Doctor John Langalibalele Dube, also known as Mafukuzela, because of his relentless hard work to build the school, was the son of Mr Kakonina James Dube. Kakonina’s mother was Mayembe, who was the wife of Chief Dube.
After the death of Chief Dube, Mayembe (Dr JL Dube’s grandmother) was widowed, and moved to Umzinyathi Valley and was accepted by Daniel and Lucy Lindley in the mission of Inanda Valley. Daniel and Lucy had come to start a Christian Mission at Inanda Valley from overseas.
After converting to Christianity, Kakonina used the name James, which was the Christian name. He had a son John Langalibalele, who ended up being a politician, educationist, farmer, hunter, priest, businessman, and philanthropist. Our focus here will be on him as an educationist.
John Langalibalele Dube went on to study at Adams College after which he went abroad to Oberlin University, where he was inspired by Booker Taliafero Washington of Tuskegee Institute, Alabama, to come back to South Africa, and build an Industrial School. Booker T Washington, used his own life story as the template for his philosophy, which he described as “Education of mind, skill of hand, Christian character, ideas of thrift, economy and push a spirit of independence.”
When John Langalibalele had acquired his Doctorate in Philosophy, he started a campaign to raise funds to build an Industrial School with his wife Nokutela nee’Mdima. They did this until their dream was realised, with Ohlange Institute being born in 1900. They didn’t stop there, they continued to raise funds to keep the school running.
Dr JL Dube became the principal of the school, while he continued with a lot of other pressing tasks that needed him in the society. Dr JL Dube eventually got divorced to Nokutela and he remarried Angeline nee’ Khumalo. Angeline Dube continued to work side by side with Dr JL Dube, and she gave birth to two sons and two daughters.
11 February 1946, Dr JL Dube passed on at his home in Inanda, not far from the school that he had built. In 1948, when the Nationalist government took over the running of the country, with the school being taken under the arm of the state. In 1960, Mr SD Ngcobo took over the running of the school, assisted by Rev BK Dludla.
Mid 1930s John and his second wife Angelina Dube with (l. to r.) Nomagugu, Joan Lulu, James Sipho and Douglas Sobanto.
The South African Native National Congress delegation to England, June 1914. Left to right: Thomas Mapike, Rev Walter Rubusana, Rev John Dube, Saul Msane, Sol Plaatje
John Langalibalele Dube
