Jackson (Balisile)) Nkosiyane

Jackson (Balisile) Nkosiyane, Twalimfene Joyi, Bangilizwe Joyi and McGregor Mgolombane were all banished on 30 May 1958 from Thembuland, Umtata District, [Eastern Province, now Eastern Cape] to Voorspoed Farm No. 1376, District of Zoutpansberg, Transvaal [Limpopo Province].  Their banishment orders were, however, signed some two weeks earlier, on 14 May 1958.

The document that encouraged the Governor-General to banish Nkosiyane noted that there were many difficulties in establishing the Bantu Affairs Department [BAD] in Thembuland. A Commission of Inquiry had found that Jackson Nkosiyane was fuelling Paramount Chief (PC) Dalindyebo’s ‘misconception of his position and powers.’ It was alleged that he was ‘intensely ambitious and wields an extraordinary influence over the young Chief.’

The Inquiry had also found that ‘Sabata himself is a weak personality and easily led;’ that he was generally ‘pleasant and co-operative,’ and that ‘with good councillors he could develop into quite a satisfactory chief.’ However, the PC was being misled by ‘Nkosiyane and his clique;’ on numerous occasions ‘it was stated”¦that all the trouble in Thembuland was due to them and no satisfactory solution was possible while they continued to exercise their influence.’ Nkosiyane and his close associates should be banished so that they could no longer yield influence over the PC.

Separated from his partner, Nkosiyane’s son, aged 20, was cared for by PC Dalindyebo, while three other children under eight lived with his mother’s family in Butterworth. Concern was expressed about him as ‘money sent to him”¦from the Transkei had been returned, the envelope being marked “address unknown”. This was probably because he had escaped into exile, where he was in contact with Anderson Ganyile in the Qachas Nek area of Lesotho.

In October 1960, Nkosiyane and the Joyi’s unsuccessfully applied to court for an order demanding that the Minister of BAD provide specific reasons for their banishment in 1958, or for their banishments to be set aside. 

Nkosiyane’s banishment order was revoked on 25 November 1963 on the grounds that ‘the reasons which gave rise to (the order) no longer exist.’