R. R. R. DHLOMO

R. R. R. Dhlomo 

by

H. I. E. Dhlomo

The Sjambok ! And how it did sjambok all and Sunday!

The Sjambok was the John Bull of South Africa . Its purpose was to chastise and expose whoever and whatever was inimical to public morals and public welfare. It was a European weekly edited by Mr. Stephen Black, the actor-producer and author. The policy of the journal was to fight evil and corruption in the life of the community. It recognised neither class , colour, race nor rank. High and low, rich and poor, black and white meant nothing to this once famous and much feared journal. Wrong was its enemy, its red rag of attack; right its guiding principle and ideal.

That this was true is evidenced by the fact (among many others) that one of the members of its staff was an African. He was R. R. R. Dhlomo. That an influential European weekly should have employed an Africa journalist was in itself unique. Even today, despite the progress and proved ability of the African, it is difficult to imagine a European journal employing an African on its regular staff. The best some so-called liberal and progressive papers can do is to accept and publish contributions by African writers. But there are periodicals that even today fight shy of publishing African contribution, no matter how good.

During this connection with The Sjambok , Dhlomo wrote many articles, sketches and short stories for that journal. As a staff journalist, many of these contributions did not, of course, appear under his name. A few did. Mr. Black, a highly strung artist and yet a cool and calculating investigator, taught Dhlomo many valuable lessons on the art and science of writing. One of these was that a writer must not project himself into the story and moralise or philosophise outside his characters . . . a weakness that many of our writers still have. Another was that a writer should use a language suited or natural to his characters.

I remember as if it were but yesterday, when that remarkable and talented man, Solomon T. Plaatje (an admirer of Stephen Black called at The Sjambok offices to get Black's opinion on his (Plaatje's) novel, Mhudi . Black told Plaatje quite frankly that one of his faults was to make all his characters speak in high sounding language and advised that grand old man to read some of the sketches of Dhlomo already published. Here, although his characters spoke in English, their language was natural.

It was during this period that Dhlomo learnt the great lesson that satire and humour can often be greater and more effective weapons than serious, “learned' writing. A Voltaire can do much with his satire, but a show can do do even more with his tongue in the cheek humour. Stephen Black also believed a great deal in dialogue (older readers will recall the popular Jeremiah---Joshua feature in The Sjambok ). Black believed in this style of writing as much as Plato. It gives the author a simple way to present two points of view, and at the same time, the opportunity to play havoc with the point of view he opposes.

At last Black was “cornered.” A great libel case took place. The Sjambok ceased publication. Stephen Black, after vain efforts to get the Daily Press to publish statements to vindicate himself, passed away dramatically in his house in Yeoville.

All the copies of the sketches and stories that Dhlomo wrote for The Sjambok got lost subsequently.

Dhlomo, whose father came from Mahlabatini was born in the Maritzburg district. After working in that town for some time, his father married Sarah Caluza. Later the family migrated to Johannesburg . In spite of their stay in this great city, the family adhered to its Zulu traditions and language. Thus it was that city bred Dhlomo retained living and real links with his rural background.

This stood him in good stead when he became assistant editor of the Ilanga lase Natal under the editorship of Mr. Ngazana Luthuli. Here was a budding and tried writer at home in Zulu and English, able to write with knowledge both about urban and rural life. At the time the Ilanga was housed and printed at Ohlange. The editors were reporters, proofreaders, clerks, business executives. Dhlomo began to show his ability, prolificness and versatility. Reportage, feature, articles, etc. became grist for his literary mill.

Meanwhile, developments had taken place in Johannesburg . The Bantu World had been launched under the editorship of Mr. R. V. Selope Thema. Thema himself had tried to induce Solomon T. Plaatje to take the editorial chair. The attempt failed. When he became editor, Thema was anxious to obtain the services of capable young men in the editorial staff. Later, he was able to secure the services of Dhlomo who as the Zulu/Xhosa editor became assistant editor also.

The two men got on well together. This is surprising when one considers their diametrically, opposed characters and outlooks. Thema was a politician; Dhlomo was a pure writer; Thema was a public figure and a popular platform speaker; Dhlomo was a retiring man who would collapse, perhaps, if forced to go on a platform; Thema did not believe in dishing out the ordinary Reuter news culled from the white daily press; Dhlomo wanted to see Africans supplying their own news. Even their habits were different. Dhlomo did not and does not consider himself a scholar, an intellectual, a philosopher. He shuns the circle of great men and intellectuals. He hardly appears in public places (meetings, concerts, cinemas, etc.) except in cricket and football meetings for he loves these games, and, here, no one embarrasses him by rigid formalities and discussions---both of which he dislikes. He spends his spare time---like the proverbial busman---reading and writing. A voracious reader, his normal reading is a novel each day.

