Webinar Celebrates and Remembers ANC Stalwart Saul Msane

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The College of Humanities in partnership with local non-governmental organisation Sinomlado Centre, Queens University (Canada) and Msunduzi Library hosted a webinar on the life and times of Saul “Mayimayi” Msane.

The webinar was part of the Edendale History Project, a community engagement initiative that seeks to document the history of Edendale in Pietermaritzburg.

The project’s Mr Zamo Hlela said: ‘The Edendale History Project’s overall objective is to document the history of Edendale prior to and post 1851 from the local community’s point of view including those in the diaspora. 6 October marks the centenary of Saul Msane’s passing, which coincided with the end of his political career in the then Transvaal where his ANC colleagues labelled him isitha sabantu (enemy of the people). However, in his hometown of Edendale, he is a hero.’

Writer and National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) Doctoral Fellow at Rhodes University, Mr Thapelo Mokoatsi presented the webinar. His research on Saul Msane eventually led to him becoming his biographer.

Mokoatsi located Msane’s legacy within the discourse of freedom fighters in the popular memory. ‘Msane should be remembered as one of the best Zulu writers and most importantly as the father-figure of the Congress as Sefako Makgatho eulogised him. In reconstructing his writing over his life span, Msane’s life teaches us that political figures of his generation had flaws, but they should not only be judged on these due to the complexities of the time in which they lived,’ he said.

Mokoatsi’s PhD thesis, focuses on Msane’s life and he often refers to Msane ‘as a man of good character; an individual who had excessive appreciation of the finer things in life as opposed to being an antagonist.’

Msane’s father, Matthews “Matiyose” was among one of the first groups of Zulu people to be converted to Christianity and owned land in Edendale where Msane was born in 1856. ‘The birthplace of Msane is as complex as his life’s twists,’ Mokoatsi said. Msane completed a Teachers’ Certificate in Healdtown in 1882, and taught at Driefontein, now Ladysmith, until 1892 when he joined the Zulu Choir before moving to Nuttall College. During both his teaching spells, he was under the tutelage of Reverend Ezra Nuttall who first arrived in Natal in 1875. His missionary work covered Umdlhoti, Ndaleni (Richmond) and Driefontein. The school was named in his honour but is now known as Edendale Primary School.

‘In 1918, Msane opposed a miners’ strike planned by the ANC to demand higher wages as he believed that a settlement could be reached through negotiation with the White mine owners. He did not attend the strike planning meeting, resulting in the newspaper Abantu Batho calling him isitha sabantu or an enemy of the people. However, after his sudden death in October 1919, both the ANC and Abantu Batho paid tribute to him for his various contributions,’ explained Mokoatsi.

He believes that ‘we should keep the legacy of Saul Msane alive and make it known to as many South Africans as possible. As we know a people who do not know where they come from will definitely not know where they are going.’

Words: Melissa Mungroo and Sinoyolo Mahlasela

Photograph: Supplied