The Star that shone with glare
Through storms and wintry
nights
Shall breathe no more nor share
Our joys and our delights
The hand that wrote with might
Unchecked by earthly fear
Tho. withered, cold and light
Is honoured far and near,
The lips that moved with words
Of wisdom and of love
Tho. shrunk like aged chords
Have said when none dare
move.
The eyes that gleamed with
tears.
Of love, for Afric's sake
In bitter days or years
Are dimmed at Life's noon
brake.
O Death thou cruel king
We dare not curse thy name
Despite our hearts that sting
For Life's a passing game.
Men of Afric' young and old
Be bold and fearless as he
For tho he layeth stiff and cold
He died to make us good and
free.
Sons of Afric' here and there
Be honest and truthful as he
Maids of Afric' sweet and fair
Be loving and godly as he.

In modern times, it is obvious to most how a doctor, a minister, a writer, a teacher, and a politician can bring change and progress to a culture. However, when one man embodies all of the above for a culture and nation struggling with the concept of modernity itself, the task is more difficult. Walter Benson Rubusana is notably well educated and very motivated in his pursuit of teaching South Africa. Yet it is his character and his own personal identity struggles that make the goal of modernity contain more questions about its validity and the means of achieving it. This is a minute biographical sketch attempting to capture the extreme essence of Walter Rubusana and his contributions to the New African Movement using his own life's path as a mirror.

It is first necessary to provide general background about Rubusana's family life and early childhood. Walter was born on February 21 st , 1853 to Councillor Mbayana in Mnandi, Cape Colony. He was the eldest son, yet because of the financial situation of his family, he had no formal education until he made the personal decision to go to school at age 16. Interestingly enough, he decided to enroll at mission house of Reverend Richard Birt at Peelton. This was his first real exposure to Christianity, and this had a profound effect on him throughout his life and his careers. He was popular at school and was recognized early on for his wit and his intelligence. Reverend Birt even became a mentor for Rubusana and guided him as a father figure. It was here at the missionary house that Rubusana was struck with his own personal mission: to become a missionary to his own people.

After briefly studying under Reverend Birt, Walter took his educational studies to a higher level after being admitted to Lovedale University in 1876. He studied both theology as well as arts and was not only proficient in many languages, but a superb athletic participant as well, setting records in cricket and track and field. Both of these sports are of the western influence, to which Rubusana excelled in. Not only did his education reach him late in life, but it consisted of first, a complete theological and spiritual training, and then took him to study western methodologies. Upon graduating from Lovedale, Rubusana returned to Peelton to serve as both teacher and later as an assistant pastor to Rev. Birt. In 1884, he was ordained a minister at the London Missionary Society. Now that the credentials were in place, it was time to preach the Christian Gospel to “his” people. He went out into the wilderness to try and reach out to a people that needed to see his truth.

When one thinks of missionaries in Africa, it is common to think of white men going into tribes, setting up small chapels and attempting to convert all in his path to Christianity. Walter Rubusana's approach is quite unique. He went into the wilderness, found a few willing to learn and listen, faced opposition, and ultimately set up his own practice in a cottage in East London. As his work spread, he founded a Great Church with fifteen co-branches, day schools and preaching stations. Furthermore, Rubusana became an apostolic figure for his people, yet working within the western system in one of the most progressive and infamous international cities on the globe.

The same year, 1884, Walter Rubusana received a huge honor and task; he was appointed a representative of the Congressional Union of South Africa in the Board of Revisers of the Xosa Bible. For twenty years, Rubusana was enthralled in translating Xosa Bible into English and in 1909, after being elected the President of the South Africa Native Convention, was focused on printing a volume of the Xosa translated Bible. His missionary work took a turn towards practicality as well as towards modernity. In order for the west to embrace the native traditionalists, literature had to be made into English and therefore, more accessible to the modern age. According to an article written in Ilanga Lase Natal on October 28 th , 1910, “his position was representation and in his public ministry he would be guarded by the same motives, principles, ideas and faith which guided him in his Christian Ministry, God Justice and love for his country.”

