Sol Plaatje A Life of Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje BR

RESENSIES / REVIEWS
Sol Plaatje: A Life of Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje, history of the Bhaca people of the Eastern Cape who
1876–1932. experienced miracles similar to the Biblical parting of
Brian P. Willan. the Red Sea—and in terms of what it might have meant
Auckland Park: Jacana Media, 2018. 711 pp. to Plaatje, as a source of race pride.
ISBN 978-1-4314-2644-7. For those already familiar with Plaatje’s life, the
newness Willan brings is context, specifically in terms
“It is safe to say that Dr Brian Willan is easily the most of the social, political and economic climate which
well researched on one of Kimberley’s most iconic shaped Plaatje as a man, a pioneer black journalist, an
struggle heroes,” wrote the young local newspaper, the advocate and voice for his people, and a scholar. The
Solomon Star, on June 26, 2018, reporting on the launch value of this context is to enhance the reader’s appreci-
of Willan’s biography of Sol Plaatje (Moraladi). Histo- ation of how Plaatje was compelled to swim constantly
rian and honorary research associate at the Institute against the tide. He breathed an atmosphere of obstruc-
of the Study of English in Africa at Rhodes University, tionism, insult, derision, control, hostility, high-hand-
in Makhanda, Eastern Cape, Willan has been a Plaatje edness, salt-in-the-wound, attempted and outright
scholar for 40 years. It would also be safe to say that sabotage that was the diet colonialism fed its black so-
his painstaking and dedicated research has substan- called ‘subjects.’ The biography abounds in events that
tially contributed to making Plaatje into something of illustrate this degrading, demoralizing and debilitating
an institution, certainly within the academy. For those context. As an example, Willan relates Plaatje’s experi-
who engage in Plaatje research, as is evident in biogra- ence in the wake of the 1920 Native Administration Bill
phies and secondary criticism that have appeared over whose ultimate aim was the re-tribalization of Africans
the years, Willan is our touchstone. With this pub- (legalized some three decades later under Verwoerd’s
lication he extends knowledge to a wider public and Grand Apartheid) (chapter 15). The Bill which Plaatje
that is thrilling. It is my view that the epic, 18-chapter, said was indeed worse than the 1913 Natives’ Land Act,
711-page long biography, represents Willan’s magnum permitted only whites to serve as ‘native’ (i.e. African)
opus. His two earlier landmark works, the 1984 Plaatje representatives. The government gestured to Africans
biography and the 1996 Sol Plaatje, Selected Writings are by consulting with dikgosi and a few carefully-selected
superseded by this accessible, informative, elucidat- African leaders at annual conventions. The purpose of
ing and reader-friendly book. Nothing has been lost in those conventions, however, according to the Cham-
dropping an academic register and everything gained ber of Mines, was to use those very Africans to con-
in simply ‘telling the story.’ trol industrial action: perfect evidence of colonialism’s
In addition to accessibility to a broader audi- strategies of divide and rule using black intermediar-
ence, Willan adds new information gleaned from his ies. Willan relates that, at the 1925 convention Plaatje
research over the past 34 years, updating the rather elucidated the African view of two new ‘Hertzog Bills’
episodic 1984 biography and creating a seamless fabric presented: one to remove Africans from voting and the
of Plaatje’s life, without leaps in time or gaps in under- other to give Africans additional land. Plaatje spoke el-
standing. Beyond telling Plaatje’s life story in immense oquently to the point that it was not that Africans did
detail, Willan devotes two chapters to his Setswana not need land—he knew better than any how desper-
and English literary works. In chapter 16, he renders a ately they did need land—but that losing the franchise
textual analysis of what he calls Plaatje’s “re-imaging was too high a price to pay. Plaatje used an analogy to
and reimagining” of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Noth- drive his point home: when a Dutchman wants to catch
ing in his Setswana translation, Diphosophoso. Comment a jackal, he said, he holds out a piece of mutton that has
on this chapter must be sought amongst Setswana poison on it, and the jackal walks round and round but
language and literary scholars. In chapter 17, Willan does not take the bait. Should he and his fellow African
shares a delightful unpublished and incomplete Plaat- consultants capitulate to the ‘Hertzog Bills,’ Plaatje de-
je manuscript, “With other people’s wives.” He allows clared, they would be more foolish than the jackal! Al-
the reader to enjoy the story both for its own sake—a ways clearly and painfully aware of hidden motives and
TYDSKRIF VIR LETTERKUNDE • 57(1) • 2020 136

