Description
Book SynopsisSeetsele Modiri Molema’s
Sol T Plaatje: Morata Wabo is the first biography of Solomon Plaatje written in his mother-tongue, Setswana and the only book-length biography written by someone who actually knew him. The manuscript had long been housed in the Wits Historical Papers and was accessible only to scholars. D. S. Matjila and Karen Haire have mined the archive to produce the first English translation of Molema’s biography,
Lover of His People: Sol Plaatje.
In this account, Molema balances Plaatje’s public and political persona – as a pioneer black politician and man of letters – with an intimate account of Plaatje, the human being: his physical features, habits, temperament, talents, personality, character, fears, struggles, dreams and aspirations. In short, Molema illuminates the spirit of Plaatje painting a personal portrait of this leading South African figure and his impact not only on South Africa’s political and cultural landscape but on the young Molema as well.
In shaping this manuscript into a book the editors and translators have included a preface which elaborates on the uniqueness of Molema’s biography, and on the relationship between these two prominent Africans and the value of this text within the broader ambit of revisioning South African historiography. Recognising that Molema was an extraordinary scholar, intellectual and politician in his own right, the book includes an essay on the life and legacy of Seetsele Modiri Molema and his contribution to South Africa’s black intellectual heritage.
This biography will be of interest to scholars and general readers alike.
Trade ReviewIt is high time this book was made available to a wider audience, and I congratulate both editors and publisher in this initiative. - Brian Willan, Hon. Senior Research Fellow, Rhodes University
Table of ContentsFirst encounter and acquaintance. Early days and youth. An unforgettable year: 1896. Life's challenges . Plaatje, the career journalist. Government news. Conventions and writings. Plaatje in his own words: English extracts. Plaatje in his own words: Setswana extracts. Delegations and meetings. The last meetings and travels. The last encounter.
