ALL-IN CONFERENCE CALLS UNITED FRONT AGAINST APARTHEID

TOMLINSON REPORT UNANIMOUSLY REJECTED

(From Govan Mbeki) BLOEMFONTEIN. A RESOLUTION TOTALLY REJECTING THE TOMLINSON REPORT AND CALL- " ING FOR THE FORMATION OF A MULTI-RACIAL UNITED FRONT TO FIGHT Vol.NEW 2, No. 50 Registered IGE at the G.P.O. as a ne\^paper. AGAINST APARTHEID WAS PASSED UNANIMOUSLY AMIDST SCENES OF GREAT ENTHUSIASM AT THE ALL-IN CONFERENCE HELD HERE LAST WEEK. NORTHERN EDITION Thursday, October 11, 1956 PRICE 3d.

To emphasise their attitude, the delegates rose in a body as the vote was taken and broke spontaneously into a spirited singing of “Mayibuye Afrika,” There were 394 delegates at this conference, and more than 20 organisations of the African people were officially represented, making this the mo^ representative conference of its kind ever held by the African people. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE CONFERENCE VOICED AN EMPHATIC “NO” TO THE APARTHEID PLANS OF THE NATIONALIST GOVERNMENT, AND IS A CONVINCING REPLY TO THEIR CLAIMS THAT THEY ENJOY SUPPORT AMONGST THE AFRICAN PEOPLE. The statement of policy issued at ence desires to place on record its the end of the conference said that total rejection of the Report as a “after detailed examination of the comprehensive plan for the imple­ principles and policies enunciated in mentation of apartheid in South the Tomlinson Report, this confer- Africa. This conference is convinced that the present policy of apartheid constitutes a threat to race relations in the country. “Therefore' in the interests of all the l^copit: and the future of our INSIDE country, this conference calls upon all national organisations to mobi­ lise all the people irrespective of race, colour or creed to form a Basutoland Crisis P. 4 united front against apartheid. “This conference welcomes the initiative of the Interdenominational African Ministers’ Federation in "The Hot Rain' — prize­ bringing together the African leaders to consider the Tomlinson Report winning short story P. 6 and its implications for South Africa, and appeals to the Christian These arc some of the young girls recruited for labour on a Bethal farm, squatting on the floor of their churches to take a clear and unequi­ compound, lliey come from Pokwani in Sekukuniland. vocal stand in defence of Christian Group Areas Act In and human values now being tramp­ led underfoot in the name of apart­ Johannesburg .... P. 5 heid. “We appeal to that strong and (Continued on page 3) BETHAL-And now there are compounds for women I JOHANNESBURG. TJETHAL is an old, savage story. It has been going on for years. But on our trip to Bethal a fortn^ht ago we found a new evil, the story of which, we believe, has not been told before. In the district, apart from the usual closed compounds for the farm labourers, ,WE FOUND SPECIAL COMPOUNDS FOR AFRICAN WOMEN AND YOUNG GIRLS. These are the new labour recruits. Some look about 15, some might even be younger. We had two such compounds pointed out to us; and we went in­ A report of a new Bethal side one.. We also spoke to girl recruits along the roadside. And people spoke to us about them. investigation by Tennison The girls and young women are recruited mainly from Pokwana on Makiwane and Gert Sibande the borders of Sekukuniland, and they arc brought to the farms in They have to hoe the fields, clear lorries. Special compounds have away dry mealie stalks, but mainly, been put aside for them. The wo­ dig out potatoes. Their wages range men are on six months’ contract. from £1 to £2 5s. a month. _ Some If there is no more work at the end said they were not told their rates Some of the delegates to the Bloemfontein conference enjoying a Joke during a break between sessions. of that period^ they are sent home. Left to right; Pr* A. B, Xumai Mr. Pawl Mosaka, Rev. N. B, Tantsi, 1^. Qovpii Mbeki, Mr. S. Ngcobo, The work they gre given varies. (Continued on page 4) DOWN MY STREET Editorial T AST week New Age suggested might be preventing the develop­ its mind? Who, or what, “brought ^ that behind the sudden return ment of another Copperbelt” that day nearer? Strong represen­ of Scretse was pressure by mining (East Africa and Rhodesia, August tations by Anglo-American per­ M BLOEMFONTEIN interests to secure mineral con­ 9, 1956.) haps? cessions in Bechuanaland. The spokesman for H.M. Gov­ This was a bull’s eye. I see that ernment, the Under-secretary for at the beginning of August the State for Commonwealth Rela­ tions, said: “There is no question Seretse affair was debated in Bri­ FpALKING about Mr. James CONFERENCE of the permanent banishment of tain’s House of Commons. Griffiths, I see that at the Former Labour Colonial Secre­ Seretse. When a chief has been securely established, the Govern­ British Labour Party conference tary, Mr. James Griffiths said: ment will be ready to give sympa­ he successfully opposed the reso­ all-in African conference in Bloemfontein last week is a “The Anglo-American group of lution that the Union should be milestone in the history of the liberation movement. Showing companies was interested in large- thetic consideration to his eventual return as a private citizen. Let us expelled from the “Common­ a statesmanship and political understanding of the highest order, scale mining development in try to bring that day nearer by wealth” (what’s wrong with the Bechuanaland but could not pro­ old word. Empire?) the 400 delegates who attended were unanimous in their main ceed because it could not obtain helping to heal old wounds and findings: the written consent of the tribes by giving the present African au­ The movers of the resolution thority and his administration a meant well. I’m sure, but I wonder to a concession. The determined • The conference rejected the Tomlinsoh Report as the blue­ refusal of the tribe to give its chance to prove their worth . if they stopped to consider that consent while the problem of the What happened in less than six it’s that very Empire of theirs, or print for apartheid and separate development. Africans are the chieftancy remained unsolved weeks to make Whitehall change call it the Commonwealth, if you indigenous inhabitants of the country with an indisputable claim like, that is the biggest upholder of apartheid and colour bars in to the whole of the country as their home, though they are ready Africa today. to co-operate with all sections on the basis of equality. The way to help Africa is to N E W A C E get rid of the Empire. Let the cap­ • The conference demanded the repeal of all discriminatory tive people free! I guarantee that laws and regulations militating against harmonious race relations if that’s done, apartheid in the in South Africa. Union won’t last five years LETTER BOX • The conference **calls upon all national organisations to mobilise all people, irrespective of race, colour and creed, to form a united front against apartheid.