C.J. Langenhoven

(1873-1932). Attorney, politician, journalist, poet, novelist, playwright, essayist, comic writer, hugely popular public speaker and cultural activist, whose wit and breath of interest made him a legendary figure in South Africa.

His birth and training

Born at Hoeko, near Ladismith, Cape Colony, where he was raised by an aunt and an uncle. Initially educated by governesses, he attended schools in Ladismith and Riversdale. Studied at the Victoria College in Stellenbosch (BA 1895), then became apprenticed to a solicitor in Ladismith, wwhile studying privately. In 1899 he completed a LL.B. at the University of Good Hope in Cape Town. He then worked as an attorney in Cape Town and in Oudtshoorn.

Career

Lawyer and journalist

In 1912 he became the Editor of the Oudtshoorn newspaper Het Zuid-Westen, .

26 July 1915 saw the first edition of Die Burger and under the pseudonym Sagmoedige Neelsie Langenhoven contributed a regular column.

Writer

Though baptised Cornelis Jacobus Langenhoven, he published most of his work under the name C.J. Langenhoven, though more familiarly known as "Sagmoedige Neelsie" (Soft-hearted Neelsie) or simply "Kerneels". Also wrote under a variety of other temporary pseudonyms, including "Halley", "Credo Exacto", etc.

Like so many of his contemporaries, he wrote every conceivable literary form, in order to establish Afrikaans as a literary and cultural language.

Prose and poetry

His best known works today are perhaps the words of Die Stem van Suid-Afrika ("The Voice of South Africa" - the national anthem of the Union and the Republic till 1994, and still part of the new South African anthem), his comic novels - notably Sonde met die Bure ("Trouble with the Neighbours"), Herrie op die ou Tremspoor ("Herrie on the old Tram Track") and a children's stories, Brolloks en Bittergal and Loeloeraai. Many of his works, especially the latter two were often performed as plays.

Plays and theatre

Technically one of the more proficient of his generation as a playwright, his works were extremely popular and frequently republished. In view of Langenhoven's perception of his own role in the cultural development of the Afrikaner and the often moralizing tone of the plays themselves, Ludwig Binge (1969) refers to his work as "educational theatre".

He started his playwriting career with two short pieces called Die Water Zaak ("The case about the water rights" -1906/7) and Die Trouwbelofte ("The wedding vow" - 1906/7), then wrote and published a series of brief but classic dialogues in Het Zuid-Westen during 1911 (specifically written for the gratis use by amateurs and schools, not professionals) - including Die Tweetalige Vonnis ("The bilingual sentencing"), Die Kijs abaut die Forro ("The case about the furrow"), Die Beproewings van 'n Prokureur ("The trials/torments of a lawyer"), Modelletjie van 'n Debat ("Little model of a debate"), Die Omslagtige Tant Lenie ("The Circumloquatious Aunt Lenie"), Piet Neulpotjie ("Piet Complainer") and Onvoorbereide Toesprake ("Unprepared Speeches", which he called a "burlesque"). His important fuller-length plays followed and are Die Familie Zaak ("The case about the family" -1911), Die Hoop van Suid-Afrika ("The Hope of South Africa" - 1913), Die Wêreld die Draai ("The World Turns", A reworking of Die Water Zaak - 1914), Die Onmoontlike Tweeling ("The Impossible Twins" - 19*), Petronella (19*) Die Laaste van die Takhare ('The last of the backvelders", a final reworking of Die Water Zaak as a full-length work - 19**) , Die Vrouw van Suid-Afrika ("The Woman of South Africa" - 19**), ***, ***.

He also acted in some of the plays, notably portraying "Piet Retief" in the first production of Hoop van Suid-Afrika in 1913.

Also famous for his idiosyncratic refusal to have his plays performed by professional companies, since he saw the works as a contribution to Afrikaner culture, not commodities to be sold. He did however allow amateur companies to perform his works for free of charge, thus making them a major staple of their various repertoires.

[TH, JH] 

PACT’s Afrikaans company staged his satire, Die Laaste van die Takhare in 1967 ***(Tucker, 1997)

His career as cultural activist

A leader in the struggle for the recognition of Afrikaans from 1910 onwards, he used his newspaper, his writings and political office to promote the role of the language in South Africa.

In 1914 he became Member of Oudtshoorn's Provincial Board of Directors and later Senator of the Cape, and in 1925 utilized his position as parliamentarian to draft and submitted the law which first recognized Afrikaans as an official language in the place of Dutch.

Sources

Binge, 1969

Du Toit, 1988

http://www.stellenboschwriters.com/langenhoven.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelis_Jacobus_Langenhoven

http://www.cjlangenhoven.co.za/

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