Antiquarian Auctions

Auction #129 begins on 26 Feb 2026

Soga (John Henderson)

THE SOUTH-EASTERN BANTU [signed]

(Abe-Nguni, Aba-Mbo, Ama-Lala) [signature of J.H. Soga]

Published: Witwatersrand University Press, Johannesburg, 1930

Reserve: $450

Approximately:

Estimate: $600-700

Bidding opens: 26 Feb 16:30 GMT

Bidding closes: 5 Mar 16:30 GMT

Ships from: South Africa

Lot 8 preview

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xxxi + 490 pages, frontis., map, folding genealogical tables, the first of which has a 10cm tear, quite severe foxing throughout, some pencil annotations, minor pen annotations, black cloth, small tears to cloth along spine

A letter signed by Soga is pasted to the front endpaper: 

"Holomisa's Clan are The Egeles but the origin is obscure. I have not yet, in spite of much effort, been able to get from an Egele any idea as to their origin. I suspect, however, that they are an off-shoot of the Tunwayo tribe in Natal, but have no satisfactory evidence of this. 

Their genealogy is as follows according to my notes:-

Ndala

Gebe

Ngobe

Ngqawa

Ngwitshi      }  ama-Diba or ama-Egebe

Mdunyelwa

Holomisa

Baz'indlovu

Who Diba was Egebes are unable to explain, though that is their clan salutation. 

With Kind Regards,

Yours Sincerely

J. Henderson Soga"

"John Henderson Soga was the second son of Tiyo Soga. Soga studied at the Glasgow University and the United Presbyterian Church Divinity Hall in Edinburgh, Scotland. Upon his arrival in South Africa, he was ordained as a missionary and stationed in the Mount Frere district in the Transkei. Soga retired from this post in 1936. He spent the last years of his life in Southampton, England. It was in that city that he and his family were killed in an air raid during World War 2." From the University of Pretoria: https://www.up.ac.za/sacomposers/soga-john

  • Size: 8vo (220 x 140mm)


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