Walter Rubusana used his status and his religious training to conjure up an essential plan of action for the natives of South Africa: modernize through Christianity. Rubusana was a strong believer in the notion that if God was on the side of South Africa, that there would be nothing to lose. He stressed unity, faith, education and industry. These things were not available to him as a youth, yet as he sought out education and faith, he learned to use these two things a leading tool in trying to unite a culture under the banner of God and modernity. For him, God was the gateway into modernity and into an essential future of endless possibilities for South Africans and all those who believed in God.

In 1910, a remarkable event for modernity, politics and history occurred. Walter Benson Rubusana became “the first and the last African ever to be elected to serve as a member of the Provincial Council won the contest for the Thembuland constituency” (website). This position granted him the potential to have a significant impact on the future of South Africa, race relations within his particular region, and vast political influence. There were two distinct political movements occurring in the Cape at that time. There was the liberal politics of Jabavu and his supporters, or the counter movement, largely led by Walter Rubusana. Jabuvu's main policy was, “The leaders of the Native Electoral Association (NEA) in turn hoped to use the African bloc vote to keep liberal politicians in parliament as a means of resisting the racist pressures of the Afrikaner Bond. Jabavu personally tried to convince the Coloured political leaders to join in such efforts because he realized that the Bond's Policies would result in the disfranchisement of all blacks.” This group wanted to separate as much from colonialism as possible in a semi-discreet manner, while Rubusana was so torn between modernity and assimilation. He and other religious leaders helped support the British during the Anglo-Boer War by even enlisting African wage labourers and wagon drivers. Instead of immediately trying to unite the Africans with a notion of separation from the colonial aspect of modernity, Rubusana was caught up in the middle.

Ultimately, it was Rubusana that won the seat of high power, yet it was taken at a critical time of race relations and dividing politics. Rubusana was semi-naïve to the imperial government, thinking that the promises made in regards to Africans would come true, and when they did not, he was fundamental in founding the South African Native Congress with the aim of fighting for black political rights. Unfortunately after failed petitions to the State and to the King, Rubusana's coalition seemed unsuccessful. As a result, the British colonies united and formed a union to Rubusana's and his contemporaries' dismay.

Walter Rubusana, however, is significant in the New African Movement, because of his unrelenting desire to help his people. No matter what rejection or opposition he faced, he kept using that as a stepping stone for a future endeavor. In 1911, he was more convinced than ever of the urgency for a nationalization of South Africa. The African National Congress, ANC, was founded in1912 and “was the brainchild of two generations of African politicians. The older group, amongst whom were Rubusana and his contemporaries, had acquired practically all their political experience in South Africa and had been reared in the traditions of Cape liberalism. The younger group, amongst whom were the young barristers, Seme, Mangena, Montsioa and Msimang, had trained abroad and were motivated by ideas of a continental emancipation movement which would enable the African peoples to make their unique contribution to world civilization” (website). The younger generation wanted out of British rule and leaned towards an independent South Africa. Rubusana had grown up under British rule, studied under British education guidelines, built a congregation in London, yet recognized that there was also exploitation and civil injustices that were equal counterparts under British colonialism. The formation of the Union seemed to demoralize the African community as well as Rubusana himself who tried so hard to work within the system in order to change it. Rubusana led to unsuccessful depositions in Britain, with little or no change at all made. He lost the election for a second term to a White African and returned to South Africa shortly before the outbreak of the First World War. Still a loyal Briton, Rubusana helped train 5000 Africans to aid Britain and the allied forces in this war. However, the British refused the services because it was deemed a “white man's war,” and blacks were not even good enough to risk their lives for their own oppressors! Once again, this was almost another personal rejection of Rubusana's politics and planning.

After World War One came to a close with an Allied victory, Rubusana and other members of the ANC led a final delegation to Britain, competing with J.B. Hertzog who was representing the Afrikaaner Nationalists. Though it seemed as though the ANC was on a similar political standpoint of liberal democracy as that of Britain, it was ultimately Hertzog that got the support of the British. With his new founded confidence, he began to make improvements in South Africa exclusively for the Afrikaaner Nationalists. In 1919, the ANC crafted a constitution, yet after receiving no imperial support and dealing with a changing South Africa, Rubusana retreated into a quieter existence. In 1913, the Land Act had essentially evicted many African peasants, which led to a huge class struggle in the making. The predecessors of Rubusana would have to attempt to try and break the system of hardship in place and make room for an independent South Africa.

