Tsala ea Becoana: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox newspaper |
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William Stewart “Bill” Ainslie |
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| name = Tsala ea Becoana |
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| image = File:PT-Tsala ea Becoana-First Issue-1910.jpg |
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| caption = First Issue, 1910 |
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| owner = <!-- or |owners= --> |
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| founder = [[Sol Plaatje]] |
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| editor = |
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| foundation = {{start date|1910}} |
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| political = Neutral |
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| language = [[Tswana language|Tswana]] / [[English language|English]] |
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| ceased publication = 1915 |
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| publishing_city = [[Kimberley, Northern Cape|Kimberley]] |
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| publishing_country = [[South Africa]] |
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'''Tsala ea Batho / Tsala ea Becauna''' (“Friend of the people” or “Friend of the Becuana”) was a Tswana and English language newspaper based in [[Kimberley, Northern Cape|Kimberly]], [[Cape Province]], between 1910 and 1915. It was a politically nonpartisan newspaper, running topical news and opinions that would interest black people in South Africa. |
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William “Bill” Ainslie was a South African artist, teacher and activist, as well as and the founder of several art projects. He was born in Bedford, Eastern Cape on 10 April 1934. |
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== History == |
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Tsala ea Becauna was founded by [[Sol Plaatje]] in 1910 in [[Kimberley, Northern Cape|Kimberly]], [[Northern Cape]]. It was the second Tswana and English language newspaper Sol Plaatje founded and edited. Articles in Sepedi often featured in the publication too. The newspaper was published multilingually as Plaatje was concerned that Setswana could disappear completely due to decreasing use. The first newspaper, Koranta ea Becauna was founded in Mafikeng in 1901, but the newspaper collapsed at the end of May 1909 because of financial difficulties. |
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Bill Ainslie was born in Bedford, Eastern Cape, where his family farmed a parcel of land called Spring Grove”. His family moved to the Karoo when he was a young boy but subsequently left for Johannesburg because of a drought. His father died when he was eight years old. |
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Along with his family, Plaatje left Mafikeng for Kimberly, where the Seleka Barolong of the Tswana Nation funded the establishment of Tsala ea Batho.<ref name="Alternative">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a5ROAAAAIAAJ&q=tsala&pg=PA75 |author=Switzer, L. |title=South Africa's Alternate Press: Voices of Protest and Resistance, 1880-1960 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |year=1997|isbn=9780521553513 }}</ref> The Seleka Barolong were wealthy business people who lived in the [[Wesleyan Methodist Church (Great Britain)|Wesleyan Methodist]] mission community of [[Thaba Nchu]] in the [[Orange Free State (province)|Orange Free State]].<ref name= "Alternative"/> |
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Ainslie had intended to become a priest, until art claimed his imagination when he was a student. He studied at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg from 1952-1955. In 1958, he completed his honours degree in Fine Art. On completion of his studies he taught at Michael house, a school in KwaZulu Natal. He also taught art at Cyrene Mission in Zimbabwe and King Edward VII School in Johannesburg, his alma mater <ref name=“Bill”>[http://saffca.com/dev/artistcv/bill-ainslie/ 2015. Bill Ainslie. SAFFCA. Accessed 26 August 2017]</ref>. |
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The first edition of Tsala ea Becauna was published in June 1910.<ref name="Pariah">{{cite web |url=http://www.thejournalist.org.za/pioneers/sol-t-plaatje |author=Jaffer, Z. and Tshabala, S. |title=Sol Plaatje: Pariah in the Land of His Birth |work=The Journalist |accessdate=23 November 2017}}</ref> It was a four-page weekly aimed at Tswana speakers in the Becuanaland protectorate and other Tswana speakers in South Africa.<ref name= "Alternative"/> The newspaper eventually began to have national reach. |
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In 1960 Bill married Sophia Jansen-Schottell (known as Fieka). He died in a car accident in August 1989 returning from an international workshop at the Cyrene Mission in Zimbabwe |
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== |
== Editorial == |
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In the first year of publication, the newspaper was focussed on the impending union of the colonies and republics — Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal and Orange Free State — together as the Union of South Africa.<ref name= "Alternative"/> Tsala ea Becauna was against the union because it would grant dominion to the white minority over Africans. The union between the British and the Afrikaner excluded Africans from the vote and stripped Africans from their land. Tsala ea Becauna advocated for the [[Bechuanaland Protectorate]] (now the Republic of Botswana), [[Swaziland]] (now Eswatini), and [[Basutoland]] (now the Kingdom of Lesotho) to join South Africa. |
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With Plaatje as the editor, Tsala ea Becuana also reported on the Native Land Act and the paper referred to the act as the “extermination” of black Africans in the country. |
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Ainslie’s paintings transitioned from monumental African figures featuring mothers and children, and farm labourers to abstract expressionism. He was renowned for his use of striking and vibrant colours <ref name= “Fights”>[wiredspace.wits.ac.za/jspui/bitstream/10539/18332/4/MAFA2015%20Insert.pdfPodbrey, J. “Bill Fights to Get Artistic Voices Heard” 1986. Sunday Express. Online. Accessed 28 August.]</ref>. |
