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The African Drum.’ – extract from ‘South African Drumbeats’, TIME Magazine, 1952.
Drum magazine was established in March 1951 in Cape Town, and launched by journalist and broadcaster Bob Crisp. It was initially known as “African Drum”, with its aim being one intended to depict Black South Africans as ‘noble savages’, and this under the editorship of Bob Crisp. Copies were said to have been sent by the South African government abroad, this serving as evidence over their success in managing the ‘Bantu’. The content of the magazine comprised of mainly folk tales and tribal preaching, this also seeing it become unsuccessful financially despite its readership of about 20 000. This all changed when Crisp was replaced and the publication grew when former pilot and son of mining baron Jim Bailey took over the magazine in 1951. The magazine set its headquarters in Johannesburg (the hub and chief magnet with its mines, shebeens, dancehalls and snappy dressers) and was renamed Drum. Drum was given a total transformation, with its content now reflecting vibrant urban black culture. African nationalist movements used the magazine now as a platform, and it continued to grow and influence the emergent urban black culture. An editorial board that consisted of some of the leading political and cultural figures of the time was selected, and this done to ensure that the magazine reflected Black life. This board included such notables as: Henry (Mr Drum) Nxumalo, Can Themba,
Todd Matshikiza, Nat Nakasa, Lewis Nkosi and others such as William Bloke Modisane, Arthur Maimane, and Casey Motsisi.
It wasn’t only the writers – the pictures were also important. The main photographer and artistic director was Jürgen Schadeberg who arrived in South Africa in 1950 after leaving a war ravaged Berlin. He became one of the rare European photographers to photograph the daily lives of Black people. He trained a generation of rising black photographers, including Ernest Cole, Bob Gosani and later Peter Magubane. Magubane joined Drum because “they were dealing with social issues that affected black people in South Africa.
Drum published its first major story in March 1952, entitled ‘Bethal Today’. It was an eight page, investigative article on a farm in Bethal were labourers encountered gross abuse. One of the Drum journalists Henry Nxumalo “Mr Drum” went undercover, posing as one of the labourers on the farm, this done to uncover needed information and material for the story. His story, which uncovered the harsh and abusive conditions at the farm was accompanied by undeniable proof from pictures taken by his fellow work mate Schandeburg. This exposure, from the story and the pictures worked as a force to get the government to enforce change in the way farms were managed in Bethal.
Initially Drum was not intended to deal with political issues but the editorial board saw it meaningless to publish the magazine without any political reference and thus render the publication incomplete.
Apartheid and political issues continued to be covered in Drum, and these included amongst others the Sophiatown forced evictions, the Defiance Campaign which was launched by the ANC, Sharpeville massacre, and many other stories of atrocities. It proved to be an essential vehicle in voicing resistance in the 1950s and also drive towards an equal society. Resistance was united and mobilized through or by it, and a good example being of pictures that accompanied Nelson Mandela’s statement ‘We Defy’, found in the August 1952 issue. The Nationalist responded with apartheid crackdowns and treason trials.
Drum described the world of the urban Black; the culture, the colour, dreams, ambitions, hopes and struggles. Lewis Nkosi described Drum’s young writers as the new African cut adrift from the tribal reserve – urbanized, eager, fast-talking and brash.
Also documented by Drum was, multiracial affairs and integrated communities which were never shown in other publications. An example of such a scenario is that captured by Ranjith Kally in 1957, of images of White people in shebeens.
By May 1965 Drum had lost its zest and simply became a fortnightly supplement magazine. 1968 saw its revival. 1984 saw the acquisition of Drum by Naspers, who are the published of City Press and True Love.
