Enigmatic Elder Statesman,1950–62

Abstract

Nearing his 57th birthday in early 1950, Alfred Xuma found himself at a crossroads. He had devoted the last nine years of his life to political leadership and now faced the prospect of readjusting to private life in a society dominated by apartheid. But the fallout from his ouster as ANC president kept his name in the headlines. Although seen as too conservative by the newly triumphant Congress Youth League, Xuma still enjoyed the admiration of a good many of his compatriots. ‘Whatever may be said against Dr Xuma’s leadership/ wrote J.H. Maswanganyi in a letter to the Bantu World, ‘the fact is that he has done quite well indeed, perhaps better than any of his predecessors.