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Tsala ea Becauna often published news on strikes and letters from miners among reports of African welfare, industrial colour bars, poor wage earnings and low pensions.<ref name="Resistance">{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bUvA7PHnCrUC&q=tsalade&pg=PA119 |author=Switzer, L. and Adhikari, M. |title=South Africa's Resistance Press: Alternative Voices in the last Generation Under Apartheid |location=Ohio |publisher=Centre for International Studies |year=2000|isbn=9780896802131 }}</ref> The newspaper could not ignore miners and their concerns in Kimberly because of predominance of mine labourers.<ref name="Resistance"/> The newspaper also carried national and international correspondence obtained from other publications and editorials and commentaries on their editorial page. The newspaper reported on matters of interest such as assaults committed by white miners against black labourers. The newspaper enjoyed watchdog status. |
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His painting found connections with American abstract expressionism and as a result, Ainslie tended to teach abstraction. <ref name= “Tribute”>[http://www.afronova.com/exhibitions/tribute-to-bill-ainslie/ 2006. A Celebration of Life: Tribute to Bill Ainslie”. Accessed 27 August 2017.]</ref> |
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His work has been exhibited at the [[Goodman Gallery]], the [[Johannesburg Art Gallery]] and the [[National Gallery of Zimbabwe]]. |
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The newspaper expressed modest views as is exemplified by their opposition to strikes.<ref name="Resistance"/> |
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==Legacy== |
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After [[Sol Plaatje]] became the first General Secretary of the South African Native National Congress (SANNC), later [[African National Congress]], the newspaper was increasingly viewed as an organ of the party by its readers.<ref name="Resistance"/> The newspaper contains records of the early meetings of the African National Congress. |
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Bill Ainslie founded the Johannesburg Art Foundation in 1982. He trained artists such as [[Helen Sibidi]], [[William Kentridge]], [[Dumile Feni]] and [[David Koloane]]. The studio was a non-profit organization began informally, operating from fellow artist Cecily Sash's home before Ainslie eventually, in 1977, bought a house that came to be the Johannesburg Art Foundation. Ainslie’s art foundation maintained a teaching philosophy which opposed any form of discrimination and stressed that art education should be a possibility for everyone <ref name= “Encounters”>[http://hdl.handle.net/10539/18332 Castle, E. 2015. “Encounters with the controversial teaching philosophy of the Johannesburg Art Foundation in the development of South African art during 1982-1992”. Online. Accessed 27 August 2017.]</ref>. |
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The Johannesburg Art Foundation made a significant contribution to South African art and more particularly the progressive development of black South African artists. |
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== Late History == |
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Ainslie helped start FUBA (the Federated Union of Black Artists), FUNDA (which means learn in Xhosa) and the Alexandra Arts Centre. Between 1964 and 1988 he held several exhibitions and received three Art SA Today awards. |
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On August 29, 1999, The Bill Ainslie Gallery was opened at the Johannesburg Art Foundation to coincide with the 10th anniversary of his death. The Foundation closed in 2001 due to a lack of support. <ref name= “Gallery”>[ http://www.artlink.co.za/news_article.htm?contentID=11312. 1999. “The Bill Ainslie Gallery. Press Release. Online. Accessed 27 August 2017.]</ref> |
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''Tsala ea Becauna'' was renamed ''Tsala ea Batho'' (“Friend of the People”) in April 1913.<ref name="Sol">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UotZ6YAyMroC&q=tsala&pg=PA21 |author=Van Wyk, C. |title=Sol Plaatje |location=Johannesburg |publisher=Awareness Publishing |year=2001|isbn=9781919910826 }}</ref> The name change reflected a growing national awareness and a shift from tribe to nation.<ref name="European">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gt07FgJovZEC&q=%22tsala+ea+batho%22&pg=PA196 |author=Gerard, AS. |title=European-Language Writing in Sub-Saharan Africa |location=Budapest |publisher=Akademiai Kaido |year=1986|isbn=9630538334 }}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | |||
{{Reflist}} |
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The publication struggled to stay open despite a circulation reportedly in the thousands and consistent advertising. Another contributing factor was that Plaatje left for Britain in May 1914, on the brink of World War I, as a member of the SANNC deputation protesting the Natives’ Land Act, and Tsala ea Batho came to an end during the prolonged time he was forced to spend overseas. |
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The English-Setswana weekly, Tsala ea Becauna, was one of the organs of black political news and opinion for the turbulent period of its existence. |
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== See also == |
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*[[Xhosa language newspapers]] |
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*[[Tswana language]] |
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{{reflist}} |
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[[Category:Defunct newspapers published in South Africa]] |
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[[Category:Tswana-language mass media|newspapers]] |
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[[Category:Newspapers established in 1910]] |
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[[Category:Publications disestablished in 1915]] |
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Latest revision as of 05:51, 7 December 2024
 First Issue, 1910 | |
| Founder(s) | Sol Plaatje |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1910 |
| Political alignment | Neutral |
| Language | Tswana / English |
| Ceased publication | 1915 |
| City | Kimberley |
| Country | South Africa |
Tsala ea Batho / Tsala ea Becauna (“Friend of the people” or “Friend of the Becuana”) was a Tswana and English language newspaper based in Kimberly, Cape Province, between 1910 and 1915. It was a politically nonpartisan newspaper, running topical news and opinions that would interest black people in South Africa.
