The Psychosocial-Historical Turning Points in the Life of Sol Plaatje: Co-founder of the African National Congress

Abstract

The study forms part of an emerging trend in South African academic psychobiography in producing more research on exceptional Black persons. Therefore, this psychobiographical study aimed to identify the significant psychosocial-historical turning points in the life of Sol Plaatje (1876–1932), utilizing the lens of Erik Erikson’s theory of lifespan development. The South African Native National Congress (SANNC), later renamed the African National Congress (ANC), co-founded by Plaatje, was created against the backdrop of massive deprivation of Africans’ right to own land. As an enigmatic multilingual political activist and journalist, Plaatje encountered different cultures and demonstrated resilience under trying conditions. His legacy to South African history is widely recognised. In selecting Plaatje as subject via purposive sampling and by applying Alexander’s psychobiographical indicators of salience and a psychosocial-historical conceptualization, it was possible to identify significant biographical evidence that mainly shaped his development as human rights campaigner and novelist. The findings highlight significant psychosocial-historical events or turning points in the life of Plaatje, including: The influence of his missionary education on his linguistic skills; the lifelong preoccupation with the preservation of the Setswana language; and his devotion to the liberation of African people that generated three of his most well-known books, titled: Native Life in South Africa, The Boer War Diary: an African at Mafeking, and Mhudi. These documents were the first of its kind produced in English by a Black South African. Erikson’s psychosocial theory proved valuable for identifying significant psychosocial-historical turning points in Plaatje’s life.