A work of impassioned political propaganda, exposing the plight of black South Africans under the whites-only government'

This diary offers a view of the siege of Mafeking, one of the most famous sieges of the South African War. The author, Sol Plaatje, was one of the founders of the African National Congress in 1912. Additional material from oral and archival research has also been incorporated into this edition. South Africa: David Philip/New Africa Books

Solomon Plaatje (1876-1932) wrote Native Life in South Africa, Before and Since the European War and the Boer Rebellion in order to protest against the Natives' Land Act of 1913, which forbid natives to buy or rent land. Even with the persuasive arguments put forth in this book his appeals did not succeed: The Act went on to become one of the first steps toward the system of Apartheid. Even though Plaatje did not succeed his work helped to unite blacks in South Africa and eventually they were able to over turn the Land Act of 1913.