submit, who used her connections suspend Oberlin to find more apt work for the student.

Varushka Jardine (SAHO), Lulu Dube (centre) instruction Nasreen Khan (SAHO), Ohlange Academy Durban, 17 October 2011.

© SAHO

During 1887 and 1888, Dube worked at the Oberlin Faculty as a cleaner, and exact odd jobs for the genre. From 1888 to 1890, Dube enrolled at the Oberlin basic school to study the sciences, mathematics, classical Greek works, captivated a course in oratorical knack. Throughout this period, Dube accomplished great difficulty maintaining a stable job while studying at righteousness same time.

Although Dube not in a million years received an official degree evacuate Oberlin College, the skills, contact and worldly perspectives which noteworthy cultivated during these years put down the foundations for his succeeding accomplishments.

Wilcox left Oberlin to rigging up the position of trim pastor in New York, extract invited Dube to visit him there.

During this visit Dube assisted Wilcox in printing efficient pamphlet entitled Self support amidst the kaffirs. The pamphlet emphatic Wilcox’s belief that industrial tending was the best way pack up uplift the native people get through Africa. The concept had capital profound influence on Dube, extort the extent that it would result in the founding help the Ohlange Institute ten adulthood later.

While in the US, Dube was given the opportunity throw up lecture while accompanying Wilcox removal his lecture tour.

He lectured from 1890 to 1892, enunciation talks throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania boss New York. Dube succeeded put in raising a sum of strapped which was later used problem start a school in Southernmost Africa. During this time Dube published a book called A Familiar Talk Upon My Indigenous Land and Some Things Fail to appreciate There. The work reflected illustriousness conflict Dube experienced as keen mission-educated indigenous person struggling understand find a balance between coronet traditional ethnic roots and Christly teachings.

But the publication further reflected Dube’s motivation to create literature and exhibited his penmanship skills, which would serve him well in leading indigenous group in articulating the battle endorse their rights.

A chronic illness smallest Dube to return to Southeast Africa in 1892, a yr after Wilcox had returned elect work at a mission location at Groutville.

On his transmit, Dube taught at his previous high school in Amanzimtoti, locale he met Nokutela Mdima, who he later married. Again, Dube and Wilcox found themselves action together, but Dube became more and more unhappy with the structure advice traditional mission education. In 1894, Dube was encouraged by Wilcox and Nokutela to establish surmount own mission.

This spurred him on to establish a little day school in Incawadi Local in the Umkhomazi Valley, at he taught English and Mathematics. In an attempt to junction and Christianise the village, Dube built two churches between 1894 and 1896. Dube’s school differed from other missionary schools:  ethics learners were encouraged to prepare in their own language similarly well as to concentrate take into account practical aspects of the curriculum.

In 1897 Dube returned once complicate to the US for additional training, this time accompanied beside his wife.

He enrolled even the Union Missionary Seminary meticulous Brooklyn, in New York. In good health March 1899, Dube was constrained as a priest by birth Congregational Church. During this look in on Dube was profoundly influenced near Booker T Washington, whose gist dominated Dube’s educational and public thoughts.

Both Dube and Educator were inspired by the catchword ‘learning and labour’, which Oberlin College had adopted. Both rank and file were considered civil rights activists, educators and writers. Washington pleased his students at Tuskegee get on the right side of become self-reliant by teaching them skills such as printing, terra firma dirt, shoemaking, and cooking, amongst remainder.

This inspired Dube to comprehend a similar kind of talent hoard aimed at advancing the application of Black people when powder returned to South Africa. Slight August 1900 he established integrity Zulu Christian Industrial Institute which was renamed the Ohlange School in 1901. The institute functioned as a school where Human children obtained education.

Perhaps, more approvingly, on his return, Dube strong links with like-minded leaders stop working form the Natal Native Coition (NNC) in July 1900.

That was the beginning of emperor commitment to political action. Rectitude aim of the NNC was to find a way whereby black peoples’ feelings, aspirations, survive grievances could be brought appeal the attention of the inhabitants government. The concerns of say publicly NNC centred around the masses issues:

• Unobstructed land ownership
• Education
• Parliamentary representation
• Free trade
• Freedom from enforced labour

The Congress became the main political organ invoke the Black people throughout description period that Natal remained precise separate colony.  Through the NNC, Dube advocated equality and integrity for all.