source: https://historydesignlove.wordpress.com/
Drum magazine was established in March 1951 in Cape Town, and launched by journalist and broadcaster Bob Crisp. It was initially known as “African Drum”, with its aim being one intended to depict Black South Africans as ‘noble savages’, and this under the editorship of Bob Crisp. Copies were said to have been sent by the South African government abroad, this serving as evidence over their success in managing the ‘Bantu’. The content of the magazine comprised of mainly folk tales and tribal preaching, this also seeing it become unsuccessful financially despite its readership of about 20 000. This all changed when Crisp was replaced and the publication grew when former pilot and son of mining baron Jim Bailey took over the magazine in 1951. The magazine set its headquarters in Johannesburg (the hub and chief magnet with its mines, shebeens, dancehalls and snappy dressers) and was renamed Drum. Drum was given a total transformation, with its content now reflecting vibrant urban black culture. African nationalist movements used the magazine now as a platform, and it continued to grow and influence the emergent urban black culture. An editorial board that consisted of some of the leading political and cultural figures of the time was selected, and this done to ensure that the magazine reflected Black life. This board included such notables as: Henry (Mr Drum) Nxumalo, Can Themba,
Todd Matshikiza, Nat Nakasa, Lewis Nkosi and others such as William Bloke Modisane, Arthur Maimane, and Casey Motsisi.
It wasn’t only the writers – the pictures were also important. The main photographer and artistic director was Jürgen Schadeberg who arrived in South Africa in 1950 after leaving a war ravaged Berlin. He became one of the rare European photographers to photograph the daily lives of Black people. He trained a generation of rising black photographers, including Ernest Cole, Bob Gosani and later Peter Magubane. Magubane joined Drum because “they were dealing with social issues that affected black people in South Africa.
Drum published its first major story in March 1952, entitled ‘Bethal Today’. It was an eight page, investigative article on a farm in Bethal were labourers encountered gross abuse. One of the Drum journalists Henry Nxumalo “Mr Drum” went undercover, posing as one of the labourers on the farm, this done to uncover needed information and material for the story. His story, which uncovered the harsh and abusive conditions at the farm was accompanied by undeniable proof from pictures taken by his fellow work mate Schandeburg. This exposure, from the story and the pictures worked as a force to get the government to enforce change in the way farms were managed in Bethal.
Initially Drum was not intended to deal with political issues but the editorial board saw it meaningless to publish the magazine without any political reference and thus render the publication incomplete.
Apartheid and political issues continued to be covered in Drum, and these included amongst others the Sophiatown forced evictions, the Defiance Campaign which was launched by the ANC, Sharpeville massacre, and many other stories of atrocities. It proved to be an essential vehicle in voicing resistance in the 1950s and also drive towards an equal society. Resistance was united and mobilized through or by it, and a good example being of pictures that accompanied Nelson Mandela’s statement ‘We Defy’, found in the August 1952 issue. The Nationalist responded with apartheid crackdowns and treason trials.
Drum described the world of the urban Black; the culture, the colour, dreams, ambitions, hopes and struggles. Lewis Nkosi described Drum’s young writers as the new African
Also documented by Drum was, multiracial affairs and integrated communities which were never shown in other publications. An example of such a scenario is that captured by Ranjith Kally in 1957, of images of White people in shebeens.
By May 1965 Drum had lost its zest and simply became a fortnightly supplement magazine. 1968 saw its revival. 1984 saw the acquisition of Drum by Naspers, who are the published of City Press and True Love.
source: https://historydesignlove.wordpress.com/
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Gitu wa-Kahengeri, spokesman for the Mau Mau War Veterans Association on October 5, 2012 flanked by Mau-Mau veterans in Nairobi following the announcement from the British High Court that a petition by three ex-rebels against the British government for torture and inhumane acts carried out in the East African country's pre-independence era had succeeded.
in 1974 the Kenyatta family decided to front the late Peter Muigai Kenyatta against Kahengeri. Muigai was Kenyatta's first and only son with his first wife Grace Wahu.
Gitu says he found himself alone in the ring with a member of the First Family as he sought to defend his seat.
"The rest had developed cold feet, hence my brave campaign slogan, ‘Msiogope (do not fear)’. As expected, Muigai was declared the winner in unclear circumstances that saw him beat me narrowly,"
He, however, did not lose hope as in 1979 he again ran alone against Muigai to reclaim his seat.
