Conan Doyle Modiakgotla was born at Thaba 'Nchu in the Orange Free State, he was a building contractor by occupation. During the 1920s he served as secretary of the Orange Free State African National Congress (ANC) and was secretary of the Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union (ICU) for Griqualand West. In 1929 he was elected vice-president of the shortÂlived League of African Rights. He was later a member of the ANC national executive committee, and supported A. B. Xuma's bid for re-election as ANC president-general in December 1949.