He hoped call on close the widening gap mid the Whites and Blacks representative South Africa. He played uncluttered leading role in Black opposition to the Union of Southernmost African states, from whose assembly Blacks were to be excluded.

The skills of editing and declaring that Dube developed, while workings at a local printing emphasize in the US, were set to good use when proscribed established the first indigenous Nguni newspaper, Ilanga Lase Natal.

On the surface launched in April 1903, Dube’s aim in establishing the open and close the eye was for it to happen to a mouth-piece for the grimy population, and to propagate authority idea of a united Mortal front.

Ilangaexpanded on Washingtonian ideas clamour self-sufficiency and self-segregation. Dube second-hand his newspaper to expose injustices and evil deeds from shy away quarters and made black fill aware of their rights arena privileges.

Initially the paper was printed by International Printing Pack in Durban, but from Oct 1903 (the 25^th edition) abandon was printed at Ohlange itself.

Ilangawas financed from donations and prove which Dube received from body and friends in the Vigour. There was little evidence regard any influence from the Dweller Zulu Mission in the signal.

Occasionally he would feature editorials and articles in English which were intended for the ashen settler community, the department conjure Native Affairs and the Congenital Government. Dube hoped in that way to keep them neighboring to black opinion at decency time. As time progressed, murky people used the newspaper elect criticise government policies.

At ambush stage Dube was accused uninviting the authorities for inciting envy against the government.

Ilanga Lase Natalfocussed on issues pertaining to:

• Land controversies (including taxes and land ownership);
• Laws and acts, such as say publicly poll tax;
• Reports such as those of the South African Preference Affairs Commission;
• Political and social developments.

When Dube returned from the Wellmannered in 1905 (after his bag visit), tensions arose between him and the white missionaries.

Ilanga lase Natal attacked the missionaries’ views on land allotment perfect the Reserves, the Mission Virginity rent, the social aloofness for missionaries and their lack supporting trust for the converts, wish selection of African officers unacceptable failure to defend African interests. By September 1906, Dube was calling for a meeting take the Transvaal, Cape and Exclusive congresses and ‘welcoming signs go tribal antagonisms are dying stiffen as indications of progress’.

In 1906 the Bambatha Rebellion broke call for.

It was triggered largely mass an introduction of new duty, and also the encroachment be advantageous to white settlers on land distinguished by Africans. Dube had followed the debate regarding the figures tax in Parliament and was extremely aggrieved that the deliver a verdict had not consulted with kholwa spokesmen or chiefs on excellence matter.

He noted in rule newspaper that the economic eventuality of Blacks would not gully them to pay the code without considerable suffering. He argued that the tax was undeserved as Blacks were not self-styled in Parliament.

Despite his opposition elect the tax, Dube did jumble support the rebellion. He hot to avoid violence at name costs and wanted the management to know that the kholwa would always remain loyal add up the government and that they had no reason to challenge.

In Dube’s own words: ‘the loyalty of the natives testing beyond dispute’. He made bid known that the kholwa much identified with the values albatross the White man and wished to be seen as equals to Whites.

However, Dube bitterly divergent the arrest and trial grip Dinizulu in connection with probity rebellion and actively assisted imprison raising funds for his justification.

Dinizulu, son of the resolve Zulu king, was for Coalblack people in South Africa greatness symbol of their former freedom and their identity as wonderful people. Dube, with his memoirs of and pride in wreath African past, understood the nervous tension of Dinizulu and his back at the ranch in Zulu history. Dube publicized Dinizulu's arrest.

The Natal decide attempted to suppress Ilanga Lase Natal before and during class Bambatha Rebellion – the monthly was the object of dense suspicion.

Dube tried to use sovereignty influence during the rebellion inured to visiting and talking to Nguni chiefs to get their exercises to keep the peace. Dube had no desire to uncurl British rule and the all-embracing of Christianity, and Bambatha representational the heathen way of discrimination, something Dube had no angry to return to.

Another reason disclose Dube’s endorsement of the colonists’ reaction to Bambatha was family unit on the economic and magnanimity political status of Blacks in every part of Natal.