The last main accomplishment in the life of Walter Benson Rubusana is his fundamental influence on the printed literary word. He founded and published the news source Izwi Labantu . This literally translates into voice of the people. The power of the printed word is often times more potent and real than an oral speech, because it is tangible and can be read over and over again. This paper was quite radical and was the main tool of the SANC. In addition, it served as a written plea addressing the needs and concerns of the Africans and the fears and frustrations of leading towards a British Union. Rubusana was proficient in many languages and also had vast experience in translating written work. His former experience was translating the Xhosa Bible into English, and now Izwi Labantu was translated from Xhosa to English and visa versa. This newspaper became as significant as a religious text, relaying the imperative need to act and react to a changing political and cultural environment. Just as a Bible unites a religious group under common morals and lore, this text was the unifying source of members and supporters of the SANC and the movement towards a free South Africa as a whole entity. The mission statement of the SANC and the articles in the newspaper reflected the election of, “an executive to defend African interests, protested against the colour bar, demanded full and equal rights for all citizens without distinction of class, colour or creed, and called on Britain to fulfill her obligations under article 8 of the Vereeniging peace treaty by extending the franchise to Africans, Coloured and Indians in all colonies.34” (website). Racism was one of the main things that kept Rubusana on the other side of imperialism. He wanted so badly to establish a progressive change without dealing with race issues. His attempts to outwardly support British armed forces were turned down on the premise of color and it became apparent that based on the white faces and skin of the Afrikaaner, no matter what their politics were, this imperial world was still on the basis that white equals right.

In conclusion, I chose to focus this sketch on Rubusana's contributions to the New African Movement and to the modern world, because his personal character is extremely inspiring. He came from nothing, in the midst of national and cultural turmoil. The decade he was born in, “decade during which Rubusana was born witnessed the military defeat and economic destruction of the Xhosa kingdom. It was inaugurated with one of the most bitterly fought frontier wars, which coincided with the so-called 'Second Hottentot Rebellion.' The Xhosa kingdom and its allies, the rebels of the Kat River Coloured Settlement, proved no match for the powerful British Empire. After three years of war the Xhosa sued for peace. In 1857 the remnants of the kingdom were convulsed by the Nongqause messianic movement, which irrevocably destroyed the economic base of Xhosa society. In 1858, the year Rubusana was born, more than 5,000 passes were issued to Africans in the Eastern Cape to enter the service of white farmers as labourers. The division between African traditional society and the agrarian capitalism of the Cape Colony was disappearing, and thousands of Africans were being absorbed into the white-controlled economy as a subordinate class of labourers” (website). There was already a political divide in place as this profound individual came into the world. There was social injustice and little room for change, let alone hope. However, with his own burning desire for education, Rubusana immersed himself into the written word of knowledge and the spiritual world of Christianity to fill himself with seeds of potential change ready to spread to his people in order to inspire a movement of improvement for South Africa. He brought about a resurgence of Xhosa literature with his newspaper and his personal poetry and translations. He was prominent in founding two significant South African radical political groups and made numerous delegations in order to plead a valid case to the imperial body. Walter Benson Rubusana died in 1936 at the old age of 78 years in East London, away from the turmoil, and in a state of peaceful isolation from the struggles of his people. The “truth” that Rubusana spent the majority of his life trying to spread to his people turned into a legacy of determination and constant personal belief in the need for a free Africa. Though constantly conflicted between colonialism and independence, Rubusana was never doubtful on the subject of African Nationalism. He may have tried to support the British army, yet his blood was thick with the sufferings of his own people. He was filled with a strong moral capacity and an intense passion for compassion. Popular his whole life and excelling at nearly everything he tried, Rubusana left shoes incapable to fill. His political, written, and religious impacts are still experienced in South African and modern culture in the present day. He will be remembered as a fundamental founding contributor to the New African Movement.