Dr Silas Modiri Molema (c. 1891 – 13 August 1965) was a South African doctor, politician, activist, and historian.

Life

Silas Modiri Molema was born around 1891 in Mafeking, South Africa. His father was an important

Barolong Barolong is a tribe of Tswana people from Botswana and South Africa. Their King, Tau was the descendant of King Morolong who is the founder of Barolong tribe. He reigned around 1240 and adopted ''Tholo'' (the Kudu) as the Barolong totem. King Ta ...

tribal chief, Silas Thelensho Molema. Molema began his education in South Africa, before moving to Europe in 1914. He graduated with a degree in medicine from the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

in 1919, going on to practice medicine at the Hume Street Hospital in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

, Ireland. While in Glasgow, he published his most important work dedicated to the origin and history of the

Bantu Bantu may refer to: *Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages *Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language *Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle *Black Association for Nationali ...

. Molema returned to South Africa in 1921 he worked as a doctor in his home town of Mafikeng. In the 1940s he joined the

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...

, and in December 1949 he was elected national secretary of the party. He later served as treasurer. In 1952, during the preparations for the festival celebrating the tricentenary of the landing of

Jan van Riebeeck Johan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck (21 April 1619 – 18 January 1677) was a Dutch navigator and colonial administrator of the Dutch East India Company. Life Early life Jan van Riebeeck was born in Culemborg, as the son of a surgeon. H ...

, he delivered a famous speech in front of the audience of the

South African Indian Council The South African Indian Council was a body created by the apartheid-era South African government in 1968 to make recommendations to the government about matters affecting Indians. It was the first time that Indians were granted any sort of re ...

inviting those present to oppose the celebration by the white minority of the colonial past. He was part of the Legislative Council, the transitional political body established by the British colonial authority during the process that led to the independence of South Africa. He had a prominent role in the administrative bodies of the Protectorate of Bechuanaland, taking part in the independence process resulting in the foundation of the

Republic of Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

. Molema married Anna Moshoela around 1927. He later re-married, to Lucretia. He died on 13 August 1965.

Publications

*''The Bantu Past and Present: An Ethnographical and Historical Study of the Native Races of South Africa'', Green, Edinburgh 1920 ( ISBN 9789353860929 - reprint 2019) *''Chief Moroka: His Life, His Country and His People'', Methodist Publishing House, Cape Town, 1951 *''Montshiwa 1815-1896: BaRolong Chief and Patriot'', Struik, Cape Town, 1966

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Molema, Silas 1890s births 1965 deaths Year of birth uncertain 20th-century South African physicians South African politicians 20th-century South African historians South African activists Alumni of the University of Glasgow Members of the African National Congress