Obituaries of Allison Wessels George Champion

Scope and Content

Three obituaries from the 'Daily News', the 'Mercury' and an unidentified publication, 29 Sep 1975; 2 press releases regarding the death of Allison Wessels George Champion, 1 Oct 1975; Memorial Service programme, 4 Oct 1975.

Administrative / Biographical History

Allison Wessels George Champion ('Mahlath' amnyama'), ['Black South African'], was born in 1893 in Sans Souci School, Natal. He was known as a campaigner for racial equality, devoting his life to the betterment of Zulu people. Positions held during his career included Natal Provincial Secretary of the Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union; founder member and Provincial President of the African National Congress; Chairman of the then Durban Combined Bantu Advisory Board, and central committee member of Inkatha Kwazulu. He also wrote a regular column for Ilanga (newspaper) entitled 'Okubanwa ngumahlathi' ('As seen by Mahlathi'). Champion died at his home in Chesterville in 1975. He was about to be returned without opposition to a position he had held as a member of the Ningizimu Urban Bantu Council.

See further biographical information in 'New Dictionary of South Africa Biography' edited by Elizabeth J. Verwey (Vol 1, HSRC Publishers, Pretoria, 1995)

Access Information

Open

Acquisition Information

Donated as part of the Southern African Materials project 1973-1976, organised by the Centre for International and Area Studies.

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, please contact Archives & Special Collections, SOAS Library in the first instance