Robert Sobukwe

**Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe** OMSG (5 December 1924 – 27 February 1978) be South African anti-apartheid revolutionary plus founding member of de Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), wey e serve as de first president of de organisation.

Sobukwe be person wey people regard as strong supporter of Africanist future for South Africa, den e oppose make Africans do political collaboration plus anybody wey no be African. E define “African” as anybody wey dey live for Africa, dey loyal to Africa, den ready make e go under African majority rule. Insyd March 1960, Sobukwe organize den start one non-violent protest campaign against pass laws, wey make dem give am three years prison sentence because of incitement. For 1963, dem pass one law wey dem call de “Sobukwe Clause,” wey give chance make dem fit renew ein prison sentence indefinitely. Dem then carry Sobukwe go Robben Island for solitary confinement. Wey e do six years for Robben Island finish, dem release am but put am under house arrest till e die for 1978.

## Early life

### Kiddie time: 1924–1947
Sobukwe born for Graaff-Reinet insyd Eastern Cape Province on 5 December 1924. Robert Sobukwe be de last born pikin. Dem be six children for de family — four brothers den one sister. Ein poppie, wey come from Lesotho, work as general store clerk den part-time woodcutter. Sobukwe ein Xhosa mommie work as domestic worker for white people demma houses. Robert ein first school be one mission school for Graaff Reinet wey dey South Africa. When e reach 15 years, Sobukwe continue ein education den later complete ein secondary school for Healdtown Institute, wey be school wey dey teach Methodist Christian values plus liberal arts to all demma students. Afta he finish de school, he enroll for Primary Teachers' Training Course for two years. But he no get any teaching post. Later, insyd 1943, Robert ein education stop small time as he get tuberculosis.

### Fort Hare: 1947–1949
Insyd 1947, Sobukwe enroll for South African Native College for Fort Hare, wey be de main undergraduate school for black students during ein time. Sobukwe register for BA for Fort Hare, wey e major for English, Xhosa, plus Native Administration. Even though Sobukwe no too get interest for politics at first, ein study of Native Administration (wey relate to how South Africa dem dey manage de Bantustans), plus de political exposure wey e get for Fort Hare, make am start develop strong interest for de topic. Later on, e begin focus more on poetry den drama. But ein political interest grow more under de influence of ein lecturer, Cecil Ntloko, wey be follower of de All African Convention (AAC). Sobukwe plus three of ein friends start one daily publication wey dem call *Beware*. Dis publication no dey support political collaboration den e dey criticize de Native Representative Councils plus Native Advisory Boards.

E join African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) insyd 1948. Dis organisation dey founded insyd de university campus by Godfrey Pitje, wey later become ein president. Insyd1949, dem elect Sobukwe as de first president of de Fort Hare Students' Representative Council, where e show einself as strong orator. Insyd same 1949, Sobukwe meet Veronica Mathe for Alice Hospital. Dem marry later insyd 1950.

## Mainstream politics

### Standerton: 1950–1954
Insyd 1950, dem appoint Sobukwe as teacher insyd one high school wey dey Standerton, but e lose de position when e speak out support for de Defiance Campaign insyd 1952. However, dem later bring am back to de position. Insyd 1952, Sobukwe become well known as e support de Defiance Campaign. During dat time, even though e no dey directly involved with de main ANC activities, e still hold position as secretary for de organisation ein branch for Standerton.

### Johannesburg: 1954–1959
Insyd 1954, afta Sobukwe move go Johannesburg, e become lecturer for African Studies for University of the Witwatersrand. During ein time for Johannesburg, e become editor of *The Africanist* newspaper, den e start dey criticize ANC say dem allow people wey dey support de Progressive Party dominate dem — people wey e call “liberal-left-multi-racialists.” Sobukwe stand for Africanist Socialist Democracy. E be strong supporter of Africanist ideas about liberation for South Africa, den e reject de idea say make dem work plus White people.

