Johannes Nkosi and the Communist Party of South Africa: Images of 'Blood River' and King Dingane in the late 1920s-1930

In divided societies like South Africa, history, among other things, serves ideological purposes. The colonial encounter between King Dingane, the sec ond Zulu king, who ruled from 1828 to 1840, and white settlers highlights t his fact. The core of Afrikaner Nationalist historiography regarded the kin g as a treacherous, uncivilized barbarian. He was perceived to be an anti-w hite demagogue who was beyond redemption. But elsewhere, African nationalis ts and workers viewed the king as one of the original freedom fighters who resisted the tyranny of the land-grabbing white settlers and voortrekkers o f the nineteenth century. Their interpretations of King Dingane's relations hip with white settlers depict the latter as disrespectful imperialists and unscrupulous men, attempting to enrich themselves at the expense of the in digenous population. Accordingly, their interpretation of this encounter re volves around the land question in South Africa. This article discusses a case study regarding these issues. It is about the challenge mounted by African workers in the late 1920s and 1930 against th e official celebration of December 16. This celebration honored the victory of the voortrekkers at the so-called battle of "Blood River" on December 1 6, 1838-hence the public holiday was once referred to as "Dingaan's Day." A s a counter-commemoration of this day, African workers regarded the officia l celebrations as symbolizing the loss of their land and the passing of the ir freedom. As a result African workers aligned with the Communist Party of South Africa, and through the leadership skills of Johannes Nkosi, mounted vigorous protests and challenges against these celebrations by white South Africans. They staged protest marches and defiant anti-pass campaigns that emphasized the centrality of the land question in South Africa. They also paid tribute to their past, include King Dingane. Through their actions the y imbued conscience in African workers throughout the country, hence the re sponse of the state was brutal and culminated with the death of Johannes Nk osi in 1930.