The Individual, Auto/biography and History in South Africa

In an early study of the political life of John L Dube, Shula Marks used the notion of
‘ambiguity of dependence’ to understand the first generation of Congress leaders. 100 In
posing questions about political lives in relation to the nature of the state, nationalism,
class and consciousness, Marks opened up the associated metaphors of the mask and the
tightrope as a means of understanding the complexities of domination and resistance, as
well as obedience, consent and quiescence. At one level, Marks entered into dispute with
R Hunt Davis about the significance of Booker T Washington in respect of Dube’s
formative influences, arguing instead that these could be found in his early years in the
American Zulu Mission in Natal. 101
At a less conventional level, however, the picture presented by Marks of Dube in
education and religion and especially his political career was one that sought to identify
complexity and contradiction. While Dube had devoted his life to “the unity and
ultimate liberation of black South Africans”, for him these were attainable if Christian
values and a western model of political development were adopted. While Dube had
challenged the myth of inferiority, these were expressed “in the clichés of white
paternalism and missionary propaganda”. 102
For Dube, who spoke to two audiences, “ambiguity was the essence of survival”. While
Dube’s African constituency listened to him call for “political vigilance and guidance”
and “political emancipation and rights”, Americans and white Natalians heard that
Africans could benefit from education and needed to ‘hasten slowly’. According to
Marks, while Dube’s mask may have slipped on occasion, “he learnt early the
constraints of dependency”. In arguing that it was not possible, and indeed unnecessary,
to identify an “authentic voice” in Dube’s life, Marks’ research began suggest a move
100 Shula Marks, ‘The Ambiguities of Dependence: John L Dube of Natal’, Journal of Southern African
Studies, vol 1, no 2, 1975.
101 Shula Marks, ‘The Ambiguities of Dependence’, pp 165‐170. For R Hunt Davis’ research see his
article, ‘John L Dube: A South African Exponent of Booker T Washington’ referred to earlier in this
chapter.
102 Shula Marks, ‘The Ambiguities of Dependence’, p 180.
147