Jotello Festiri Soga (1865-1906)

August 20, 2019 
/ Contributed By: Jesse Lewis

Dr. Jotello Festiri Soga

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Dr. Jotello Festiri Soga in 1886 became the first South African of any race to receive a degree in veterinary medicine.

Born in 1865 into a distinguished Xhosa family from the Eastern Cape, his parents were Rev. Tiyo Soga, and Janet Burnside Soga, who was Scottish. After his father’s death in 1871, the family went to Scotland where the children completed their basic education. Jotello then studied veterinary medicine at the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 1886. His three brothers graduated from the University of Glasgow, returning to South Africa.

Rev. Soga, his father, was South Africa’s first black ordained Presbyterian clergyman, was an early advocate of black pride and racial equality who inspired the founding of the African National Congress (ANC) in 1912.

Jotello Soga, the veterinarian, helped eradicate Rinderpest, also called “cattle plague,” the highly contagious and fatal disease that almost destroyed South Africa’s herds in the late 19th Century. He was the only black African member of a small team of dedicated animal health professionals who worked in the Afrikaner as well as the British-controlled areas of South Africa to fight the infection.

Their combined efforts finally prevailed, and by 1903, Rinderpest was eradicated but the loss was staggering. Across the territory, more than a million cattle died either from the disease itself or deliberate slaughter to control the disease. The cost and the consequences were devastating in late 19th Century South African agrarian economy.

Soga’s role was particularly significant in that he spoke the indigenous language and thus could convince Xhosa farmers to cull their herds in order to contain the disease. Xhosa farmers had enormous herds and even though they were concentrated in the Eastern Cape, some of their cattle were bought and sold among all farmers throughout South Africa.

The success of today’s South African dairy and cattle industries can be traced to this team of veterinarians of which Dr Soga was a key member. Rinderpest had a devastating impact on South African cattle. It was that plague that forced the Afrikaners and the British to work with black South Africans to eradicate the disease.

In 1892, even before the plague struck in full force, Dr. Soga wrote in the Cape Agricultural Journal that Rinderpest was the “new Colonial enemy” and other cattle illnesses were “simply fools to it.”

Although the British authorities recognized Dr. Soga’s role in eradicating Rinderpest, he was denied a permanent position in the colonial government because he was black.

Despite racial discrimination, Dr Soga continued to conduct important research on animal health and frequently contributed articles on veterinary medicine to professional journals. He was a much sought-after speaker at conferences organized by South African farmers, including Afrikaner agricultural groups. He was also a co-founder of the Cape Colony Veterinary Society in 1905, which later became the South African Veterinary Association (SAVA).

Dr. Jotello Soga died December 6, 1906, at the age of 41. After his death his contributions to veterinary research almost disappeared from public view. His very existence was not generally known until this author wrote an article about him for an Afrikaans-language newspaper in 2007. As a result, the University of Pretoria named the library of its Faculty of Veterinary Science in Dr. Soga’s honor in 2009.

About the Author

Author Profile

Jesse W. Lewis Jr. is the Managing Partner and Executive Producer of Fresh Eye, Clear Lens Productions that conducts research and makes documentary films about important but little-known aspects of South African history.

Since his first visit to South Africa in 2003, he has written articles and lectured at the University of Stellenbosch, University of Cape Town, and the University of Pretoria, as well as for various historical, professional and civic groups in South Africa, Rotterdam and Singapore. His articles have been published in South African newspapers.

Mr. Lewis has worked for The Washington Post, including assignments in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Later, he was an American diplomat, serving in Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, and Greece.

In 1983, he founded a crisis management consultancy firm specializing in the international ocean transportation industry. It was a shipping accident in Cape Town in 2003 that took him to South Africa for the first time.

For 10 years until 2004, Mr. Lewis was a Visiting Professor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He is also the author of the book The Strategic Balance In The Mediterranean, an analysis of naval power in the Mediterranean Sea during the Cold War.

CITE THIS ENTRY IN APA FORMAT:

Lewis, J. (2019, August 20). Jotello Festiri Soga (1865-1906). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/jotello-festiri-soga-1865-1906/

Source of the Author's Information:

“Paul Kruger se veearts” (Paul Kruger’s Veterinarian),” Die Burger, Cape Town, Saturday January 6, 2007); further research by author (Jesse Lewis); Jotello Soga Documentary website: https://www.jotellosogadocumentary.org/.

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