His father was a Zulu labourer,[2] who had participated in the Bambatha Rebellion of 1906[3] and had been jailed during the African National Congress (ANC) anti-pass campaign of 1919.
[11] He next attended the Queenstown Conference of the ANC, where he met and began an association with fellow activists Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela.
[11] He was called to Pretoria to appear as one of the defence witnesses for treason defendants in September 1960,[11][13] where he reiterated in response to several questions that the ANC followed a policy of non-violence to achieve their political aims.
Yengwa served 18 months in jail, and when released was placed under 24-hour house arrest in Maqombi in Mapumulo, unable to leave or work.
[2] In 1969, following pressure from the South African government on Swaziland, Yengwa and his family were deported and moved to the United Kingdom as refugees.
[19][20] Yengwa was a religious man and represented the ANC at the World Council of Churches meeting in Geneva.