Ohlange Nokutela Dube

ohlange school in 1907

after returning south africa , teaching @ dube s old school @ inanda set ohlange high school. first in country established black teachers. husband offered opportunity use farm cousin had bought, nokutela s links mary edwards, led old school, helped couple establish farm became seminary.

nokutela dube taught music, cooking, housekeeping , tailoring, , sang , played traditional instruments on fundraising tours. husband, co-wrote amagama abantu (a zulu song book), published in 1911. book regarded milestone in creation of new type of zulu choral music. dubes described these secular songs first combine zulu , european traditions black community . first printing of book records both john , nokutela joint authors in plural form of isizulu. john once steps out of form of address in introduction point out music nokutela s responsibility. nokutela had musical abilities had taken singing lessons 2 teachers while in america. nokutela described better singing .

in addition literary works, dubes founded first zulu/english newspaper ilanga lasenatali (the sun of natal) in 1903. dubes credited making song nkosi sikelel iafrika popular. became part of south african national anthem after ohlange institute s choir used it. choir played @ south african native national congress meeting in 1912. sung after closing prayer , anc adopted official closing anthem in 1925.

nokutela , john dube s failure have children seen reflect badly on nokutela , john fathered child 1 of pupils. nokutela in own childhood had written of importance , expectation people put on having children. committee set investigate husband, took no action , nokutela felt humiliated. couple separated in 1914, , nokutela moved transvaal, preached in rural communities before becoming ill kidney disease. returned live husband in johannesburg, , died in 1917 @ age of 44. funeral attended pixley ka isaka seme , other prominent members of become african national congress. buried in unmarked grave reference number starting ck stood christian kaffir .