In The Bantu World , he became famous as a humourist. Recently, in a talk to a distinguished audience in Johannesburg , Dr. B. W. Vilakazi speaking on who was our (Bantu) leading poet critic, musician, etc., paid Dhlomo the complement of being the foremost humourist of the day.

In writing his humourist sketches, Dhlomo uses two methods. First, the pure classical sketches with no object but to entertain. In this vein, he can write on almost any subject. To give a few examples, he has written “On Nothing,” “On Flies,” “The July Handicap,” “Cockroaches” etc. Second, he uses humour and satire, like other writers, to expose and correct the follies of his fellowmen and of the authorities. These sketches are more feared and produce better results in official quarters than the best written editorials. More people read them than those who read editorials.

A politically minded editor and a literary minded one can not always agree. I shall give one classic example. During the Rheinalt Jones/Basner senatorial election, Thema and The Bantu World stood blindly and adamantly for Mr. Jones. Dhlomo, no politician but an impartial student of affairs, felt embarrassed because as an unprejudiced observer he had read the signs well and knew that Thema was backing a horse sure to lose. Basner, as is now known, won by an overwhelming majority.

In the meatime, Dhlomo had written An African Tragedy , a novelette in English and the following books in Zulu: uDingane , uShaka , uMpande , Izikhali zaMuhla and Ukwazi Kuyathuthukisa . Like other vernacular writers he was handicapped by the fact that no publisher could consider any but school books. Anxious to place his novels he could not, he could not as this would mean watering them down to the tone and requirements dictated by the Selection Committee. One of his studies, Cetywayo , caused a sensation when it was rejected by this dictatorial Committee of “experts” and linguists, not on literary or aesthetic grounds, but on racial and religious ones. In spite of this, Dhlomo has been able to publish two Zulu novels. Readers and patriots would be shocked to know what the Zulu author receives for his books, and thousands are sold each year. This is a matter which needs immediate readjustment. In fact, it needs official investigation.

One of Dhlomo's most humble books became famous as it precipitated a crisis in the Zulu Paramount chieftainship controversy. Having received authentic information from some reliable source, Dhlomo divulged the secret but did not know it was secret, that Cyprian ka Solomon ka Dinuzulu was the real heir presumptive to the Zulu Paramountcy. The revelation caused a sensation. Dhlomo was threatened with libel and worse. When at last the matter came before the authorities, Dhlomo was subpoenaed to appear before the court. What happened is popular history. He was not only exonerated, but was lionized by many Zulus interested in the dispute.

When Mr. N. Luthuli retired from the editorship of Ilanga , Dhlomo was appointed to the chair. For over six months he managed the editorial department of Ilanga alone, writing Zulu and English editorials, running personal features, editing the news, and correcting the proofs.

Natal , as usual, presented baffling and delicate political problems. And Dhlomo arrived on the eve of one of the greatest political battles of recent years in Natal . Defeated in the first Native Representative Council elections, Mr. A. Champion lived brooding over events, ready for the next pounce. When the second election came, Champion came out furiously like a python after hibernation. Dr. Dube, Mr. Champion's opponent, was a director of Ilanga . What was the new editor to do? Serve party and individual interests or stand for principles and for the good of the people? Dhlomo decided on the latter course---no easy decision. He opened the columns of Ilanga to all parties and persons. Naturally, his action invoked bitterness and chagrin on one side, and relief and praise on the other. Some people even tried to get the proprietors to fire the new editor. Others could not see that the editor was interested in issues and not in persons. He was said to favour radicals.

Hot on heels of the dispute, came the Champion/Mthimkhulu's battle over the leadership of Congress. Not satisfied with the recent Native Representative Council victory, Champion wanted to capture the leadership of Congress and rule supreme in the province. Rev. A. Mthimkhulu, a Dube—ite, would not hear of it. The younger politicians and intellectuals, Dube---ites themselves, played a notable part in this drama. But these younger men were not blind and biased Dube---ites. Their actions and loyalty to him sprung from and were directed at issues and policies. We have no space here to tell this story even in outline; but the result was that the new editor (in whose column the battle raged) was misunderstood and abused even by some intellectuals. One of the main causes of this was that Mr. Champion was far ahead of even the intellectuals in his capacity to see political chances and use them to the best advantage. Knowing the influence of the printed word, Champion showered and still showers the press with letters.

In his biographies of the Zulu kings--- Shaka , Dingane , Mpande and Cetywayo ---Dhlomo has made no small contribution to Zulu history. He has shown that we too have had great men in the past.

These days, he is concentrating on imaginative literature and is writing novels. In this way, he is contributing to our cultural heritage. He believes that art is no small weapon in our struggle for national liberation. When we remember that this young man rose from obscurity through sheer force of character and talent, and that his works have been written better heavy spells of duty as an editor we can correctly say all in all he was a man and a true pioneer.

“Three Famous African Journalists I Knew: R. R. R. Dhlomo”, Inkundla ya Bantu , August, Second Fortnight, 1946.