Obituaries of Allison Wessels George Champion

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.

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)

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

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