ISSN: 0041-476X E-SSN: 2309-9070
agendas, Plaatje wrote in the press, as if for posterity: Maine, who struggled and survived with triumphant
“We shall this time let white politicians do their own dignity in the very same South African context (albeit
fell work […] so that when the tears of many victims a few decades later), where whites were self-enriching
of the Union’s legislative efforts at length draw retrib- while blacks were relegated to poverty.
utive justice from the heights, no Prime Minister may What are the weaknesses of Willan’s biography?
say that we, too, have had a hand in this transaction.” Among his most powerful claims, Willan reiterates and
(458). substantiates a claim he has consistently made over the
There are also incidents narrated where the eco- past 40 years, namely, that Plaatje believed it was his
nomic context and conditions colonialism bred, caused purpose to be a bridge between white and black com-
tensions and divisions among Africans themselves. munities and that he demonstrated evenness in critiqu-
Many clashes within the nascent South African Native ing both blacks and whites. I concede that Plaatje was
National Congress (SANNC) surfaced in the struggle a bridge- and community-builder across the races but
over scarce resources including employment, income I see Plaatje differently, in that I read in his biting cri-
and opportunity. Willan successfully surfaces the dis- tiques deep insight into the evils of white supremacy,
empowering context of colonialism again and again. imperialism, colonialism and eurocentrism. I read in
This brings me to what I see as the greatest his self-sacrifice, his hope and his persistence an un-
strength of Willan’s book. Whereas the 1984 biography derstanding of ‘evil,’ if I may quote Langston Hughes:
left me despondent, this volume filled me with hope. I Looks like what drives me crazy
became intensely aware of how Plaatje rose even while Don’t have no effects on you—
his circumstances declined. Whereas conditions of life But I’m gonna keep on at it
for blacks worsened, reading this biography one feels Till it drives you crazy, too.
unmistakably the steady evolution in Plaatje in terms of
accomplishments. Undeterred by setbacks, limited re- Plaatje used the masters’ tools, such as the press and
sources, and hostilities, he exuded a hope that seemed the written word; he used irony extensively to probe
to ‘spring eternal.’ During his years as editor of Tsala, hidden agendas; he travelled widely to publicise the
1908–15, Willan tells us, his newspaper endeavour suc- very real grievances of black Africans; he aimed to em-
ceeded, even while he was compelled to invest time and power Setswana children via Setswana language… I
energies in co-founding and organizing the SANNC, as believe that until we have plumbed the depths of his
its Secretary-General (chapter 8). During the World large “treasure-trove” of Setswana journalism as Willan
War I years in England, he rose to heights in terms of calls it, we risk overstating the case for his diplomacy
scholarly accomplishments even while he sustained a and evenness. The scholarly excavation of his Setswana
busy public speaking tour where he truly became the journalism may take time, however, since priority has
“great hearted fighter for the rights of his people,” as been given to collecting his English language journal-
George Simpson remembered him (chapter 10). The ism, a mammoth project undertaken by the Sol Plaatje
hope and optimism, the rising as journalist, writer and Educational Trust (SPET) of Kimberley, official stew-
scholar, even while the political, social and economic ard of the Plaatje legacy. My only other minor quibble,
climate deteriorated became the pattern in Plaatje’s I would like more of Plaatje’s own words. All who read
life, as Willan reveals, chapter after chapter. Struggling Plaatje in his own words cannot help but be moved,
to support himself in England and publish his account much in the way people never fail to be stirred by the
of “native life” in South Africa, he had opportunity and power and spirit in Martin Luther King’s voice. Oth-
doors open to him through a circle of loyal supporters erwise, and overwhelmingly, I have nothing but praise
who provided the intellectual, moral and occasion- for this book which has stirred and spurred my Plaatje
ally financial support needed to ensure his progress studies. As Diamond Fields Advertiser journalist, George
(chapters 9 and 12). Back home, despite financial and Simpson, said at the unveiling of Plaatje’s tombstone,
all the other obstacles, Diphosophoso was published and one feels that “his soul goes marching on” in Willan’s
enjoyed success and longevity in schools in Bechuana- witnessing.
land (today Botswana) as well as South Africa (chapter As regards audience, I believe this volume will ap-
16). This message of hope—that it is possible to rise, peal broadly to the reading public as well as to students
achieve and accomplish in spite of an unjust “settled and scholars (for whom there are 89 pages of Notes),
system,” as Plaatje called it—is reminiscent of Charles not only of South African history but to students and
van Onselen’s message in The Seed is Mine, his biography scholars across the humanities, the social sciences
of the courageous and dedicated sharecropper, Kas and law. The significance of this publication lies first

ISSN: 0041-476X E-SSN: 2309-9070
in the message of hope it can offer individual readers,
especially those suffering still in the aftermath of colo-
nial and Apartheid disenfranchisement and disposses-
sion. Secondly, it broadens the field of Plaatje studies
by making him accessible to general readers who will
hopefully respond in various genres, media and modes.
Together with Willan and thanks to Willan, Plaatje
enthusiasts never cease to be inspired by the genius,
brilliance, actions, relevance, thinking, intellect, elu-
cidating writing and words of this lodestar and iconic
struggle hero, Sol T. Plaatje.
Work Cited
Moraladi, Carolynn Bontle. “Sol Plaatje Biography Launched
At SPU.” Solomon Star. 26 Jun. 2018. https://solomonstar.
live/sol-plaatje-biography-launched-spu/. Accessed 14
Feb. 2020.
Karen Haire
[email protected]
Sol Plaatje University
Kimberley
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7631-4223
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17159/2309-9070/tvl.v.57i1.7901

ISSN: 0041-476X E-SSN: 2309-9070

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