The land of the Africans had been taken by force. But the law, if justly applied, could create the conditions necessary for coexistence and a shared prosperity among the races. His vision of a non-racial society, based on equality and the rule of law, is now commonly accepted. But this was not always the case. Colonial military aggression, exploitation of black labour and European imperialism shaped his era. But for Mangena, injustice could only be fought with justice; illegality with legality; and colonialism with constitutionalism.
