Lucas SITHOLE
1931 - 1994
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A happy Lucas SITHOLE in 1979
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His Father
Richard Ndlala Office SITHOLE (d.1978)
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His brothers
7 out of 9 SITHOLE brothers
left to right: Joseph Jozi Sithole (1933-2002), Lucas T. Sithole (1931-1994), Meshack Boy Sithole (b.1937), newly married Daniel Mfana Sithole (b.1941), Samuel Funani Sithole (b.1949, lives in Australia), Amos Nanda Sithole (b.1944), David Butana Sithole (1928-1980). There were two other brothers not included: Peter Mufi Sithole (1925-1947) and John T-Bone Sithole (1947-1993)
See Link for:
Details of family members as at 1st December, 2005
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His wife
Mrs Johanna Sithole
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His children
Lillian Mukile Sithole (b.1949), lives in Australia
Peter Fanisi Sithole (1951-2000)
Margaret Maki Nano (b.1957), Gloria Nomasonto Sithole (b.1961), Stella Nomvula Mawane (b.1955)
Johannes BUTI Sithole in 2005
Progress Putshu Sithole (b.1964?) in 1974
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His name
Lucas Sithole’s given Zulu name was NCANE meaning “small”. As a suburban kid, he disliked that name and called himself TED or TEDDY, a name reflected in the signature of a very early work (LS5702).
Later he was also known as Lucas Thandokwazi Sithole. In 1995, his daughter Lillian Sithole in Australia gave the following explanation about "Thandokwazi": "Some authoritative figure asked my Dad what “T” stood for. He turned around being sarcastic by answering “Thandukwazi” which meant “Wouldn’t you like to know”."
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His two homes
83 Motsugi Street, Kwa-Thema, in 2011 (©)
Lucas Sithole on the ladder, converting by himself his small house in Kwa-Thema into a two-storey studio and home (img. The Canberra Times, Australia - 23rd July, 1965, p. 12)
No better image is at present available of the house as it was in the 1960s-1970s
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Near Pongola
Lucas' second home outside Pongola, under construction in 1981
How it looked in 1993 - many photos of his home, studio and surroundings:
A visit to Lucas SITHOLE's home near Pongola in August, 1993
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Family home prior to 1951
Before moving to Kwa-Thema, Lucas SITHOLE's family lived at 2020 Central Avenue, Payneville, Springs, as documented. In 1951 residents of Payneville were resettled in newly developed Kwa-Thema, Springs.
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Lucas SITHOLE's childhood years in Swaziland
Lucas stayed with his grand-mother in Swaziland when he was aged 6 to 12 – she was called "naMuimba" and according to other published references "Tsayi Numvumi". At that time he made clay animals, figures and statues in clay and painted his grand-mother's house in bright colours.
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His letters
Here follows a selection of letters written by Lucas SITHOLE to a client in 1977, to a gallery in Cape Town in 1978 and to his dealer in Johannesburg, written between 1984 and 1993 - click on PDF links!
1977 - 25th July (the only direct sale Lucas made after joining Gallery 21 five years earlier - he was talked into reducing his prices substantially, yet only got paid in full after 12 months - the client lost both works in an Australian bushfire in 1983: LS7702 was badly burnt and LS7715 completely destroyed!)
1978 - 20th March (postponing his exhibition in Cape Town due to the death of his Father)
1981 - 27th July (letter to the African-American Institute, New York - the request was turned down in 1982 for political reasons!)
1982 - 30th June (short of cash to finish his works)
1984 - 15th October (still suffering from the Domoina flood disaster - "my most horrible year")
1985 - August (language of suffering ...)
1992 - 9th July (you are to me a pillar of our success ...)
1993 - 17th August (cable - not well, no transport)
1993 - 8th October (suffering, loosing weight and going blind - seeing the doctor)
1993 - 16th November (the hand-writing shows Lucas SITHOLE to be very sick)
1993 - 17th December (from Jozini hospital undergoing medical treatment; mention of his "Chevrolet El Camino" bakkie)
1993 - 29th December (feeling much better, sculpting again - letter only received in Switzerland in March 1994)
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Click on following link to read about
His social commitment and political concern
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Other images
Ven. Frederick Amoore, Bishop of Bloemfontein, with Lucas SITHOLE in front of new St. Augustus Anglican Church in Thaba 'Nchu, 1979
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His last days
Lucas SITHOLE was last with Inyangas who made no diagnosis. His doctor at the Jozini hospital was Dr Coetzee. Lucas had last been visited by his daughters in March, 1994 - he refused to go back to Kwa-Thema as he did not want to be seen by the people who had known him before. His body was brought to Kwa-Thema on the 8th May, 1994.
His burial on 12th May, 1994 at Kwa-Thema
The ceremony was recorded by TV and can be seen from this link
last update 12th December, 2016