Freedom Mazwi

This month marks the 96th birthday of the eminent late South African Marxist scholar, Bernard (Ben) Magubane, founder of the Connecticut anti-Apartheid movement in exile. South African historian, Martin Legassick once described him as ‘a pioneer in combining skills in history, anthropology, and sociology, to critique dominant scholarly trends.’ In 1964, while doing his PhD at UCLA, Magubane led a protest march on campus after Nelson Mandela and other Rivonia trialists were sentenced to life and sent to Robben Island. From the late 1960s, he taught at the University of Lusaka and worked closely with the ANC. He is widely respected for his seminal book, The Ties That Bind: African American Consciousness of Africa). His daughter, prolific sociologist, Zine Magubane says that the book foresaw ‘some or the most intellectually provocative and revolutionary ideas that we now associate with post colonial studies.’ His warmth, self-deprecating and generous humour are unforgettable. Asoze sakulibala baba Nkomose. Salutes!