History
[edit]Tsala ea Becauna was founded by Sol Plaatje in 1910 in Kimberly, Northern Cape. It was the second Tswana and English language newspaper Sol Plaatje founded and edited. Articles in Sepedi often featured in the publication too. The newspaper was published multilingually as Plaatje was concerned that Setswana could disappear completely due to decreasing use. The first newspaper, Koranta ea Becauna was founded in Mafikeng in 1901, but the newspaper collapsed at the end of May 1909 because of financial difficulties.
Along with his family, Plaatje left Mafikeng for Kimberly, where the Seleka Barolong of the Tswana Nation funded the establishment of Tsala ea Batho.[1] The Seleka Barolong were wealthy business people who lived in the Wesleyan Methodist mission community of Thaba Nchu in the Orange Free State.[1]
The first edition of Tsala ea Becauna was published in June 1910.[2] It was a four-page weekly aimed at Tswana speakers in the Becuanaland protectorate and other Tswana speakers in South Africa.[1] The newspaper eventually began to have national reach.
Editorial
[edit]In the first year of publication, the newspaper was focussed on the impending union of the colonies and republics — Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal and Orange Free State — together as the Union of South Africa.[1] Tsala ea Becauna was against the union because it would grant dominion to the white minority over Africans. The union between the British and the Afrikaner excluded Africans from the vote and stripped Africans from their land. Tsala ea Becauna advocated for the Bechuanaland Protectorate (now the Republic of Botswana), Swaziland (now Eswatini), and Basutoland (now the Kingdom of Lesotho) to join South Africa.
With Plaatje as the editor, Tsala ea Becuana also reported on the Native Land Act and the paper referred to the act as the “extermination” of black Africans in the country.
Tsala ea Becauna often published news on strikes and letters from miners among reports of African welfare, industrial colour bars, poor wage earnings and low pensions.[3] The newspaper could not ignore miners and their concerns in Kimberly because of predominance of mine labourers.[3] The newspaper also carried national and international correspondence obtained from other publications and editorials and commentaries on their editorial page. The newspaper reported on matters of interest such as assaults committed by white miners against black labourers. The newspaper enjoyed watchdog status.
The newspaper expressed modest views as is exemplified by their opposition to strikes.[3]
After Sol Plaatje became the first General Secretary of the South African Native National Congress (SANNC), later African National Congress, the newspaper was increasingly viewed as an organ of the party by its readers.[3] The newspaper contains records of the early meetings of the African National Congress.
Late History
[edit]Tsala ea Becauna was renamed Tsala ea Batho (“Friend of the People”) in April 1913.[4] The name change reflected a growing national awareness and a shift from tribe to nation.[5]
The publication struggled to stay open despite a circulation reportedly in the thousands and consistent advertising. Another contributing factor was that Plaatje left for Britain in May 1914, on the brink of World War I, as a member of the SANNC deputation protesting the Natives’ Land Act, and Tsala ea Batho came to an end during the prolonged time he was forced to spend overseas.
The English-Setswana weekly, Tsala ea Becauna, was one of the organs of black political news and opinion for the turbulent period of its existence.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Switzer, L. (1997). South Africa's Alternate Press: Voices of Protest and Resistance, 1880-1960. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521553513.
- ^ Jaffer, Z. and Tshabala, S. "Sol Plaatje: Pariah in the Land of His Birth". The Journalist. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d Switzer, L. and Adhikari, M. (2000). South Africa's Resistance Press: Alternative Voices in the last Generation Under Apartheid. Ohio: Centre for International Studies. ISBN 9780896802131.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Van Wyk, C. (2001). Sol Plaatje. Johannesburg: Awareness Publishing. ISBN 9781919910826.
- ^ Gerard, AS. (1986). European-Language Writing in Sub-Saharan Africa. Budapest: Akademiai Kaido. ISBN 9630538334.