Hudson William Edison Ntsanwisi (11 July 1920 - 23 March 1993) was the first Chief Minister of Gazankulu, a former

bantustan A Bantustan (also known as Bantu homeland, black homeland, black state or simply homeland; ) was a territory that the National Party administration of South Africa set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now N ...

apartheid-era South Africa Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

Biography

Ntsanwisi was the first of three children born to William and Evelyn Ntsanwisi on 11 July 1920 at

Shiluvane Shiluvana is a settlement in Mopani District Municipality in the Limpopo province of South Africa. It is situated from Tzaneen town. It is the birthplace of Hudson William Edison Ntsanwisi Hudson William Edison Ntsanwisi (11 July 1920 - 23 ...

Swiss Mission Station, 10 km south of

Tzaneen Tzaneen () is a large tropical garden town situated in the Mopani District Municipality of the Limpopo province in South Africa. It is situated in a high rainfall fertile region with tropical and subtropical agriculture taking place in a region. ...

Transvaal Province The Province of the Transvaal ( af, Provinsie van Transvaal), commonly referred to as the Transvaal (; ), was a province of South Africa from 1910 until 1994, when a new constitution subdivided it following the end of apartheid. The name "Trans ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. Hudson Ntsanwisi had a meritorious school career. He attended the Shiluvane Primary School where he passed the Higher Primary Standard VI Examination in 1935, being placed first in the

, he taught at Emmarentia Geldenhuys High School in Warmbaths, now known as Bela-Bela and then enrolled at the University of Fort Hare to finish his final year doing a BA degree. He later enrolled at the

University of South Africa The University of South Africa (UNISA), known colloquially as Unisa, is the largest university system in South Africa by enrollment. It attracts a third of all higher education students in South Africa. Through various colleges and affiliates, U ...

, where he obtained a Master's degree in African studies in 1965. He then went on to attend

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, where he studied linguistics. After graduating from the University of Fort Hare, he founded

Secondary School in 1949. In 1960 he was seconded to the University of the North, where he was attached to the Department of African Languages. He later served as Dean of Students. He was the first African layman to hold the position of Moderator of the Tsonga Presbyterian Church, now known as the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in South Africa -an office he held for a period of 12 years. During this period he attended international church conferences in Africa and overseas as a delegate of the church. Professor Ntsanwisi was also a prolific writer in his subject. He published a novel "Masungi" in Xitsonga, and a series of Tsonga Readers for Primary Schools, Makomba Ndlela. He was the first African author to write such a series. He also published one scientific work in Linguistics entitled "A Descriptive Study of the Idiom in Tsonga". After returning to South Africa, he worked as a teacher, and later as a school inspector in 1956 in the northern Transvaal Province. He became the first Chief Minister of Vatsonga-Machangana Territorial Authority (which was later renamed

Gazankulu Gazankulu was a bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government to be a semi-independent homeland for the Tsonga people. It was located in both the Northern Transvaal, now Limpopo province and Eastern Transvaal, now Mpumalanga ...

) in 1969. He served as Chief Minister until his death in 1993. In 1979, the Legislative Assembly in recognition of his dedicated, distinguished and devoted service, conferred on him the Chieftainship of Majeje which he finally accepted in 1985. In 1980, the degree of Doctor of Administration(Honoris Causa) was conferred on him by the University of the North in recognition of his contribution to education and nation building. Professor Ntsanwisi was an offspring of the Maluleke Royal House. He was a great grandson of Majeje, the son of the great Chieftain Maxakadzi of the Maluleke clan. In his own words he said “ mitasala mifumiwa hiva nwaku, vata mitekela na leswi swinga swa nwina”. Ntsanwisi was a supporter of South African President

F.W. de Klerk Frederik Willem de Klerk (, , 18 March 1936 – 11 November 2021) was a South African politician who served as state president of South Africa from 1989 to 1994 and as deputy president from 1994 to 1996 in the democratic government. As South A ...

and

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

, and their reforms which ultimately led to the end of

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

in 1994.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ntsanwisi, Hudson William Edison 1920 births 1993 deaths People from Tzaneen Tsonga people Gazankulu Gazankulu, Chief Ministers University of South Africa alumni Georgetown University alumni South African expatriates in the United States