Name Milner Kabane | ||
Milner Langa Kabane was a political activist. He was born in the Butterworth. Kabane studied at Heald-town, and was one of the first students to enroll at Fort Hare, earning a bachelor's degree in 1925.
Kabane started his career as a teacher and later taught at Lovedale College, near Alice. After many years at Lovedale College, he was anointed as the first African principal of the college. At the helm of the college, some white colleagues did not take it kindly to be led by an African. After few months he relocated to Bloemfontein and stayed on the same street as Mr. T. M. Mapikela, Honorary Life Speaker, A.N.C., Executive member of the African National Congress.
Kabane was a president of (1) the Orange Free State Teachers' Association, (2) a member of the Africans' Claims committee and the (3) Orange Free State All African Convention (AAC) executive committee. He was instrumental in organising and formulating the first version of a document titled Bill of Rights and the Atlantic Charter from the African’s Point of View. He organised the meeting logistics (booking of hall, communication with delegates etc.) with his wife Helena Villa Kabane reporting directly to Dr A.B. Xuma, President of the ANC.
The 28 member Committee met at Bloemfontein and deliberated on the Atlantic Charter on Monday and Tuesday, December 13 and 14, 1943. The Committee elected Mr Z.K. Matthews as Chairman and Mr L.T. Mtimkulu as Secretary, and a Sub-Committee consisting of Messrs. S.B. Ngcobo, M.L. Kabane and J.M. Nhlapo, with the chairman and the secretary as ex officio members, to draft the findings of the Atlantic Charter Committee. The main task of the committee was to (1) consider and interpret the Atlantic Charter, and (2) formulate the Bill of Rights. Their findings were unanimously adopted by the Annual conference of the African National Congress at Bloemfontein, on the 16th of December, 1943.
The full document is available in the ANC archives http://www.anc.org.za/show.php?id=4474&t=The Early Years
He died in Bloemfontein in 1945.