AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS CENTENARY MEMORIAL LECTURE ON SECOND ANC

PRESIDENT SEFAKO MAPOGO MAKGATHO DELIVERED BY ANC PRESIDENT COMRADE
JACOB ZUMA, GOOD HOPE CENTRE WESTERN CAPE, February 23 2012

National Chairperson Comrade Baleka Mbete,
Western Cape Chairperson Comrade Marius Fransman and leadership of the
province,
Members of the ANC National Executive Committee,
Leadership of the Tripartite Alliance;
The Makgatho family,
Comrades and friends,
Fellow South Africans,

Thank you for joining us for this lecture on the second President-General of the ANC, forming part of the celebration of the centenary of our glorious movement.

We are honoured to discuss the life and times of President Sefako Mapogo Makgatho, a gallant fighter who led the South African Native National Congress from 1917 to 1924.

It is a fitting tribute to hold this Lecture in the Western Cape, as President Makgatho gave his important and first address in the Cape on 6 May 1919.

It was at that annual conference that President Makgatho uttered his immortal words, saying; "We ask for no special favours from the government. This is the land of our fathers'''.

A renowned teacher, Methodist lay preacher, journalist, estate agent, unionist and a celebrated political leader, President Makgatho, was born at Ga-Mphahlele, in the Pietersburg District in the Northern Transvaal, now Limpopo Province in 1861.

He was the son of Chief Kgorutlhe Josiah Makgatho under the paramountcy of the legendary Kgosi Sekhukhune of the baPedi kingdom that fought fearlessly against the Transvaal boers.

President Makgatho attended school in Pretoria, and later went to study education and theology in Middlesex, England.

He became a teacher for 20 years at the Kilnerton Training Institute in Pretoria, a school that produced prominent South Africans such as Joe Nhlanhla, Miriam Makeba, Lillian Ngoyi, Nthato Motlana and others.

A dedicated activist and human rights campaigner, he was instrumental in the establishment of the Transvaal African Teachers Association in 1906.

President Makgatho was also a keen media activist, and helped establish a newspaper, "The Native Advocate", co-owned with Advocate Alfred Mangena. It folded after two years due to lack of funds. He also founded The Good Shepherd, as the journal for the Transvaal Africa Teachers Association.

President Makgatho also formed one of the earliest Black political organisations, the African Political Union, which later changed its name to the Transvaal Native Congress (TNC).

He remained president of this organisation from 1906 until 1908. The TNC later joined the South African Native National Congress when it was formed in 1912 in Bloemfontein, becoming its Transvaal branch.

President Makgatho was therefore active in the ANC since its inception in 1912.

Three people had been in the running for founding President at the Bloemfontein inaugural conference of the ANC, John Dube in absentia, Edward Tsewu and Sefako Makgatho.

Comrade Makgatho asked the Transvaal Native Congress to vote for Comrade Dube to promote unity. President Makgatho was among the four Vice-presidents that were elected, others being Alfred Mangena, Meshack Pellem and Walter Rubusana.

The election outcome indicates that from its founding congress, the ANC already emphasised unity and that it already had many leaders to choose from, all who were equally capable.

What is remarkable about the founding congress as well is that it indicated that the ANC was pan-African in outlook from inception, looking for solutions to the problems of the continent over and above domestic challenges.

President Makgatho outlined this vision in 1919 as follows:

"The ANC aims to unite Africans, not just in South Africa but also in Lesotho, Botswana and Swaziland in particular.''

Compatriots,

All ANC Presidential terms have proven to be difficult, because every period has its own unique challenges, throughoBut President Makgatho, like President Dube, led the organisation during the formative years while it was still finding its feet and focus. It was also the period when oppression was deepening, which required a formidable response from the organisation.

The organisation had to respond to the aggression of the white regime which was riding rough-shod on the human rights of the African people, and taking away as much of their land as possible.

Fortunately, in President Makgatho, the ANC had a man who led from the front. While he acted collectively with the masses, he also earned his stripes as a bold leader in his own right.

Earlier, in 1912, he protested actively against the colour bar, the racial segregation that preceded apartheid. To highlight racism in the railways, he boarded a train coach reserved for white people only and was attacked by a white passenger JP Wolmarans.

In court, President Makgatho, admitted that he deliberately provoked a confrontation on the coach in order to draw attention to the genuine African grievances against the racism of South African railways.

The racist regime spent 200 000 pounds afterwards on blacks-only coaches to stop the African people from using the exclusively white coaches, so as to further entrench racism. President Makgatho also led successfully what was called the pavement struggle in Pretoria.

According to one of the many bizarre discriminatory practices of the time, Africans were not allowed to walk on street pavements in some towns, including Pretoria.

On numerous occasions, President Makgatho also used the law courts to challenge ordinances that affected the movement of Africans in Johannesburg. He won a number of such law suits.

