In spite of his pivotal role in the struggle for liberation, there was no single piece of archive, not a single surviving audio recording of a man who was once one of the most watched, most recorded most popular political prisoner in the world in his time.
According to director Mickey Madoda Dube, the recorded audio visual documentary titled Sobukwe - A Great Soul, communicates many of the qualities that Sobukwe embodied. "It demonstrates the integrity, selflessness, incorruptibility, courage, honesty, humanity and true leadership for which Sobukwe was known of," he says.
Sobukwe served six years in solitary confinement. He was the primary instigator behind the banishment of the dompass that resulted in the Sharpville massacre on 21 March 1960 for which Human Rights Day today holds significance. But the name Sobukwe however holds no gravitas and to this day and age, he has not been acknowledged for his contribution towards the South African struggle.
The documentary received the Amnesty International Human Rights Award for "The best film with a focus on Human Rights" at the Durban International Film Festival in 2011. It was also screened at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles in February 2012 and was commissioned by SABC as part of their Icons series on South African leaders.
