While the heartbeat of life reverberates within our souls, the spirit of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe shall and must resonate through the hallways of our consciousness, a melody we cannot mute. Allowing his legacy to fade away is treachery we cannot tolerate, a transgression against what lies ahead. Our offspring and their descendants must uphold his flame, lighting the way even as we merge with the soil, transforming into nourishment for the flowers that bloom in our absence.

By Themba Khumalo

To let Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe slip from our collective memory is to eagerly dive into the murky waters of collaboration, where the sinister, shortsighted, and scornful forces conspire to erase the brilliance and wisdom of one of the brightest minds to emerge from the African soil.

As malevolent powers plot to stifle our expressions and erase our past, we must remain steadfast; instead, we should scoop up the soil, letting its grains trickle through our fingers— a poignant reminder of the anguish and turmoil that ignited and fueled our relentless pursuit of freedom.

The treatment of Sobukwe by South Africa has been nothing short of brutal, leaving him to languish in the unkind embrace of obscurity. His vast contributions and unwavering principles are frequently brushed aside as mere footnotes in a grand narrative.

Since the ANC took the reins in 1994, they have made considerable efforts to reduce Sobukwe’s significance in the struggle for freedom. His legacy is seldom acknowledged in dialogues about our history. Yet, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth, we find ourselves still entangled in the very ideals he so fervently espoused.

The very fabric of Sobukwe’s philosophy posed a severe threat to the colonial and apartheid regime, a challenge they could not ignore. In their frantic attempts to erase him from the collective consciousness, they sought to obliterate his intellect and political voice, as if his existence alone could unravel their oppressive tapestry. His presence was a seismic disturbance to the entrenched racist power structures, prompting the apartheid government to enact a series of brutal laws aimed at his suppression.

On May 4, 1960, Sobukwe was sentenced to three years behind bars, a consequence of his brave call for Africans to rise against the tyrannical pass laws. He stood resolute, refusing to appeal, scoffing at the court’s authority, which he deemed a mockery of true justice. When the clock struck three years later on May 3, 1963, the racist apartheid Parliament enacted the General Law Amendment Act, a legislative monstrosity that birthed the notorious ‘Sobukwe Clause.’

This clause granted the apartheid’s Minister of Justice the outrageous ability to extend the imprisonment of any political prisoner indefinitely. Thus, Sobukwe was thrown to the bleakness of Robben Island, where he would endure an additional six years of isolation.

Curiously, this draconian clause was never invoked against anyone else, yet it was renewed each year, a chilling testament to the government’s relentless oppression, with its renewal echoing ominously on June 30, 1965.

He was loathed, a ghost in the eyes of the powerful during the harrowing years of apartheid, and the cruel irony is that even now, in this era that touts democracy, nothing has shifted. In the shadows of enforced anonymity, he was a prisoner in the land of his ancestors, his words a forbidden melody to his compatriots. Yet, in this so-called free South Africa, the echoes of that suppression still resonate.

The fortunate souls who had the privilege to know him spoke of an indomitable spirit that shone defiantly against the backdrop of official malice. It was a fierce conviction in the potential for humanity to rise, a steadfast commitment to nonviolent justice.

May the obsequious lickspittles, those spineless toadies, the pitiful souls intent on erasing Sobukwe’s name from history, lower their heads in a symphony of disgrace, pleading with whatever gods they believe in, for absolution from their treachery.

⁕Below is a list of some books that explore the life and notable contributions of Sobukwe, which will deepen your appreciation of his role in our history:

Robert Sobukwe: How Can Man Die Better – by Benjamin Pogrund

Darkest Before Dawn: Writings, Testimonies and Correspondence from the Life of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe – By Derek Hook, Leswin Laubscher, Robert Sobukwe

Sobukwe: The Making of a Pan Africanist Leader – by Thami ka Plaatjie

Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe: New Reflections – by Benjamin Pogrund