WALTER B. RUBUSANA

Walter Benson Rubusana

by

Pixley ka Isaka Seme

When men and women receive great public distinctions from the hands of sovereigns, the people or of God, the world often forgets that these are rewards for merit or of sublime sacrifices performed. It is the purpose of this sketch to show that the Rev. Dr. Rubusana's faithfulness over the [---] has raised him to greater responsibility.

The Union of South Africa as a work of genius now finds its place in final history, among the greatest achievements of man and his civilization. We rejoice to see transplanted to this Native land [--] great talents and [--] potential gifts of civilisation. This civilisation, or at least the coming into contact with it, is gradually transforming our people and raising them to a higher standard of life. Even so truly, for no race which possesses the inherent quality to survive would remain unaffected by this contact, it must advance. The subject of his sketch is to-day one of the most brilliant evidences of our advance. I raise him in order that by knowing and seeing him we may be guided by his light and that despair may take encouragement and advance. Secondly and perhaps most important for temporary interests, I write in order that his friends and his colleagues may know the nobleness of this simple and earnest man of God who stretches his apostolic faith beyond the temporary interests of the religious questions to the great universal interests of human society, which indeed though not coextensive with the church yet which the church was founded to embrace and restore. Those of us who know him can only [a--] in this election the sure means of transferring and extending his usefulness to a wider and a still more effective field of life. Surely we need not be afraid to say that it is not by religion alone that tones of goodness are struck from the human soul and that good has yet other ways, secret in working, yet undeniable in effect, transforming men to his likeness and preparing the earth for the reception of his kingdom.

Walter Benson Rubusana numbers among his ancestors the great Kafir prophet Ntsikana who flourished during the 18th Century. He was born in February 21, 1858, at Mnandi, Cape Colony . He was the oldest son of Councillor Mbayana, under Chief Bottoman of the Mdangis. His childhood and his boyhood give the reporter's pen little food for special comment except this that a certain vein of nobleness, which deeply touched his boyhood character, almost clearly marked him out to be a youth whose destiny may some future day charge with great responsibility. He delighted in the wide open air life and the rough exercises of Native boyhood with its fascinating tales of the hunt, the robber Knights and glorified fable. His scarry heat still testified to many a grim skirmish with boys from hostile kraals and to the determination to which he pursued his fondness of adventure.

Born of absolutely heathen parents he had no advantages of early education. It was not until he reached the age of 16 that he entertained the first desire to go to school. Fortunately for him his father did not oppose carrying out of this wish. Accordingly and for this purpose he joined the mission house of the late Rev. Richard Birt at Peelton his only attire being a morning coat and two sticks. He can tell many funny stories about his first school days. [---] from this all, one can see that his personal charm soon made him popular among his comrades, while the brightness of his mind at once attracted towards him the devotion of his teachers especially the late Rev. R. Birt who from that time onward became his great benefactor and personal guardian. Studying seemed to him comparatively very easy. And this was stimulated by a boundless ambition to become a missionary to his own people.

He was admitted to Lovedale in 1876 where he went through both the arts and theological course in 1882, closing indeed an unusually brilliant school career. The records which he left behind, both in scholarship and on the athletic field are great enough to illuminate ten other college lives and make them all distinguished. He trophies revealed him a favourite in cricket and to be a holder of the half-mile record on the track. In competitive examinations he carried brilliant first or second prizes in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Logic, Church History and Philosophy. Among his teachers the Rev. Thomas Brockway was one of his great favourites.

