Sol Plaatje: A life of Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje

Today Sol Plaatje is celebrated as one of South Africa's most accomplished political and literary figures. A pioneer in the history of the black press, he was one of the founders of the African National Congress in 1912, led its campaign against the notorious Native Land Act of 1913, and twice travelled overseas to represent his people. He wrote a number of books including Native Life in South Africa (1916), a powerful denunciation of the Land Act and the policies that led to it, and pioneering novel, Mhudi (1930). Years after his death his diary of the siege of Mafeking (1899-900) was retrieved and published, providing a unique view of one of the best know episodes of the South African War.