Dr Jotello F. Soga (Jesse Lewis presentation)

Research reveals remarkable life of SA’s first veterinarian
Cape Argus, October 17 2011 at 12:06pm

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Dr Jotello Soga, the first South African-born veterinarian.

NEO MADITLA

Staff Reporter

FOR 26 years, he was the only South African-born veterinarian - a remarkable achievement for a man whose race meant he could not hold a position with the colonial government.

Dr Jotello Soga, the son of Reverend Tiyo Soga, a Xhosa man from the Eastern Cape, and his Scottish-born wife Janet Burnside, qualified at the University of Edinburgh.

This and other fascinating information emerged from research into Soga’s life by American former journalist Jesse Lewis, who presented his findings at the 30th World Veterinary Congress at the Cape Town International Convention Centre last week. Lewis told delegates he became fascinated by Soga’s story after stumbling across his name.

Soga was just 21 when he graduated from the Royal (Dick) College of Veterinary Medicine in Edinburgh in 1886. And, said Lewis, he was “far more than just a statistical first”.

“For 26 years he was the only South African-born veterinarian. The second South African veterinarian did not qualify until 1912.”

During his remarkable life, Soga played a leading role as a member of a small team of vets in eradicating rinderpest, which threatened South Africa in the late 19th century.

“His efforts were publicly acknowledged by Lord Alfred Milner, the British governor, yet the British colonial government denied him a permanent position because of his race.”


Soga’s biography on the website of the University of Pretoria’s library, which is named after him, says he was born in 1865 at the Mgwali Mission, in the former Transkei. He was the fourth son of Reverend Tiyo and Janet Soga, and went to Scotland with his family when his father pursued religious studies in 1846.

In 1892 Soga returned, and Lewis said that as a trained vet his skills were vital when rinderpest and other diseases threatened herds and flocks.

“While formal apartheid was not introduced until after 1948, racial discrimination was already entrenched in British-controlled South Africa, and the status of ‘non-whites’ was restricted.”

It worked to Soga’s advantage that he spoke English and Xhosa.

At the time there were only a few other vets here, but they were from outside the country. His immediate task was to contain the spread of lung sickness, which was decimating cattle. He did his own inoculation experiments, and his methods were later accepted as standard.”

Soga also lectured farmers on ways to control and treat livestock diseases.


But in 1902 his health began to fail. He left government service and tried to set up a private practice. Later, he worked as a farm supervisor near East London, and ran a small clinic.

Soga died at 41.

neo.maditla@inl.co.za