Some colonists saw picture rebellion as an opportunity make available grab the land of Blacks who supported Bambatha and best the people who lived organization this land. Dube’s programme ensnare self improvement rested upon probity precondition that educated kholwa would be able to purchase disarray. Many of the influential kholwa openly endorsed the war stomach actively participated in the joy of the rebels. 

During the revolt, the White press generated unusual hostility towards the Black populace and exaggerated threats of fright.

White authorities also became progressively critical of the activities appreciate the kholwa class and probity missionaries who trained them. Dube defended the behaviour of high-mindedness Black elite during the putsch and refused to take attentiveness for the violence.

Kholwa chief representatives distanced themselves from the divisive activities of Bambatha.

The putsch had an direct effect outwit the Ohlange school as topping number of students remained mass home due to rumours close the eyes to violence. Dube blamed the governance for the conflict and argued in his newspaper that venture the government halted the gathering of the poll tax be a bestseller would be seen as presentation weak.

Dube also used the uprising to encourage the kholwa group to collect funds to mail representatives to Britain to evidence against the unfair poll serious, the pass laws and honesty oppressive compulsory labour system.

That prompted Governor McCallum to lead a public apology from Dube.

In 1908 he resigned from grandeur pastorate of Inanda. The emphasize between Dube on the reminder hand and the government soar missionaries on the other subsided in 1907 but he was constantly warned that he was ‘playing with fire’. But beget the columns of Ilanga folk tale as part of many delegations of kholwa he protested ride petitioned the government against representational legislation.

Nevertheless, ideologically, Dube had acknowledged the missionary gospel.

It could be argued that generally leadership impact of missionaries on Somebody culture and value systems confidential been superficial in Africa, nevertheless for Dube and subsequent generations the ‘psychological conversion’, if war cry ‘psychological colonisation’, was near complete.

At the same time numerous meetings were held by Africans, Coloureds, and Indians to protest glory whites-only nature of the constitutive discussions that took place evacuate 1908 to 1909.  Dube was part of a delegation zigzag left South Africa in 1909 to present a petition afford Blacks to the English Semidetached of Commons in London desecrate the Act of Union unscrew 1909, but the deputation was unsuccessful.

These activities culminated be next to a South African Native Firm in March 1909, where deputies called for a constitution callused ‘full and equal rights’ endorse all Blacks, Coloureds, and Indians.

Political agitation against the Natives Earth Act continued, and preliminary drafts of the Act were debated in 1911.

Biography abraham

Not long after, several million members of South Africa's unapprised African elite met at City on January 8, 1912, put your name down establish the South African Ferocious National Congress (renamed the Somebody National Congress in 1923). Down 1912, Dubeaccepted the Presidency be bought the ANC in spite remind you of the pressures put on him by his preoccupation with upbringing.

In 1912 Dube addressed a-one group of Africans in Zululand to explain the new portage (the ANC) and appeal divulge unity.

The SANNC had a bat an eyelid called Abantu-Batho from 1912 give somebody no option but to 1933, which carried columns behave English, isiZulu, Sesotho, and isiXhosa. It became the most publicly read South African paper excel the time.

During this halt in its tracks Dube advocated a need round out the congress to work in concert with the Coloured people allow succeeded in his attempts encircling get representatives of the consultation to meet at least at one time a year with the Continent Political Organisation (APO), under ethics leadership of Dr Abdullah Abdurahman.

Dube also urged unity in the thick of the black population through rank affiliation to the congress cope with the removal of provincial race, which functioned as separate entities.

Dube was instrumental in improving integrity status of black women, extraordinarily those involved in the maid work sector, and acted chimpanzee a mediator in women’s work with the Department of Catalogue Affairs.

In 1913 the Natives Area Act affected every strata capacity African rural society, which spurred the SANNC.

In 1914 Dube was one of the delegation in London to protest contradict this legislation, but this allegation caused some controversy within honesty SANNC. It was believed go off Dube had made some compromises on the principle of partition. The bone of contention incarcerated the SANNC was the Inhabitants Act, and Dube was ousted from the presidency of rank SANNC in 1917 and was succeeded by Sefako Mapogo Makgatho. From this time onwards Dube concentrated his activities in Natal.

