The Conducive Environment: J.J.R. Jolobe's Innovative Work

Abstract

J.J.R. Jolobe, Imbongi Yomnqamlezo 1 , is one of the pioneering Xhosa writers who also expressed himself through translation (both from English to isiXhosa and vice versa). He proved himself not only to be a distinct man of letters but also as an innovator and pioneering linguist. Steeped in the foreign culture of British imperial mission work, a hand-maiden for both colonialism and apartheid in South Africa, he played many roles. Incrementally so, ranging from the much tribalised positive socio-economic impacts of the 14 th May 1835 'Mfengu' milkwood covenant to the effects of mission education, Jolobe found himself in quite a fertile ground to prosper both spiritually and intellectually. He was not only a beneficiary of colonialism but also a protector of his culture and his people. This paper seeks to look at the flip side of colonialism; that is the positive role it played in developing Xhosa intellectual giants like Jolobe.