S. E. K. Mqhayi

Samuel Edward Krune Mqhayi was born on December 1, 1875, in Gqumahashe, near Alice. Educated at Lovedale Institution, he became a master teacher, lexicographer, and praise poet (imbongi).

Mqhayi transformed Xhosa literature with his 1914 landmark novel Ityala lamawele ('The Lawsuit of the Twins'), which demonstrated the sophistication and equity of traditional Xhosa jurisprudence. In 1927, he added seven poignant stanzas to Enoch Sontonga's hymn Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, converting it into the supreme anthem of Black African liberation. When the Prince of Wales visited in 1925, Mqhayi performed a legendary praise poem that subtly satirized British imperial greed while asserting African dignity.