Alfred, Alf, Alfie Kumalo ( 1930 – 2012 )
Legendary Photographer Alf Kumalo ( aged 82 ) passed away on Sunday, 21 October 2012 due to renal failure… We offer our sincere condolences to his family and to those that he knew and inspired.
This courageous photographer witnessed and documented what we know to be one of the most horrific and shameful occurrences in South Africa or perhaps in the World – Apartheid. He devoted himself to the cause of photographing and revealing the unspeakable atrocities of the Apartheid Regime; Despite the constant threat of persecution directed toward him, he remained faithful to his calling and captured life-changing photographs that helped set the stage for a Democratic South Africa…
Alf Kumalo’s career as a photojournalist and documentary photographer really took stride when he started shooting for the Drum Magazine in 1963. The editor of the magazine, David Hazelhurst, encouraged him to enter an international photo competition, where he won first place with his story about students in the Iron Curtain Country. David Hazelhurst approved of Alfred’s determination to document the tragedy of Apartheid and often published Kumalo’s work in the magazine, one photograph, in particular, Thema-Habel picture was spread across two pages in the next edition.
Though Mr Kumalo had seen and personally felt the agony of living under the grips of a Supremacist Government, he kept his focus directed on the hope of deliverance, thus playing a key role in achieving the same for this country…
During his illustrious career ( which lasted 50 years ) as a documentary photojournalist, Alfred received a number of awards and acknowledgement for his contribution to photography and history. He established the Sowetan based, Kumalo Photographic Museum and Photographic School. Alfred also starred in the film ” The Bang Bang Club “.
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