President Makgatho also led a struggle to assist the Indian community, whom the Pretoria local authorities sought to deny facilities at the local market .

His determination, bravery and courage so impressed former President Nelson Mandela that he named his son Makgatho, after him. In his book Long Walk to Freedom, President Mandela described President Makgatho as "an emblem of indomitability and courage."

In addition to the protest actions, President Makgatho also engaged the white supremacists directly.

As he outlined in his 1919 political report, he attended meetings at the Union Buildings in Pretoria and other offices, talking to the settler regime's ministers and officials about the impact of their racist policies on the African people.

Out of all racist laws that the ANC was fighting at that time, nothing was as shockingly aggressive as the Natives Land Act of 1913, later amended in 1936. The law confronted the ANC leadership just few months after the formation of the organisation.

The law was crafted in response to the demands of White farmers in the Cape Province, the Transvaal and the Free State.

Its aim was to destroy and dismember a successful African peasantry who, despite numerous political difficulties, offered effective competition to White farmers.

The law prohibited Africans from owning or tilling land in any part of the country outside the so-called Native Reserves, which at the time accounted for less than 10% of the land area of South Africa.

The effect of the law was the dispossession of the African people of the few pieces of their ancestral land that they still owned and controlled.

Founding ANC secretary Sol Plaatje writing in his book, "Native Life in South Africa", eloquently outlined the impact of the Act.

"Awaking on Friday morning, June 20, 1913, the South African native found himself not actually a slave, but a pariah in the land of his birth''.

In 1914, the leadership sent a delegation of five, led by President John Dube, to the British crown to ask them to withhold the royal assent to the law.

Many other deputations followed to the British crown but did not yield any fruit. Responding to debates within the movement about the effectiveness or lack thereof, of the deputation strategy, President Makga'I cannot understand how anyone could call it a crime to send a delegation to the headquarters of the Empire. What sort of king have we, that we should never go to see him? ‘'

Another historically trying period for the movement and the leadership at that time, was the outbreak of the First World War.

Like virtually all the movements in British and French-governed colonies, the ANC leadership believed that a demonstration of loyalty to the imperial government would be repaid by a more sympathetic hearing of their grievances when the war ended.

Shortly after the deputation's return home from protesting against the Land Act in London, the First World War broke out in August 1914.

The ANC resolved that the war must be supported, due to the belief that the loyalty would be rewarded with concessions.

The ANC leadership resolved to put all public agitation against the Natives Land Act on hold until after the war, and mobilised people to join the war effort.

The noble and patriotic gesture of participating in the war as soldiers was rebuffed by the regime.

General Smuts, then defence minister, arrogantly said no Africans would be trained as soldiers or armed with modern weapons, but could enlist in a "Native Labour Corps", to undertake the digging of trenches, ambulance duty and other menial work.

Comrades and compatriots, you will recall that many African volunteers died in parts of Europe during the war.

We are still trying to locate them in France and other parts of Europe so that they can be correctly acknowledged.

The biggest tragedy was the sinking of the SS Mendi ship on 21 February 1917, killing more than 600 black volunteer soldiers. This was indeed a most painful period. It reminds us of the fact that our freedom was not free, it came at a huge price.

Our people went through untold humiliation and loss of dignity and freedom for centuries before they could walk as free men and women after casting their votes on 27 April 1994.

Comrades and compatriots,

When the First World War ended, the ANC realised that the tactical decision to suspend protest action during the war had been ill-advised.

The white regime was going ahead with implementing racist and oppressive laws. The eviction of people from their land as a result of the Natives Land Act was continuing. Pain and suffering continued.

The foundation of the system that was later called "apartheid" was being laid down by the Botha-Smuts government around the period of the First World War.

The country was systematically moving towards a segregationist direction in which Whites and Blacks would be governed by different norms, standards and laws.

Other than the Land Act, the regime passed many other laws, such as the notorious Natives Urban Areas Act of 1923 which statutorily defined all Africans in the urban areas as "temporary sojourners" who were admitted to the cities and towns to "minister to the needs of the Whites".

In addition, the Natives Administration Act established an entire separate body of laws and procedures for governing the Africans.

Compatriots,

We would like to single out for praise, the ANC Women's League, then called the Bantu Women's League and its President Charlotte Maxeke, for the tireless national campaigns against pass laws, starting as early as 1913 in the Free State.

The ANC waged campaigns against the pass laws taking its cue from the Women's League which had started earlier.

Indeed, the centenary of the ANC and the lectures on our former Presidents, provide an opportunity to remember and appreciate the hard won freedom we enjoy today. Our freedom came at a huge price.

Our forebears sacrificed a lot so that we can today live in peace and dignity, in a free, non-racial, democratic South Africa.

