Solomon Tshekisho "Sol" Plaatje was born on October 9, 1876, in the rural interior of what is now South Africa. He was raised in a Setswana-speaking Barolong family on a German mission station in the then Cape Colony. At the time, the region was a mix of British colonies, independent Boer republics, and territories under African control. Plaatje's early life was marked by the complexities of a region that would later become the nation-state of South Africa.
Plaatje grew up to be one of the most respected and prominent Black people of his generation, recognized for his abilities even by his detractors. He was a pioneering journalist, newspaper editor, and writer, as well as a campaigner for rights and founding general secretary of the African National Congress. Plaatje's legacy extends beyond politics, connecting to wider movements and efforts for meaningful change and innovation. His work continues to inspire people today, both in South Africa and around the world.
As a scholar of South African literary and intellectual traditions, Janet Remmington has researched Plaatje and his work for many years. She notes that Plaatje matters today because his legacy has both influenced and transcended politics in South Africa. He refused to let his fight against racial injustice and subjugation remain isolated, instead connecting with key figures in the global Black diaspora and forming ties with the women's suffrage movement.
Plaatje's legacy is compelling because it merged insights and elements from across knowledge systems, languages, and creative practices. His friends called him the "walking library" because of his grasp of literatures from far and wide, as well as oral histories, news, and commentaries. Plaatje drew on this rich mix to engage with prime ministers, leaders of different persuasions, crowds in a range of countries, readers of diverse publications, and ordinary people he met on his way.
Recent years have seen major new South African biographical treatments of Plaatje, offering deeper dives into a life lived to the full and pushed to the extreme. These include historian Brian Willan's expansive Sol T. Plaatje: A Life (2018) and writer Sabata-Mpho Mokae's evocative translation into Setswana of the late doctor and teacher Modiri Molema's 1965 manuscript in English, Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje: Lover of His People (2022).
Plaatje's work continues to be re-evaluated, with a focus on his writing across languages and cultures. His novel Mhudi, considered the first full-length novel in English to have been written by a black South African, and his earlier Mafeking Diary, written while under siege in the South African War, are key examples. These works highlight the tensions and possibilities of writing across languages and cultures.
As Plaatje's 150th birthday is celebrated, his legacy serves as a call to action for the promotion and preservation of African languages. Scholar Bhekizizwe Peterson notes that Plaatje advocated for African languages to take up their rightful place in an appreciation of "world culture". Today, African languages remain largely under-acknowledged, and their promotion and preservation lack support compared with those considered to be at the global "centre".
Key points
- Sol Plaatje's legacy continues to inspire change and innovation in South Africa and around the world.
- Plaatje's work highlights the importance of promoting and preserving African languages.
- Recent biographical treatments and re-evaluations of Plaatje's work offer new insights into his life and legacy.
