Nokutela Dube: South Africa’s First Female School Founder

Nokutela Dube was a prominent figure in South African history, particularly known for her role as the wife of John Langalibalele Dube, who was a pioneering figure in the struggle for freedom and equality in South Africa. Nokutela was born in Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal) around 1873. She was of Zulu ethnicity and grew up in a time of significant social and political change in South Africa.

Nokutela married John Langalibalele Dube in 1894, and together they played pivotal roles in various movements aimed at improving the lives of black South Africans. John Dube was a founding member of the African National Congress (ANC), the oldest liberation movement in Africa, and he later became its president. Nokutela actively supported her husband’s endeavors and was involved in educational and community development projects.

One of their significant achievements was the establishment of Ohlange Institute in Inanda, Natal, in 1901. It was one of the first educational institutions in South Africa founded by black people for black people. Nokutela was instrumental in the running of the school, which aimed to provide quality education to black students at a time when opportunities for education were limited for non-white South Africans.

Despite her contributions, Nokutela’s life and work have often been overshadowed by her husband’s prominence. However, she played a crucial role in supporting John Dube’s activism and in her own right as an educator and community leader.

Unfortunately, Nokutela’s life was marked by tragedy. She faced personal and financial difficulties, and she struggled with health issues. She passed away in 1917 at the relatively young age of 44. Despite her relatively short life, Nokutela Dube’s legacy continues to inspire generations of South Africans, particularly in the ongoing fight for social justice and equality.

Here’s why we consider her a woman giant;

• In 1894 she married John Dube and together they were what we would call today, “a power couple.” During their time in the United States, they both raised funds and awareness on what they planned to do to push for education in South Africa. When they returned to Inanda, in 1900 they both founded the Ohlange Institute which is still in operation today and the Ilanga Lase Natal newspaper in 1903.

• Nokutela was a multifaceted, multi-talented woman, a pioneering political activist in South Africa, an educationist, seamstress and a musician. At the Ohlange Institute she specialised in teaching what we would call today, Home Economics; cooking, housekeeping, tailoring, she also taught Music. In 1911, she published a Zulu songbook titled Amagama Abantu, known today as a fundamental element in the development of Zulu Choral Music, she also established a prestigious music programme at the institution and composed various songs.
  
• Nokutela and her husband repeatedly returned to the United States over the years to continue to raise funds for their school and promote awareness that Africans too could build something for themselves. Their role in promoting African education was exceptional for the times; it is a cruel thing that Nokutela had been excluded from the praise for almost a century.

• In 1912, her husband became the founding president of the South African Native National Congress known today as the African National Congress. The purpose of the congress was to protest against racial discrimination and fight for equality yet women were not allowed full membership of the organisation and so Nokutela was pushed to the back.

• Nokutela’s story paints an incredible picture of black empowerment but is also yet another pointer to how cruel history is to women and why we need to constantly tell these stories.