Vus'umuzi Make

Political Activist

Vus'umzi Make was born in 1931 and joined the African National Congress Youth League in his schooldays. With Joe Molefi he organized the Evaton People's Transport Council to fight fare increases imposed in July 1955. After more than a year of violent clashes, the fare rise was canceled, but Make and others were meanwhile arrested and charged with public violence and murder. They were later acquitted, but Make was rearrested in the treason roundup of December 1956. Make was a leader of the Evaton bus boycott of 1955 -1956, the youngest accused in the Treason trial alongside former president Nelson Mandela, and a representative of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) abroad after the Sharpeville Massacre. Released in late 1957, he was banished to a remote area of the northern Transvaal but fled South Africa in 1958. He later became a PAC representative and the assistant head of the United Front office in Cairo. Make was elected Chairman of the PAC in 1978. When Nyathi Phokela was released from Robben Island prison and joined some of the PAC leaders in Tanzania in 1980, Make handed over the leadership to him. Although Make retired from the leadership of the PAC in 1980, he never retired from serving the people of Azania. He died at the HF Verwoerd hospital in Pretoria on 15 April 2006 at the age of 75.

Source:

Gerhart G.M and Karis T. (ed)(1977 ). From Protest to challenge: A documentary History of African Politics in South Africa: 1882-1964, Vol.4 Political Profiles 1882 –1964. Hoover Institution Pres: Stanford University.

		Vus'umuzi Make 1931 - 2006


Political Activist Vus'umzi Make was born in 1931 and joined the African National Congress Youth League in his schooldays. With Joe Molefi he organized the Evaton People's Transport Council to fight fare increases imposed in July 1955. After more than a year of violent clashes, the fare rise was canceled, but Make and others were meanwhile arrested and charged with public violence and murder. They were later acquitted, but Make was rearrested in the treason roundup of December 1956. Make was a leader of the Evaton bus boycott of 1955 -1956, the youngest accused in the Treason trial alongside former president Nelson Mandela, and a representative of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) abroad after the Sharpeville Massacre. Released in late 1957, he was banished to a remote area of the northern Transvaal but fled South Africa in 1958. He later became a PAC representative and the assistant head of the United Front office in Cairo. Make was elected Chairman of the PAC in 1978. When Nyathi Phokela was released from Robben Island prison and joined some of the PAC leaders in Tanzania in 1980, Make handed over the leadership to him. Although Make retired from the leadership of the PAC in 1980, he never retired from serving the people of Azania. He died at the HF Verwoerd hospital in Pretoria on 15 April 2006 at the age of 75. Source: Gerhart G.M and Karis T. (ed)(1977 ). From Protest to challenge: A documentary History of African Politics in South Africa: 1882-1964, Vol.4 Political Profiles 1882 –1964. Hoover Institution Pres: Stanford University.