1. Anton Muziwakhe Lembede OLG was a South African activist and founding president of the African National Congress Youth League.
21 Facts About Anton Lembede
1. 2.
Anton Lembede was regarded as the progenitor of the "Programme of Action" that was adopted as a guiding document by the 1949 meeting of the African National Congress.
3.
Anton Muziwakhe Lembede was born on 21 January 1914 on the farm of Frank Fell in Eston near Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
4.
Anton Lembede's father Mbazwana Martin was a farm labourer and his mother was a teacher.
5.
Anton Lembede was home-schooled by his mother, who taught him to read and write until grade four level.
6.
Anton Lembede was given the name "Anton" by a priest at Eston.
7.
In 1933, Anton Lembede enrolled at Adams College, which at the time, was one of the more prestigious "native" schools.
8.
Anton Lembede then enrolled at the University of South Africa for a law degree and completed it in 1942.
9.
Anton Lembede finally registered for a Master of Arts Degree in Philosophy in 1943.
10.
Seme no longer enjoyed the success of his early career and he looked to Anton Lembede to take over his firm when he retired.
11.
Anton Lembede read widely and he would quote fascist leaders until Mda pointed out the racist policies that they espoused.
12.
Anton Lembede was the principal thinker behind launching the African National Congress Youth League.
13.
Anton Lembede spent a lot of his time creating the organisation's Manifesto whilst being elected to be the ANC's secretary in the Transvaal.
14.
Anton Lembede had intestinal problems during the 1940s and he had abdominal surgery in both 1940 and 1941.
15.
Mda took over the presidency on a temporary basis after Anton Lembede died, but he was elected to the position in time.
16.
Anton Lembede's arguments are neither attractive nor persuasive nor original.
17.
Anton Lembede's legacy is probably the "Youth League manifesto" policy document that he, Mda, and Ngubane worked on for the Youth League.
18.
Anton Lembede was inflexible and rejected the idea of welcoming sympathetic white supporters.
19.
Anton Lembede realised that the collaboration and cooperation with the patronising white leaders had only resulted in further discriminatory treatment.
20.
Anton Lembede had realized that history had been distorted by the "white leaders" and that you did not need to be white to lead.
21.
Anton Lembede was regarded as the architect of this important document.