Inkundla Ya Bantu

Inkundla Ya Bantu

First edition of Inkundla Ya Bantu
Publisher Verulam Publishers
Editor Phillip Katamzi, Govan Mbeki, Jordan Ngubane
Language English, IsiZulu, IsiXhosa

Inkundla Ya Bantu is a now-defunct newspaper, but was active in the late 1930s till the early 1950s.

History

Inkundla Ya Bantu was first published in April 1938 under the name Territorial Magazine. It was subsequently renamed in June 1940.[1] Its distribution area covered at first the rural parts of the Eastern Cape and Southern Parts of KwaZulu-Natal and then later expanded to the Johannesburg and witwatersrand area. The newspaper was released monthly at first and then in 1943 became a fortnightly publication and for a while it published weekly but in the last two years of its existence it only managed to publish monthly and some months not at all.[2](Ukpanah, 2005:175) Inkundla Ya Bantu was the only independent, 100% black-owned newspaper at the time of its inception and for the duration of its lifespan, that played a significant role in African politics. Inlkundla ya Bantu was also able to boast that it was the only newspaper of its kind that enjoyed national coverage.[3] Because of this Inkundla Ya Bantu was in the unique position of being free to publish material, any material especially political material without fear or favour. Inkundla Ya Bantu was sympathetic to the oppressed Africans and was highly concerned with highlighting their plight.[4] Inkundla reported articles on both communist and anti-communist trade unions and was a passionate supporter of the marginalised.

"Inkundla sought to represent the subjugated African population in ordering a protest agenda that would unify the resistance movement, and it was a medium used by the Youth League to challenge the cautious and accommodationist ANC leadership"

[5]

Editors

Phillip Goduka Katamzi was Inkundla Ya Bantu's first editor,he remained editor for the first year. After that he was succeeded by Govan Mbeki who remained the editor of the newspaper up until 1943 when he was believed to have resigned from his post. The role of editor was then taken on by Jordan Kush Ngubane. Ngubane remained editor until the last publication.

Controversy surrounding editorialship

There are two versions of who exactly held the title of editor during 1939 and 1943. It is generally agreed upon by most scholars that Philip Katamzi was the first editor of Inkundla Ya Bantu and that he held this position for about a year or more. Thereafter he handed over his duties to Govan Mbeki, and Mbeki edited the newspaper until 1943 when he resigned. However, there is another version that states that Govan Mbeki was never the editor of Inkundla Ya Bantu and that Phillip Katamzi had been the editor for five years. However, the first version of events is the most popular, but Jordan Ngubane himself supports the later version of events. (ukpanah,2005:62) One thing is irrefutable Govan Mbeki and even his wife Epainette Mbeki, did in fact make regular contributions to Inkundla Ya Bantu during the time that he was believed to have been the editor.[6]

ANCYL

Inkundla Ya Bantu openly supported the ANCYL and published many of the party's members articles, most notably Anton Lembede who was the ANCYL's president at the time.Anton Lembede was the mastermind behind the ANCYL's political philosophy at the time especially those relating to African Nationalism.[7] The ANC had no official press of its own. So the newspaper often acted as the mouthpiece of the party and its youth league. The reason for this could probably be largely attributed to the fact that the Newspaper's editor's were prominent ANC figures. For instance Govan Mbeki, the first editor of Inkundla Ya Bantu was an ANC leader and went on to become the Secretary of High Command of the ANC's armed wing, Umkhonto We Sizwe.[8] Govan Mbeki was succeeded by Jordan Ngubane as editor of Inkundla Ya Bantu. Jordan Ngubane was one of the founding members of the AN[9] CYL. Interestingly Govan Mbeki was a firm communist and Ngubane a "virulent anticommunist" According to Ntongela Masilela "Jordan Ngubane [in his capacity] as editor of Inkundla ya Bantu(People's Forum) in the 1940s articulat[ed] African Nationalism as the 'natural ideology of the ANC rather than Marxism"[10]

References

  1. ↑ nkupah, Ime (2005). Long Walk To freedom: Inkundla Ya Bantu. Africa World Press. p. 59.
  2. ↑ Ukpanah, Ime (2005). The Long Road to Freedom : Inkundla Ya Bantu(Bantu Forum) And The African Nationalist Movement In South Africa. 1938-1951. Africa World Press, Inc. pp. 59, 60, 166, 175. ISBN 1-59221-332-4.
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ Ukpanah, Ime (2005). The Long Road to Freedom : Inkundla ya Bantu (Bantu Forum) And The African Nationalist Movement. Africa World Press, Inc. p. 175.
  5. ↑ Ukpanah, Ime (2005). The Long Walk To Freedom:. p. 166.
  6. ↑ "Order Of the Baobab in Gold : Epainette Mbeki" (PDF). South African Government Press release. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  7. ↑ Keyan Tomaselli & P Eric Louw (1991). Studies in The South African Media: The Alternative Press In South Africa. South Africa: Anthropos Publishers/ James Currey. p. 25. ISBN 0-620-11190-9.
  8. ↑ "Who's Who SA". Retrieved 04/05/2011. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  9. ↑ Edgar, Ka Mzumsa (1996). Freedom in our Lifetime : The Collected Writings of Anton Lembede. p. 5.
  10. ↑ Masilela, Ntongela. (PDF) http://pzacad.pitzer.edu/NAM/general/essays/review-lat.pdf. Retrieved 2011-05-17. Missing or empty |title= (help)
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