Political Active, Lawyer and Journalist

Pixley Seme was born on 1 Oct 1881 in Natal. He was the son of Isaka Seme and his wife, Sarah (nee Mseleku). He obtained his important education at the local similarity school where the American Protestant missionary, Reverend S.

C. Pixley, took an interest in him and arranged for him coalesce go the Mount Hermon Kindergarten in Massachusetts in the Army. He then attended Colombia Academy in New York and gradational with a Bachelor of Music school degree (B.A) in April 1906. At the same time grace won the University's highest magniloquent honour, the George William Phytologist medal.

His topic was “The Regeneration of Africa”. With pecuniary assistance from missionaries, he entered Jesus College, Oxford in England, where he read law girder September 1906. In June 1909 he gained a Bachelor's grade in Civil Law and passed his first bar examinations. Ethics following year he was dubbed to the Bar at honourableness Middle Temple, London.

While score Britain, Seme and Alfred Mangena, met at the South Continent Native Convention that had reaching there to monitor the proceed of the draft South Continent Act through the British legislature in 1909. Seme later conjectural to be a nephew light Umqawe, one of the chief powerful chiefs of Zululand, however a conflicting opinion seemed squeeze suggest that he came shun a humble Tonga family.

Rescue in South Africa in 1910, Seme set up private look for in Johannesburg, later going get on to partnership with Mangena.

On 8 January 1912 Seme, Mangena instruction two other foreign-educated lawyers, Richard Msimang and George Montsio, hailed for a convention of Africans to form the South Somebody Native National Congress (SANNC), which was renamed the African Practice Congress (ANC) in 1923, condensation Bloemfontein. One hundred delegates anxious its inaugural meeting, where Seme was the keynote speaker.

Mock Seme's suggestion the new putting together was patterned after the Combined States Congress. Reverend John Langalibalele Dube was elected as closefitting first president (in absentia), point of view Seme became the Treasurer-General.

Business partner financial assistance from the Prince regent of Swaziland, Seme initiate the SANNC newspapers, Abantu Batho, which was to be publicized for the next 20 geezerhood.

The paper had a nation-wide circulation and was printed sufficient Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho and Sincerely. In 1913 Seme established character South African Native Farmers Wake up, which bought the Daggakraal prosperous Driefontein farms in the Wakkerstroom district in Transvaal. They would have bought more farms however were impeded by the Folk Land Act of 1913 which made it illegal for Africans to buy farms in decency Transvaal.

Seme, like Mangena, esoteric many distinguished Africans among potentate clients, including the royal of Swaziland.

In 1926 sharp-tasting travelled with the Swazi Potentate, Sobhuza II, to England currency appeal a land dispute destroy South Africa where Seme propositional the King before the Outbuilding Council.

In 1928 his status was further enhanced when Colombia University, his alma mater, awarded him an Honorary Doctorate devotee Law (LLD).

In the bracket together 1920s Josiah Gumede, then description ANC President-General, attempted to administer the organisation towards an federation with Communist Party of Continent (today the South African Communistic Party). This alarmed Seme snowball other conservatives in the organization.

Seme was subsequently elected President-General at the 1930 annual ANC congress, ousting Gumede by organized vote of 39 to 14.

Seme's attempts to transform influence ANC into an organization spectacle economic self-help proved fruitless, slightly did his attempt to no difficulty the defunct House of Chiefs in the ANC. Both enemies and supporters accused him of ‘culpable inertia' in 1932 and criticized his autocratic promote cautious leadership style.

Reverend Regard. Mahabane replaced him as President-General in 1937. At about high-mindedness same time his newspaper, Abantu Batho, declined in popularity viewpoint closed down. By 1935 Pixley Seme and other members beat somebody to it the ANC had become enlightened of the need to be responsible for the African opposition to honourableness Hertzog Bills.

Seme joined Don D.D.T. Jabavu in convening integrity first meeting of the Cessation African Convention (AAC) in Metropolis in 1935. He later blue against the AAC, but fetid ties with the ANC, dollop as 'secretary for the chiefs' in A.B. Xuma 's regulate national executive committee during leadership early 1940s. Seme also served as a member of rank African Claims Committee of 1943.

Anton M.

Lembede, the principal president of the Congress Childhood League (CYL), was articled transmit him as a law annalist in 1943, and in 1946 they became partners. Seme was married to Harriet, a chick of King Dinuzulu of Zululand. They had four sons with one daughter. He died rotation Johannesburg in 1951.

Taken from:

Sonderling, N.

E. (1999). Description new dictionary of South Continent biography Volume 2, Vista Asylum, Pretoria, pp.205 – 206.