In Johannesburg Long Walk Original Manuscript (Image #58)

The death of the Regent removed from the scene an enlightened chief who led his people quite well. One of the marks of a great chief is the ability to keep together all sections of his people, the traditionalists and reformers, conservatives and liberals, the illiterates and literates and, on major questions, there are sometimes sharp differences of opinion. The Mqhekezweni Court was particularly strong, and the Regent was able to carry the whole community because the Court was representative of all shades of opinion. His death was a great blow to me personally. Although I had fled from him and had now settled in Johannesburg, he had always been the final inspiration to all my thoughts and efforts. I knew quite well that if all my friends deserted me and all my plans collapsed, he would certainly be my last refuge. At times I even felt guilthy that I had hastened his death by letting him down at the last moment when part of his elaborate plans for a future Thembuland had depended on my co operation. Above all, I felt I had missed a glorious chance of getting a clear and connected account of his views on major issues, apart from the formal speeches he made on official occasions. I should have asked him to paint for me a picture of his future Thembuland and the exact role of Sabata in that Thembuland. It would have been important for me to know his views on the speech made by Chief Meliqgili when we returned from the circumcision school. I have no clear idea of how he thought we would ultimately solve the question of white supremacy in our country and his attitude to the liberation movement.