Anton Lembede
Anton Muziwakhe Lembede | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 March 1914 |
| Died | 30 July 1947 (aged 33) |
| Nationality | South African |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Known for | First president of the African National Congress Youth League |
Anton Muziwakhe Lembede OLG (21 March 1914 – 30 July 1947) was a South African activist and founding president of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL). He has been described as "the principal architect of South Africa's first full-fledged ideology of African nationalism." Lembede had a strong influence on Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo. Lembede was regarded as the progenitor of the "Programme of Action" that was adopted as a guiding document by the 1949 meeting of the African National Congress. He died in 1947, aged 33.