Comrades and friends,

On this special occasion we are pleased to highlight a few of the many achievements that summarise President Makgatho's legacy.

Firstly, President Makgatho revitalised the ANC, taking it beyond deputations to active protest action. The deputationsorganisation nowhere and the oppression was intensifying.

Described as an "urban president'' as he worked around Johannesburg and Pretoria mainly, he mobilised the African urban working class, which made the ANC militant and responsive.

It was he mainly, with the Transvaal Branch, who championed the ANC's radical shift. His deputy, Sol Plaatjie, had indicated that they wanted a "much more virile and representative organisation..." at the beginning of their term in 1917.

The organisation adopted new methods, riding on the wave of the impact made through the joint activism with labour, as shown by numerous strikes, as well as against the passes.

The leadership threw its support behind the African municipal workers during the Bucket Strike of 1918, and a second wave of strikes, this time affecting workers on the mines in 1920 to name a few strikes.

Secondly, it can be safely argued that President Makgatho laid the seeds for the Congress Alliance and Tripartite Alliances.

It was during his presidency that the Industrial Commercial Workers Union (ICU) was established in 1919 and workers struggles were prioritised by the ANC. He was also willing to seek alliances with white radical movements such as the International Socialist League to advance the struggle for freedom.

Thirdly, an outstanding achievement of President Makgatho's presidency organisationally, is that the ANC finalised its Constitution in 1919.

There was thus a framework within which to operate as well as procedures for the membership to follow.

The constitution was aimed at addressing a number of issues, primary amongst them being the unity of the African people in the four republics.

In addition to language differences, the reality is that before 1910, the African communities were governed by very different White regimes in the four republics which also meant that their political experience differed to some degree.

Fourthly, President Makgatho achieved phenomenal growth for the ANC. The ANC grew its membership to a paid membership of 3000! It was not an easy achievement those days.

He would be very happy to hear that his organisation has grown to more than a million members. He grew the ANC despite challenges such as lack funds and other logistical difficulties.

Fifthly, the ANC's human rights tradition has its roots in the historic 1923 Bill of Rights which emphasized the rights to equal citizenship, access to land, equality before the law, as well as equal representation. The 1923 congress adopted the Bill of Rights which formed part of the Constitution.

We boast of a Bill of Rights today in our Constitution. We have to thank our forebears who had such remarkable foresight, to know that a progressive South Africa would need a Bill of Rights.

More importantly, President Makgatho always emphasised the need to build a better Africa.

We recall the words in a petition sent to King George dated 16 December 1918, where he raised sharply the ANC's displeasure at how Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland were treated.

He said on behalf of the organisation:

"We desire to appraise Your Majesty of the fact that when the Protectorates called Basutoland, Swaziland and Bechuanaland sought protection of Her Majesty queen Victoria, they never surrendered their tribal land and their sovereign rights. They remain this day integral independent nations.

"Particularly the independence of Swaziland was recognised under the London Convention of 1884 in the Transvaal. They were never conquered and they never at any time waived or surrendered their sovereign rights''.

We learn from this direction that the ANC must never abandon its responsibility to the continent.

That is why we continue to this day to advance the African agenda, in memory of President Makgatho and all founding fathers and mothers of the movement who demonstrated that this should be done.

Also important to learn from President Makgatho's legacy, is the need to remain rooted in our communities and to respond to broader societal Though he was based in the urban areas, President Makgatho never forgot his roots in GaMphahlele and built a school and a church in the area. A deeper analysis of most ANC leaders in the 20th century reveals individuals rooted in their communities.  They never allowed their education to barricade and separate them from the rest of the community.

President Makgatho stepped down in 1924 as President-General, but continued to lead the Transvaal ANC branch of the ANC until 1933.

He returned to the national executive as treasurer during the presidency of Pixley ka Isaka Seme in 1930, an indication of his dedication to the African National Congress.

President Makgatho lived with his wife Priscilla in Eastwood Pretoria until he passed away at the age of 90 in May 1951.

We are happy that finally today, we are able to share his remarkable story of patriotism, dedication and selflessness as well as his undying quest for freedom, justice and human rights for all.

It fills us with pride to be able to name the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria as the SM Makgatho Presidential Guest House in his honour.

We hold high level international and domestic summits and meetings in that State house. Each time we do so, we will remember this great man, who loved this country and its people, and wanted only the best for Africa and the world.

President Makgatho made a pledge in 1919 that we must continue to implement in his honour and in his memory.

He said; ''We pledge ourselves to continue this lifelong struggle for a South Africa that is legitimate, non-racial, non-exploitative, free, independent, democratic, and playing its proper role amongst the nations of the world''.

Indeed we continue to strive towards this goal.

Long live the spirit of President Sefako Mapogo Makgatho.

I thank you!

Issued by the African National Congress, February 23 2012

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