Henry Nxumalo was born in 1917 in Margate, Natal, a South African town. He attended the Fascadale Mission school, where he showed signs of his ability as a writer. He published in various media until the Johannesburg Post newspaper hired him.

He enlisted in the Army when he was 22 years old with the aim of travelling abroad; he took part in the Second World War and fought in Egypt. He lived in London for a while where he mixed with people from the world of culture.

Despite the poor opportunities that black writers had to get on in South Africa, Nxumalo decided to return to his country, because he felt that great changes were about to take place in Africa and the press was going to play an important role in it.

In 1951, Jim Bailey founded the magazine Drum with Anthony Sampson as its editor. Henry Nxumalo started working on it and soon specialised in investigative journalism. The publication attained great fame and became a media anti-apartheid weapon.

During this period a new generation of South African authors, critics, musicians and journalists emerged and voiced themselves in the resistance environment. Despite constant hostility from the authorities, Henry Nxumalo risked his life by condemning the treatment of blacks during the apartheid years.

In December 1957, the journalist was investigating the abortion practices of a well-known doctor when he was murdered by an unknown assailant.

The film Drum (2004), by the director Zola Maseko, covers Henry Nxumalo's life. The film was awarded the Grand Prize of the Pan-African Film Festival in 2006.

Sources:

Wikipedia

Profile  on the website of the South African Government

More information:

History of the magazine Drum

Record of the film Drum at the Casa África Media Library