Pixley ka seme biography of barack

Pixley Seme was born on 1 October in Natal, the son of Isaka Sarah (nee Mseleku) Seme. Little is documented of his early life as a primary school pupil and teenager. He obtained his primary school education at the local mission school where the American Congregationalist missionary, Reverend S. C. Pixley, took an interest in him and arranged for him to go the Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts in the USA.

Seme did his BA degree at Columbia and then went to Oxford University where he completed a grad in Law. He was called to the bar at the Middle Temple in London before returning to South Africa on the eve of the creation of the Union of South Africa in

His memorable speech at Columbia University in on “The Regeneration of Africa” won him the University’s highest oratorical honour, the George William Curtis medal. The speech was circulated widely in South Africa and revealed Seme’s remarkable way with words. While in London in , Seme followed deliberati

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THE MAN WHO FOUNDED THE ANC, a biography of Pixley ka Isaka Seme

pp.,illus., paperback, Penguin, Cape Town

Pixley ka Isaka Seme () studied law at Columbia and Oxford and became the first black person to practice as an attorney in South Africa. He founded the South African Native Farmers Association in and the South African National Native Council, a precursor to the African National Congress (ANC) in He also established the Abantu-Batho newspaper. He was elected President General of the ANC in His presidency is often associated with the virtual collapse of the ANC at that time and he was replaced in By the time he died in he had become a discredited public figure with a record of scandal and controversy and had been struck off the role of attorneys.

"Pixley ka Isaka Seme, best known as founder of the ANC, has long needed a biography. This is it - well written, well researched, a fascinating konto of the life of a flawed but hugely important figure." Dr Brian Willan, Rhodes Un

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Pixley ka Isaka Seme

South African politician (–)

Pixley ka Isaka SemeOLS (c. ^[1] – June ) was a South African lawyer and a founder and President of the African National Congress.

Early life

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Seme was born at Inanda, a small community of the American Zulu Mission of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. He was the last-born son of Isaka Seme and Eliza Bhulose, who were prominent mission members. He had ten siblings, including four brothers: Marsh, Nompondo, Mbekwana Isaac, and Lindley Ponqela. His six sisters were Lucy, Loti, Sannah, Speke, Dalitha, and Martha. The Seme family originated from the northern parts of what is today known as KwaZulu-Natal province in an area close to the St Lucia estuary.^[2] His grandfather was Sinono, the son of Mbuyazi of Njonjo of Khuwana of Mqumbela of Sokoti of Seme. The Semes were members of the Mthethwas, one of the prominent polities in 18th and early 19th century southern Africa.^[3]