Alfred Mangena

Alfred Mangena (c. 1879–1924) was a South African lawyer, political activist, and journalist. He is recognized as one of the earliest Black attorneys admitted to practice law in South Africa and as a leading figure in the early African nationalist movement. Mangena was a founding leader of the South African Native National Congress (SANNC), later renamed the African National Congress (ANC).

Early life and education Alfred Mangena was born around 1879 in Estcourt, in the former Natal Colony. He received early education in South Africa before travelling to England for further studies. He enrolled at Lincoln’s Inn in London, where he studied law and was called to the Bar in 1909, becoming one of the first Black South Africans to qualify in law in Britain.

Legal career Mangena returned to South Africa in 1910 and applied for admission as an attorney of the Supreme Court. His application was opposed by the Transvaal Law Society on racial grounds, but the court ruled that race could not be used to bar a qualified applicant from legal practice. His admission marked an important early breakthrough for Black legal practitioners in South Africa.

He established a legal practice in Pretoria and Johannesburg, representing Black South Africans in a racially discriminatory legal system. In 1916, Mangena entered into partnership with Pixley ka Isaka Seme, forming the firm Mangena & Seme Solicitors, one of the first Black-owned law firms in South Africa.

Mangena was actively involved in campaigns opposing the Natives Land Act of 1913, which restricted African land ownership. He also participated in political delegations and advocacy efforts challenging segregationist policies imposed by the Union government.