John Dube

John Langalibalele Dube (image sourced from South African History Online)

John Langalibalele Dube was born in 1871 in the former Natal, where he lived all his early life. He received his education in Inanda and Amanzimtoti (which was later changed to Adams College). In 1887, John accompanied the missionary W C Wilcox to the United States of America (USA). He got the chance to study at Oberlin College while supporting himself through various jobs and lecturing on the need for industrial education in the Natal. In 1901, John established the Zulu Christian Industrial School on a limited space of 200 acres of land at Ohlange in the lnanda district. Three years later, he pushed himself to launch the isiZulu/English newspaper llanga lase Natal (Sun of Natal), which paved the way for his political career. Dube was a member of the delegation to Britain to protest against the Act of Union, and in 1912 he accepted the Presidency of the African National Congress (ANC). In 1914, he was one of the ANC delegates who went to London to protest against the 1913 Land Act. In 1935, he became a member of the All African Convention and represented Natal on the Natives’ Representative Council from 1936 until he died in 1946 when he was replaced on the Council by Chief Albert Luthuli.