Immediately after his graduation from Lovedale he served first as teacher, and later as Assistant Pastor under his great benefactor, the Rev. Richard Birt at Peelton. In 1884 he was ordained for the Christian ministry, working under the auspices of the London Missionary Society. His second ministry thus began. Leaving all his old connection behind he went forth to preach the Gospel to his people. He found many willing to hear him, and a few even ready to learn from him. One of those greatly benefited this work by offering his own hut for divine services on Sundays. The following Sunday, however, happened to conflict with a rowdy drinking party under same roof. The result was that he young preacher had to be unceremoniously dismissed by the audience for making noise. However, despite this ejectment [ejection] and many accompanying threats of violence he continued the service outside, worshipping with a few under a Mimosa tree. No amount of opposition seemed able to dampen his heart. His determination waxed stronger under hostile resistance. The “Truth” which dwelled in his heart assured him of final success. He knew that this was the Truth that someday would set his people free, set them free from their sin and set them free powers of darkness which surround their path so they cannot see the way of life. It was his ambition, his mission to show them the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Chief among his great supporters at the time were his wife and Josiah Tyamzashe. The former he married in 1883. Fortunately for him she had been educated abroad. She brought her high intellectual attainments most devoutly upon the Altar of service and for the salvation of her people. Those who wish to see the charter of Dr. Rubusana, his earnestness of purpose, his sacrificing love for his people, and his undying Christian faith will find them supremely manifest in this period. He was determined, despite all heather opposition, discouragement and sin, to go on proclaiming the will of God to men and to bid them to make themselves ready for God's coming Kingdom. He at once hired a cottage at East London , paid the out of his own salary, and used this as his first chapel and day-school. The growth of his work, of this work—is certainly one of the best evidences of successful missions among the Natives of this sub-continent and stands as irrebutable [irrefutable] testimonial to his great genius, his high Christian discipline, his unspotted character, and to his incomparable administrative ability. Working from East London as the chief central station he founded a Great Church supporting fifteen out-stations all with Church buildings and Government aided Day Schools and eighty preaching Stations. He has under him seven Evangelists and seventy local preachers. These, Sir, are serious testimonials yielded by a life that has scarcely begun, and which the future still fills with hope and inspiration. We exhibit these records, not because they offer any occasion for boast and vanity, but because they are powerful instances which ought to be known and to which convince ourselves and the worlds that God can raise great men and women in any race or nation, and that even amongst us He finds characters good enough to employ in His great apostolic mission.

Writing though I am only the first period of this wonderful life story, I have not exhausted the records of his genius. The name of Dr. Rubusana could have won immortal distinction in Native literature alone. He is the popular and most forceful translator of English works into Kafir. His voluminous translations are well known to the Native clergy and Seminaries to-day. For nineteen years he has represented the Congregational Union of South Africa on the Bible translating Board. His colleagues in this work include such men as Archdeacon Woodrooffe, Dr. A. Knopf, and many other eminent divines and seculars. At the conclusion of the translation he was asked to accompany the manuscripts home to England and see them through the press. Here again we see a Board of learned and eminent divines showing their faith in him, and recognizing his ability by conferring upon him this supreme charge. His literary productions are indeed very widely extended. Apart from his learned contributions to several papers and literary journals of London Societies—apart from these we find his original researches collected in a brilliant and compact form in his most illumination History of South Africa from the Native standpoint. For this and other researches the McKinley University conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Philosophy ( honoris causa ).

The attacks and all the vituperation of those who try to mis-judge and to make others misunderstand Dr. Rubusana must be overwhelmed by the condemnation of silence. Mr. Soga is only fighting with his own shadow. From this brief sketch along we have the irrebutable [irrefutable] testimonials as to his highest qualifications. We can therefore not hesitate to trust him. The Natives of South Africa have again and again declared publicly that they can truest him, and at no time has he failed to give distinction to that trust. In 1905 the Natives of the Transvaal sent him a as a delegate to England on a very important mission to His Majesty's Government and he returned eminently successful. He was elected first President of the first Native Congress of South Africa in 1909, and to-day the citizens of Tembuland unite in honouring his past record and service by raising him to sit in one of the most important Councils in the great Union of South Africa. Indeed a happy sign to this fatherland, and one which should calm many a troubled breast, proving as it does that white men can and will recognize ability even in a black man. This is indeed a rich signal for hope to those who work and pray for the regeneration of Africa, which alone can give us a great South Africa, that is the Africa in which the white man and the black man, though different, shall both work, respect, and help one another.

“Biographical Sketch: Rev. W. B. Rubusana, Ph.D., M.P.G.”, Imvo Zabantsundu , January 24, 1911