Wiseman Nkuhlu: a life of purpose

While on Robben Island after being imprisoned by the apartheid government at the age of 19, the young Wiseman Nkuhlu had a dream that he would one day be the chief economist for the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the forerunner of the African Union. Now this would not have been an impossible dream had he been living in normal times, in a normal society. But the society he had been born into was one of repression and marginalisation of black South Africans. In addition, his expulsion from Lovedale College in 1963 and his subsequent arrest and imprisonment under the Suppression of Communism Act (1950) had interrupted his schooling, and he did not even possess a matric qualification. However, his incarceration on Robben Island which exposed him to men who were icons of the liberation struggle, along with his growing awareness of the decolonisation of parts of Africa, inspired him to be part of a free Africa. ‘...I had a strong belief that Africans, given opportunities, are equal to any other human beings in the world,’ recalls Nkuhlu. The book recounts over 60 years in the remarkable life of this man of many firsts – specifically the first African Chartered Accountant. It tells the story of a man who became one of the most influential South Africans of our time, playing key roles in academia, philanthropy, development, business and politics. Although a man of many achievements, Nkuhlu counts as his crowning moment his appointment as economic adviser to former President Thabo Mbeki. It was from that position that he was able to fulfil his Robben Island dream when he helped to craft the New Plan for Africa’s Development (Nepad) and then go on to play a critical leading role in Nepad’s Steering Committee. Wiseman Nkuhlu did not just chase a dream: he fulfilled his dreams of playing a social and economic role in Africa, and in so doing became one of the most inspirational South Africans. This book is not only a source of inspiration and confirmation of the resilience of the human spirit, it also chronicles pivotal events in the history of South Africa. “I marvel at how the book has succeeded in documenting the life history of Professor Nkuhlu in a manner that will inspire the reader to life that strives to improve the lives of others” Professor Mandla Gantsho