Michael Kitso Dingake (11 February 1928 – 7 April 2024) was a Botswana political activist, writer and founding president of the Botswana Congress Party.

Biography

Education

Dingake commenced his educational journey at Bobonong Primary School, where he pursued his studies from 1936 to 1941. He studied at South Africa for his secondary education, enrolling at St Ansgars Institution, Roodepoort, from 1942 to 1943, and later at Pax College in Polokwane in 1946. He obtained his senior certificate through private studies at Damelin College in Johannesburg. During his time of adversity, while incarcerated on

Robben Island Robben Island () is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town, South Africa. It takes its name from the Dutch language, Dutch word for seals (''robben''), hence the Dutch/Afrika ...

, he furthered his education, earning three degrees: a BA in

Political Science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

and Economics, a BA in Public Administration and Local Government Accounting, and a B.Com in Business Economics and Accounting.

Career and Activism

Dingake's journey in activism commenced in 1952 when he joined the

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a political party in South Africa. It originated as a liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid and has governed the country since 1994, when the 1994 South African general election, fir ...

(ANC) during the

Defiance Campaign The Defiance Campaign against Unjust Laws was presented by the African National Congress (ANC) at a conference held in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in December 1951 in South Africa, 1951. The Campaign had roots in events leading up the conferenc ...

. Over the years, he assumed various roles within the movement, from serving as the secretary of the Alexandra Branch in 1957 to being appointed to the ANC National Secretariat. In addition to his involvement with the ANC, Dingake also became a member of the

South African Communist Party The South African Communist Party (SACP) is a communist party in South Africa. It was founded on 12 February 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), and tactically dissolved itself in 1950 in the face of being declared illegal by t ...

(SACP) during the State of Emergency in 1960 following the Sharpeville Massacre. His role extended to the military wing of the ANC, ukhonto we Sizwe (MK), where he played a pivotal role in recruitment and operations. Despite facing tremendous personal risk, Dingake continued his activism, even after relocating back to Botswana in 1965. However, his journey took a dark turn when he was betrayed and subsequently arrested while passing through

Rhodesia Rhodesia ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state, unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia served as the ''de facto'' Succession of states, successor state to the ...

in 1965. Subjected to brutal torture by South African authorities, he endured immense suffering before being sentenced to 15 years on Robben Island. Following his release, Dingake transitioned into a new phase of his life, dedicating himself to academia and community development projects at the

University of Botswana The University of Botswana (UB) was established in 1982, as the first institution of higher education in Botswana. The university currently has three campuses: one in the capital city Gaborone, one in Francistown, and another in Maun. The Unive ...

. His passion for politics remained steadfast, leading him to become a prominent figure within the

Botswana National Front The Botswana National Front (BNF) is a social democratic political party in Botswana. It was the main opposition party in Botswana from the 1969 elections until the 2024 elections. It is the largest component of the governing Umbrella for Demo ...

(BNF) and later the splinter Botswana Congress Party. He was the Member of Parliament for Gaborone Central from 1994 to 1999. After his retirement from national politics in 2004, Dingake continued to contribute to society as an author, commentator and weekly commentator for the ''

Mmegi ''Mmegi'' is an English-language national newspaper in Botswana Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory pa ...

'' newspaper.

Death

Dingake died on 7 April 2024, at the age of 96.

References

External links

Mr. Michael Kitso Dingake
''Kutlwano Magazine'' 1928 births 2024 deaths Members of the National Assembly (Botswana) Botswana journalists Recipients of the Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo Botswana National Front politicians Botswana Congress Party politicians Academic staff of the University of Botswana Botswana people imprisoned abroad Inmates of Robben Island Botswana expatriates in South Africa {{Botswana-writer-stub