Msimang and two other young advocates, Alfred Mangena and Pixley ka isaka Seme, were instrumental in the founding of the African National Congres in 1912 as an expression of developing African political modernity. Having studied in London at nearly the same time between 1907 and 1911, and in the process becoming great friends, they were conscious of the importance of participating in the construction of modernity through activist politics as one of the essential ways of uniting the African people against imperial and colonial domination. Philosophy of law was their chosen field in establing political praxis. In their uncompromising advocacy of practicing a new politics, they were anticipatory of another group of young New African intellectuals (A. P. Mda, Nelson Mandela, Anton Lembede, Albertina Sisulu, Jordan Ngubane, William Nkomo, Walter Sisulu, Ellen Kuzwayo) who founded the ANC Youth League in 1944 as a way of establishing a new consciousness of political intervention within the parent ANC organization. Richard W. Msimang's return from England was hailed as an anticipation of new beginnings by a no lesser figure than Solomon T. Plaatje. This is the reason he gave ample space to a relatively major and anonymously written biographical sketch of Msiming in Plaatje's newspaper, Tsala ea Batho. This sketch was probably written by Pixley ka Isaka Seme partly because it originally apeared in his newspaper Abantu-Batho and partly because its detailed nature could only have been written by someone close or had been close to Msimang. The appreciation begins by acknowledging the importance of education in any endeavour to enlighten the African people about the necessity of making progress: "We offer our heartiest congratulations to Mr. R. W. Msimang, who has been admitted as an Attorney od the Supreme Court of South Africa (Transvaal Provincial Division). . . . It is here interesting to note that the new lawyer was one of the first two boys, with whom Mr. Dube opened his school, and during his stay there he was in the first class and a head boy----and thus he came into more personal contact and influence of Mr. Dube, who was largely instrumental to the youth's subsequently going to England. . . . Those of us, who have been privileged to see Mr. Msimang's certificates and testimonials feel a sense of pride and admiration at the remarkable achievements of the youth in not only passing his examinations but also winning the confidence and appreciation of his principals. We unhesitatingly predict a great future for him" ("The New Solicitor: Mr. R. W. Msimang", July 15, 1913). Msimang fulfilled this expected future promise in several ways. Having present at the founding of the ANC in 1912, and having an extensive knowledge of South African law, he was the main author of the ANC constitution adopted in 1919. Perhaps his greatest moment in South African history was in his touring the country with Solomon T. Plaatje, after the passage of the Natives Land Act of 1913, documenting the deep suffering this Act unleashed onAfricans. A direct product of his intervening was the booklet, Natives Land Act 1913: Specific Cases of Evictions and Hardships, etc (no date of publication, probably in 1913 or 1914; reprinted by the Friends Of South Africa Library in Cape Town in 1996). Its specific legal documentation of the evictions of African people makes it a perfect compliment to Solomon T. Plaatje's Native Life in South Africa (1916), which is an extraordinary evocation of the suffering visited on African people. Although Richard W. Msimang was not part of the 1914 ANC delegation, which included among others John Dube and Solomon T. Plaatje, appealing to the British Parliament to repeal the law, the legal document carried by the delegation detailing the ANC opposition to the Act, was written by him. It is a fascinating document exhibiting a brilliant mind: it was published as long article in Tsala ea Batho ("Native Lands Act, 1913: An Appeal To The People of England", June 13, 1914). Richard W. Msimang applied his legal mind to practically all laws passed by Union Parliament during his lifetime. Consequently one of the most extensive essays written by him was an analysis of the effect on Africans of a new Medical Law called the Medical, Dental and Pharmacy Act of 1928 ("The New Medical Act", Umteteli wa Bantu, December 22, 29, 1928 and January 5, 1929). Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a great lawyer. Given his several interventions in the form of the Letters to the Editor of Umteteli wa Bantu, entangling with its columnists and special correspondents such as Allan Kirkland Soga and Isaac Bud-M'Belle, Richard W. Msimang deserves to be included in the list of brilliant New African intellectuals like H. I. E. Dhlomo, his brother H. Selby Msimang, R. V. Selope Thema, Solomon T. Plaatje who made this newspaper one of the best in South Africa in the 1920s. Given his extensive knowledge of the impact of modern legal system on the African people, Richard W. Msimang deserves to be remembered as the greatest legal mind produced by the New African Movement.