### Pan-Africanist Congress: 1959–1960

#### Formation den ideology
Sobukwe be strong believer for Africanist future for South Africa, den e reject any model wey talk say make Africans work plus anybody wey no be African. E define African as anybody wey dey live for Africa, dey loyal to Africa, den ready to put einself under African majority rule. During de 1950s, Sobukwe start lose patience plus how de liberation struggle dey go, as de apartheid government keep bring new ways to suppress de movement. Plenty people inside ANC feel de same frustration, den Sobukwe come show say e no dey happy as ANC no dey get results. Sobukwe, wey no support communism, reject ANC ein alliance plus de South African Communist Party. Later, e comot from ANC come form de Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), den for 1959, dem elect am as de first President.

People start dey call Sobukwe “de Professor” or just “Prof,” as sign of respect for ein educational background den ein strong way of talking plus convincing people. E talk say black South Africans need make dem “liberate demselves” without help from non-Africans. For Sobukwe ein definition, non-African be anybody wey dey live for Africa or outside Africa but no dey loyal to Africa den no ready to go under African majority rule. Ein strong beliefs plus resistance inspire plenty individuals den organisations for de anti-apartheid movement, especially de Black Consciousness Movement.

Sobukwe argue say make dem no allow White people insyd ANC, because e talk say e no possible make Black people and White people build real relationship until dem make proper progress. E believe say if Black people rely on White support, e go weaken de realisation wey many Africans don get say dem get de power to take back de society wey dem lose. Sobukwe reject collaboration plus sympathetic Whites, as e see dis kind multi-racial cooperation between slave owner and slave as one “ungodly alliance” if equality never reach.

#### Anti-pass campaign of 1960
On 21 March 1960, de PAC lead one nationwide protest against de pass laws wey force Black people to carry pass book every time. Sobukwe lead march go local police station for Orlando, Soweto, to challenge de law openly. As e dey go, few followers join am for road. When dem reach, e show ein pass to police officer, then purposely make himself guilty under de pass law by entering area wey no dey allowed for ein papers. Insyd de same day, as protest dey go on for Sharpeville, police open fire on crowd of PAC supporters, kill 69 people — wey dem later call de Sharpeville Massacre. After dis, dem carry Sobukwe without fair trial, then de government come ban both ANC den PAC. Oda organisations, like Steve Biko ein Black Consciousness Movement, take strong inspiration from Sobukwe ein actions.

## Imprisonment

### Initial imprisonment: 1960–1963
Afta dem arrest Sobukwe after de Sharpeville massacre, dem charge am say e incite people, den dem convict am. Dem sentence am to three years for prison. E serve one year for Witbank Prison (1960—1961), then continue de remaining two years for Pretoria Gaol (1961—1963). On 4th October 1961, Robert Sobukwe write letter to Benjamin Pogrund, explain say e get permission to write den receive one letter every week plus get one visit each week. Because of dis arrangement, as e dey inside Pretoria Gaol, Robert fit write regularly to people den see ein wife often. Insyd one later letter wey Robert write to Veronica on 19th June 1962, e talk say e hear say ein wife come visit am but dem turn her away because of mistake wey happen during de visiting process. For dat whole month, Robert no get any visitor, so e talk say e no go accept any visitor again unless dem come plus ein wife or say ein wife don tell am ahead who dey come visit am.

### Robben Island: 1963–1969
As Sobukwe ein three-year sentence dey near end, de National Party parliament pass de General Law Amendment Act. Dis law bring one clause wey give government power to detain political dissidents indefinitely. Because of dis clause, dem renew Sobukwe ein sentence for extra six years, wey e spend for Robben Island. Dis clause come be known as de “Sobukwe Clause,” since no oda person ever receive sentence under dat same law. Insyd Robben Island, Sobukwe dey among oda revolutionaries wey dey fight for liberation, like Nelson Mandela, Johnson Mlambo, den John Nyathi Pokela, plus many others.

Dem keep Sobukwe for solitary confinement, but e get something wey dem call prisoner-plus status. Dis give am special privileges like access to books, magazines, newspapers, civilian clothes, den some few freedoms. E dey live for separate area for de island, den dem strictly forbid am from making contact plus de oda prisoners. Still, Sobukwe manage communicate sometimes through visual signals when e come outside for exercise. During dis time, Sobukwe study hard den e earn one degree in economics from de University of London, among other qualifications. People speculate say de South African government treat Sobukwe differently because dem see am as bigger threat pass de regular ANC prisoners. But Sobukwe ein son no agree make people call dis treatment “special.”

