LOST VOICES: ISAAC
WILLIAMS WAUCHOPE
Abner Nyamende
1. The aim of this lecture is to make the voice
of Isaac Wauchope be heard again
2. Isaac Williams Wauchope
was a minister of the Congregational Church, stationed in
Educated in Lovedale
where he started in 1874
1876 – mission work in
1877 – teacher in Uitenhage
1882 – Court Interpreter in
1892-1916 – minister in
1882 – South African Aborigines Association – Imbumba
first black political organization in response to
the Afrikaner Bond
3. The title for these lectures is: ‘Lost
Voices’:
4. It is interesting that we should call these
lectures ‘Lost Voices” – Isaac Williams Wauchope’s
legendary address on board a sinking ship, the Mendi
at dawn on 21 February 1917 on the English Channel, had something prophetic to
say about lost voices:
“Be quiet and calm, my countrymen,
for what is taking place is exactly what you came to do. You are going to die …
but that is what you came here to do. Brothers, we are drilling the
death-drill. I, a Xhosa, say you are all my brothers. Swazis,
Pondos, Basutos … we die
like brothers. We are the sons of
They were not given any arms for
fighting. Thus when death struck they used their voices and sang.
5. In Wauchope’s time
the newspapers represented the channel through which voices of the common folk
could be heard. Wauchope was a prolific writer, and
his main aim was to educate his community.
6. His articles mainly came out in Isigidimi/Christian Express
and in J.T.Jabavu’s Imvo zaba Ntsundu/Native Opinion
7. History of the missionaries was one of the
subjects that were closest to his heart. He wrote two articles about Joseph
Williams, the first missionary to live with his family among the Xhosa people
and the first missionary to die and be buried on the land of the Xhosa people.
One article was written in 1892 and the second one was written in 1916.
8. In 1892 he wrote about Williams and said: “Nge Cawa (22 November, 1891), xa bendisihla ne
Ngcwenxa ndivela e Gqugesi ndicele u Mr. Bobi Tshona ukuba
ake andise engcwabeni lika VELEDYAMA (Rev.
Joseph Williams), umfundisi wakwa
Ngqika owafela emsebenzini wake wangcwatywa kwa Sihota apo
nyakana nga Malinde (1818). Imbali yake emfutshane ndifuna ukuyandulela ngamazwi abhalwe pezu kwencwaba lake.” (On Sunday (22 November 1891), as I was coming down
the
9. Wauchope writes a
poem about a tortoise which to him seems to guard Joseph Williams’ grave. p.355-6
10. On 1 May 1885 Wauchope’s
article titled “The Christianization of the natives” appeared in The Christian Express. In this article Wauchope makes a distinction between Amaqaba and Amagqobhoka. He says:
“The Amakolwa or Amagqoboka, form one class, which
is called Christian. The other class from their attachment to the Imbola (red-clay)
is called Amaqaba
from Ukuqaba
to paint. They are better known as School-Kaffirs and Red Kaffirs. We shall
leave the Reds and say something
about the School-Kaffirs as being the result of missionary operations. It must
be pointed out that School-Kaffirs are not all Christian Kaffirs. There are
good Christians and sham Christians or meree
church-goers. The latter resemble the former so much in outward appearance that
mistaken ideas have been formed with regard to Native Christians by those who
view them from a distance. Any Kaffir that wears a black cloth coat, shining
boots, a collar and a puggaree, is taken to be a Chritian Kaffir, and when such a swell is captured in the
act of theft or in ushering a forged cheque, people are wont to point the
finger of scorn at the missionary and say ‘Look at the article the missionary
has produced! What is the use of trying to Christianize these people?’ I need
not waste words in trying to prove the fallacy of this argument, because even
if a real Christian did a wicked thing, it would still be illogical to say that
because one Christian Kaffir stole or forged, therefore all Christian Kaffirs
were thieves and forgers. I am not going to spend time in trying to defend this
class of Natives. They are a difficlt lot to deal
with indeed. I speak from experience. A Kaffir with a little knowledge of
Christianity, but who does not make the bible his moral standard; with a little
knowledge of English, or even with a fair education, but with no knowledge of
Christ, or his duty towards God and man, or towards his superiors – such a
Kaffir is not the man we mean to be, nor what the missionaries would have us to
be.” (p.19)
11. Wauchope’s voice
was always a voice of reason. He argued strongly against irrational behaviour
and used the newspaper to address individuals directly and to engage them in a
debate. As a result he was always involved in numerous debates with others in
the newspapers. Attacking the split in the church at Marhela
into four denominations, he addresses those involved in the split thus: p.32.
12. Wauchope
represents the pre-apartheid black elite. They wrote fearlessly and were on
equal levels with the whites of that time. His popular poem was quoted by many
activists during apartheid: foretold the replacement of traditional leaders by
the school elite in plitics. Around 1875-1882 African
chiefs were arrested for “organizing revolt against
the Government” and many of them were imprisoned on
1882: Blue Book on Native Affairs for 1878
“It should be made known to all,
that persons living within the Colony who join in armed resistance to the
Police or Soldiers of Government, cannot be treated as warriors of a hostile
nation, who lawfully fight against the soldiers of another Nation by order of
their own Sovereign, but must be treated as rebels or criminals, and will be
punished as such for any violence they commit.” (p.165)
Zimkile! Mfo wohlanga, Your
cattle are gone, compatriot!
Putuma, putuma; After them! After them!
Yishiy’ imfakadolo, Lay
down the musket,
Putuma ngosiba; take
up the pen.
Tabat’ ipepa ne inki, Seize paper and
ink:
Lik’aka lako elo. that’s your shield.
Ayemk’ amalungelo, Your rights are plundered!
Qubula usiba; Grab
a pen,
Nx’asha, nx’asha nge inki, load, load with ink;
Hlala esitulweni, sit
in your chair,
Ungangeni
kwa Hoho don’t head for Hoho:
Dubula ngo siba. fire with your pen.
Tambeka umhlati ke, Press on the page,
Bambelel’
ebunzi; engage
your mind;
Zigqale inyaniso, focus
on facts,
Umise ngo mx’olo; and speak loud
and clear;
Bek’ izito ungawi, don’t rush into
battle:
Umsindo liyilo. anger talks with a stutter.
(p.165-6; 168-9)
13. Objecting
to the treatment of blacks and fighting for equal rights in 1912, Wauchope (at age 60 and returning from prison) wrote a
letter to the Editor of Imvo
and added:
“Not only has the number of Natives
in government employ been reduced, but the few who remain are singled out for
special ill-treatment, simply because they possess a black skin. Sich a policy must be degrading as well to its authors as
to its objects, and must ultimately result in the utter demoralization of all
concerned. The growing tendency to deny the Native his legitimate share of
enjoying the privileges which all expect to reap under
14. In 1885
on an editorial note titled “Simple justice” the Editor of Imvo wrote as follows:
“On Thursday, the 2nd
April, PETER WAUCHOPE (a Native lad) left
Letter from Inspector J.Brown
SIR, - I have the honour to inform
you that I have taken up the matter in re your complaint. I exceedingly regret
the occurrence which gave cause to it, at the same time I m obliged by your
bringing it to my notice. To show that the department will protect the travelling
public, I may inform you that the employee complained of has been dismissed
from the service, for his rude behaviour on this occasion.
I am &c.,
Your obedient servant
(signed) J.BROWN, Inspector.
(p.181)
Wauchope’s writings about Xhosa proverbs are
highly philosophical
He went to jail from 1910 to January 1912: this
is where he wrote the first prison poetry in Xhosa. (p.357-70)