"They had all chickened out, just as had happened in 1974. But I faced him armed with my now famous 'Msiogope' slogan. And as fate would have it, Muigai died suddenly a few days to the 1979 General Election, prompting the Electoral Commission to declare me elected unopposed," he says.
Unfortunately, Kahengeri and other MPs had their term cut short by the msaliti (traitor) campaign against Charles Njonjo, then Minister for Constitutional and Home affairs in 1983, sparking snap elections.
The Kenyatta family was at it again and this time round fronted George Muhoho, a brother of Mama Ngina, to take on Kahengeri. He says Muhoho 'predictably triumphed'.
"I tried again in 1988 and Muhoho was declared the winner in the infamous mlolongo elections system that was notorious for short queues beating long ones. I called it quits with politics to concentrate on farming and business," adds Kahengeri.
Gitu says he only returned to the public limelight in 2003, when they formed the Mau War Veterans Association in the wake of Mau Mau’s unbanning where he was elected Secretary General and spokesman.
PHOTO credit: Tony KARUMBA
article credit: Ndung'u Wa Gathua for https://hivisasa.com/
Kenyan Mau Mau veteran Ndenge Kadiaka poses for a photograph on the side of a press conference by the British High Commission, the law firm Leigh Day, and the Mau Mau War Veterens' Association, at the Hilton Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 6, 2013.
The British government had announced an out-of-court settlement with Kenyan Mau Mau veterans. Britain agreed to compensate Kenyans tortured during the Mau Mau uprising against colonial rule in the 1950s, Foreign Secretary William Hague said.
In October 2002, UK-based law firm Leigh Day’s senior partner, Martyn Day, was approached in Nairobi by Mr John Nottingham, a former district officer during the emergency, together with some former Mau Mau fighters.
The publication in 2005 of two ground-breaking studies on the emergency period by two historians, Imperial Reckoning: the Untold Story of Britain’s Gulag in Kenya by Professor Elkins and Histories of the Hanged: Britain’s Dirty War in Kenya and the End of Empire by Professor Anderson, shone a spotlight on the use of torture by the British in Kenya during the colonial rule.
In the same year, Leigh Day started to work closely with the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC).
The KHRC had been working with the victims of colonial era torture since 2003.
Working with the Mau Mau War Veterans Association (MMWVA), the KHRC began contacting and interviewing victims, and in July 2006 the commission interviewed a number of victims who were willing to proceed with their claims against the UK government.
On October 11, 2006 a letter of claim was served on the British government by Leigh Day. Britain responded on April 2, 2007, denying liability and refusing requests to provide claimants with any evidence it held.
In May 2009 Leigh Day’s partner Daniel Leader travelled to Nairobi to interview the potential claimants identified by the KHRC. The five lead claimants flew to London to issue their claims in person at the Royal Courts of Justice in June 2009.
In response, the British government did not deny claims that the veterans had been tortured, but instead relied on legal technicalities to avoid liability and made an application to the Court to have the case struck out and dismissed on grounds that Britain could not be liable in principle for colonial era atrocities and if anyone was liable it was the Kenyan government.
In March 2010 a letter protesting at Britain’s stance was sent to the UK government.
In January 2011, the FCO discovered thousands of secret Kenyan colonial era files held at Hanslope Park archives.
The three remaining claimants returned to the UK, in April 2011, to attend the first hearing at the High Court.
During the two-week hearing the British government argued that the claimants had claim against it and that any liabilities that had arisen had been transferred to the Kenyan republic upon independence.
In a judgment, handed down in July 2011, the High Court held that there was clearly an arguable case against the British government and that the claims were fit for trial.
Despite the claimants’ victory the British Government continued to resist their claims for redress.
The Court on October 5, 2012, ruled in favour of the claimants.
photo credit: PHIL MOORE
article credit: https://www.nation.co.ke/
The pen models included Youth, Ta Tung, and for the exceedingly wealthy, Parker. The image below illustrates the spirit of... "Sharing is Caring.." where on running out of Quink(that wasn't ink, surely, the way it sarcastically leaked to stain your shirt or blouse pocket permanently), you just needed turn to your Deskie..."Nikopeshe dot moja"...