All through ein imprisonment, Sobukwe keep contact plus ein friend Benjamin Pogrund, wey later become ein biographer.

### House arrest: 1969–1978
As de authorities see say Sobukwe ein physical den mental health dey go down, dem release am from Robben Island for 1969. Dem allow am make e go live for Kimberley plus ein family, but e still remain under house arrest. Dem choose Kimberley because dem believe say e no go easy for am to organize or do any subversive activity there, den e be place wey e fit live den work while de state fit monitor am well. Dem put banning order on Sobukwe, wey stop am from doing any political activity.

Plenty restrictions no allow Sobukwe travel go overseas, wey stop am from pushing ein education further. Because of dis same restriction, e no fit accept teaching offers from different places insyd de United States. Still, Sobukwe complete ein law degree with help from one local lawyer for Galeshewe, den for 1975, e start ein own law practice insyd Kimberley.

## Illness den death
Insyd early 1977, Sobukwe fall sick den e apply for permission make e fit get medical treatment; but de authorities deny de request without end, until ein friend Benjamin Pogrund intervene. After dat, for September 1977, Sobukwe travel go Johannesburg, where doctors diagnose am say e get lung cancer. Dem later transfer am go hospital for Cape Town. Even though de South African government finally allow Sobukwe to receive treatment, dem put strict conditions on ein movement; anytime Sobukwe leave Kimberley or reach de hospital, e must report to police station. Sobukwe die from complications of lung cancer on 27 February 1978, den dem bury am for Graaff-Reinet on 11 March 1978.

## Legacy
Sobukwe don turn key historical figure inside de Black liberation struggle for South Africa. Robert get deep passion for Africa ein freedom. Dem give am de nickname “The Prof” because e believe say education be de strongest weapon wey Black Africans fit use free demselves from both mental den physical oppression wey still dey happen for modern day. Ein vision for society wey go respect individual rights no matter race or ethnicity, still dey shared by many of ein contemporaries — including people wey dey inside ANC and Pan-Africanist circles. Insyd ein 1959 PAC inaugural speech, Sobukwe talk one statement wey still dey quoted for plenty anti-racism conversations today. E talk say:There is only one race to which we all belong, and that is the human race. In our vocabulary therefore, the word 'race' as applied to man, has no plural form.After dem imprison Sobukwe and de South African government ban anti-apartheid parties for 1960, de Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) ein influence begin reduce small small, then ANC come take over spotlight again. PAC, like plenty other anti-apartheid groups, come go underground to continue demma struggle. Under Potlako Leballo ein leadership, PAC support den create paramilitary wing wey dem call Poqo. Leballo ein strong revolutionary speeches inspire planning of violent actions, but dis eventually lead to public arrest of 3,246 members from both PAC den Poqo.

Rhodes University celebrate Robert Sobukwe ein life den rename one male residence after ein name. Dis be tribute to show de youth say Sobukwe ein life plus love for education no go ever fade. Part of what people know Sobukwe for be ein strong academic achievement plus ein power of speech den persuasion. Insyd 2012, dem rename Robert Sobukwe Street for Pretoria — before, dem dey call am Esselen Street — as way to honour ein contributions to de Black liberation struggle. Likewise, for 2013, Modderdam Road for Cape Town change name to Robert Sobukwe Road in ein memory. Insyd 2016, Central Block at University of de Witwatersrand get new name as Robert Sobukwe Block, afta strong support from students den alumni. Sobukwe ein strong beliefs plus active resistance inspire many individuals den organisations inside de anti-apartheid struggle, especially de Black Consciousness Movement.

## Sanso see

* Benjamin Pogrund, author of Robert Sobukwe's biography *Sobukwe and Apartheid* (1990) and *How Can Man Die Better: The Life of Robert Sobukwe* (2003)

## References



## External links

*Robert Sobukwe - Leader of The Africanist
*Collection of historical papers on Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe at The University of the Witwatersrand Library
* Austil Mathebula, "Robert Sobukwe, a lesser known hero", *The Citizen*, 19 March 2015
* Robert Sobukwe: ‘There is only one race. The human race.’, South Africa Gateway, 21 March 2023
* Robert Sobukwe - A Tribute To Integrity - Kevin Harris - 1996 on YouTube