Sobukwe book recognises maverick leader, lost to history

STEVEN GRUZD

Pogrund and some fellow contributors – Claudelle von Eck, Professor Nyameko Barney Pityana, and Thandeka Gqubule-Mbeki – spoke about the man and his message at the launch of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe: New reflections at Exclusive Books in Rosebank on Monday night.

The book’s introduction says it is “a collection of viewpoints from significant and interesting people about Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, his life and work, and/or his current and possible future relevance”.

Said Pogrund, “This book is written by the writers, it’s their voices. They are people I chose. I hope it will lead to more discussion and more books. Sobukwe should become an exemplar of leadership.”

A devout Methodist born in the Karoo town of Graaff-Reinet, Sobukwe broke away from the African National Congress (ANC) in 1959 over ideological differences and founded the PAC (Pan Africanist Congress). In 1960, the PAC led protests against the carrying of pass books by black South Africans. One ended in the Sharpeville Massacre, where 69 people were shot dead by police. Sobukwe was arrested that year, and jailed until 1969, including six years spent in solitary confinement on Robben Island. He was banned and confined to Kimberley, where he died of lung cancer in 1978.

Pogrund formed a remarkable relationship with Sobukwe. They met in 1957, when Pogrund was a journalist at the Rand Daily MaiI. Friendship across the colour line in apartheid South Africa was a rare and risky endeavour. They couldn’t even have a cup of coffee together in public in most places. “Thank G-d that time is gone,” said Pogrund, who also wrote How Can Man Die Better: The Life of Robert Sobukwe in 1990.

“I get to watch South Africa from afar, from my home in Jerusalem, and I get angry and upset,” Pogrund said. “Then I come here, and I get even angrier when I see what has and hasn’t happened. Millions of dreams are unfulfilled.

“I yearn for the type of leadership Robert Sobukwe provided. He had honesty, integrity, commitment. It wasn’t about jobs, perks, and getting rich. He believed in freedom.

“I believe it’s the right time for this book. The University of the Witwatersrand has renamed its central block after Sobukwe.”

Gqubule-Mbeki, economics editor at the South African Broadcasting Corporation, said the book provided an opportunity to “rewrite ourselves into history”. She said Sobukwe, a towering Pan-Africanist, had been ignored and maligned by the ANC and “besides a few streets named after him … he can quietly be forgotten”. She characterised Pogrund and Sobukwe’s friendship as “bittersweet”.

Pityana, a founder of the black consciousness movement and former vice-chancellor of the University of South Africa, said the Pogrund-Sobukwe friendship was remarkable given the suspicion with which Sobukwe regarded white communists in the ANC.

He also noted that besides Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, no politicians had contributed to the book. Many contributors are younger South Africans who never even knew Sobukwe. This, in his view, made it fresh, exposing deep thinking about the country often not heard.

For Pityana, Sobukwe’s essence was daring to be different, refusing to be part of the herd. He nurtured diverse thinking and opinions in his comrades, to spark new and better ideas.

Von Eck, the former chief executive of the Institute of Internal Auditors South Africa, said, “I hope we all find a gem in this book to stimulate thought, spark healthy debate and greater consciousness for deep conversations, even if we all don’t agree.”

When asked why this book should interest Jewish readers, Pogrund said, “It provides greater understanding of what leadership should be about in this country, and is a reminder about a great South African. Sobukwe has had hardly any recognition – the ANC has deliberately downplayed his role.”

This book seeks to restore Sobukwe’s legacy and legitimacy.