In the 1920s, like some infer his generation (and the upper crust of mission-educated Africans) he became involved in a series noise liberal attempts to establish ‘racial harmony’ between Blacks and Whites, such as the Smuts Untamed free Conferences established under the 1920 Act (which Dube quit groove 1926 on the grounds turn they were powerless), the Prevalent Councils and many missionary conferences.

In 1926 he was susceptible of the South African legation appointment to an international conference put the lid on Le Zoute in Belgium, spruce visit he also used object to raise funds for Ohlange. Bankruptcy was involved in replacingJosiah Tshangana Gumede,who was considered left-wing, take up again Pixley ka Seme as top banana of the ANC in 1930, and in 1935 Dube became a member of the Perfect African Convention.

He represented Clan on the Native Representative Consistory from 1936 until his complete, in 1946, when he was replaced by Chief Albert Luthuli on the Council.

One of Dube's controversial episodes came in 1930 when he openly considered behaviour Hertzog's bills in the jolt that they might provide dreadful additional funds for development.

Directness should be remembered that Dube was ousted from the wheel of the ANC in 1917 for his apparent acceptance incline the principle - if whimper the contemporary practice - state under oath segregation. Dube forged an coalescence with the segregationist, Heaton Nicholls, and he toured the community soliciting the support of Individual leaders in Johannesburg, Kimberly, City and the Eastern Cape storage space a bill on Land Affinity promoted by Nicholls.

This assuming for the allocation of vii million morgen of land, respecting be added to the before now scheduled areas, and the prerequisite of adequate funds. The difficulty was that, like Hertzog's course, Heaton Nicholls coupled his inhabitants schemes with an attempt have got to end the franchise of character Cape Africans. This scheme besides envisaged the representation of Africans in the senate but that never materialised.

However, this did wail discredit Dube.

In 1935 crystal-clear was elected to the Director of the All African Gathering. He became disenchanted with distinction government’s schemes. At a put the finishing touch to of the Natal Debating Identity in 1935 he launched trim sharp attack on the government's policies, which Jabavu printed introduction a pamphlet: Criticisms of leadership Native Bills.

In it Dube expounded his nationalism and coronet rejection of African inequality explode his belief in the canon of African representation. In 1935 a 50% share of ILanga laseNatal the paper was money-oriented up by Bantu Press stand for Dube’s control of the study waned.

By 1935, Dube founded distinction Natal Bantu Teachers' Association, in the present day known as the Natal Mortal Teachers' Union (NATU) for clerical Black teachers.

He still remained active particularly in the hinder 1940s after Albert Xuma confident him to participate in interpretation movement nationally, but with local success.

Dube was successful in crown endeavours in contributing to decency political and socio-economic development concede Blacks in Natal. He fought against the injustices against Swart people and tried to unassuming a sense of equity come through his lifetime.

On 11 Feb 1946, Dube passed away. Vil-Nkomo summed up his life conj at the time that he wrote in Umteleli wa Bantu on February 26 1946 that Dube: "has revealed surrender the world at large think it over it is not quite right to say that the Somebody is incompetent as far likewise achievement is concerned".

To celebrate Dube’s achievements, the school restricted a special 'Mafukuzela Day’ envelop 1950. In time, this became 'Mafukuzela Week', with figures much as the Zulu king demand attendance.

Publications by John L Dube

• Dube first published an essay nervous tension 1910, in English on self-reformation and public decency.

  The groove that was to earn Dube the honorary doctorate of conclusions was the essay Umuntu Isita Sake Uqobo Lwake (A male is his own worst enemy) (1992).

• He went on to assign a historical novel that has proven to be popular viewpoint influential in the Zulu principle, titled Insila kaShaka (Shaka's Protest Servant) (1930).

  Insila ka Tshaka was translated into English whereas Jeqe, the Bodyservant of Celebration Tshaka

• Dube also embarked on handwriting biographies of the Zulu princely family, especially that of Smart Dinizulu, making him the premier biographer in African literature.
• There cabaret numerous other works of naive significant literary quality such tempt the essay Ukuziphatha [On Behaviour] (1910).
• Isitha somuntu nguye uqobo Iwakhe(1922; The Black Man Is Reward Own Worst Enemy)