*’ T ^H E N the Group Areas Board sat in Johannesburg, the jCity Council put forward some The delegates who attended the conference came from all I SHALL CONTINUE TO shameful removal and zoning pro­ walks of life, represented many different organisations and out­ posals. Now that the Western looks. Many of them have in the past been bitter political, FOR LIRERATION” Areas of the city have been pro­ enemies. STRUGGLE claimed, even the Council has -M rs . HASHE been shocked and is trying to Yet the threat of apartheid has brought them together and reach Donges to ask him to sus­ There has been so much specu­ Municipality objected to the fact united them in the determination to strive for full and equal lation as to the “undertakings” that recently a deputtion had met pend the proclamation. which I gave to the Roodepoort him to obtain certain informa­ It is late in the day. Neverthe­ South African citizenship—nothing more and nothing less. Town Council when the matter of tion and was accompanied by a less the Ck)uncil should have my banishment was discussed re­ demonstration of local women re­ every democrat in the city right This is an achievement of the greatest significance. Coming cently, that it has become neces­ sidents. He felt that the informa­ behind it, backing this stand. sary for me to make a public tion should first have been ob­ at a time when the Government is trying its hardest to pretend statement. tained and then, if the people that its policies have the support of the African people, the were not satisfied with it, they I wish to make it absolutely could have held a demonstration. conference has demonstrated in no uncertain fashion that no clear that I at no time undertook I intimated, in my personal capa­ TT breaks ffie hearts of Nationa- African leader of any consequence m prepared to to cease my political or other city, naturally, and speaking only lists to See Africans stand on activities. I might add that the for myself, that I could see no their feet, and doing well for woerd in the oppression of his own people. manager of Native Affairs him­ objection to this procedure sug­ themselves. There are those Kor- self, the person who presented the gested by him being followed. sten basket and wood workers; The liberation movement must not allow the impressive unity case against me, stated that he harry them out of the country, dhd not object to my participation Secondly I undertook—also on achieved at the Bloemfontein conference to be in any way less­ my behalf only—to present griev­ and who cares if they’re ruined in in the affairs of the African Na­ the chasing? Not the Nationalists! ened or destroyed in the stresses and strains of the day-to-day tional Congress. ances in the first instance to the struggle. All sections of the progressive movement should regard proper official quarters, a policy This sect, I understand, has been The two undertakings which I which I have always followed, and building a Noah’s Ark, as part of it as their priority No. 1 task to help build the multi-racial united gave were the following: The which has been followed by the its religious practices. In truth, front against apartheid for which the conference called. Manager of the Native Affairs African people in all their politi­ the floods have come upon it! Department of the Roodepoort cal activities, for example in the This may not be easy. Unity by resolution at an ad hoc case of the women’s objection to conference is one thing. Unity in action in the struggle for equal carrying passes. citizenship may prove to be more difficult to forge. T did not in any way concede that the Council had followed the A N African found guilty of NEVERTHELESS, WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE PEOPLE MUST correct procedure in banishing stealing a goose in the Silver- me or that there were any grounds ton (Pretoria) area was sentenced IS A WAY. OLD HATES AND HABITS MUST BE PUT whatsoever for such banishment. to a year in prison without the SACRIFICE FOR option of a fine. Another African ASIDE. WITH THE INSPIRING ACHIEVEMENT OF As I have already stated in an received a similar sentence for BLOEMFONTEIN BEFORE OUR EYES, LET US ALL interview with the Press, I shall stealing a fowl and was also FREEROM continue, as in the past, in the ordered to pay 7s. 6d. compensa­ PLEDGE TO ALLOW NOTHING TO STAND IN THE WAY struggle for the liberation of my tion. The steps taken by the Govern­ people. OF BUILDING THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE UNITY IN THE ment to banish and deport the Are we really living in the 20th people’s leaders are sheer intimi­ VIOLA HASHE Century? STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM IN OUR LIFETIME. dation. The time has come that Roodepoort. CITIZEN. the people must unitedly fight and intensify the liberatory movement. The leaders must not feel that they are alone; they must know WORLD STUDENT BODY CONDEMNS APARTHEID that they are being supported by many people who are prepared to ‘ Your recent report of the no- and a small foundation, the gation in South Arfica, a resolu­ Conference re-affirmed an old re­ sacrifice whatever they have in donfidence motion against the FYSA, which is interested in stu­ tion was passed denouncing racial solution stating that national in­ order to attain their freedom. Non-European S.R.C. at Natal dent travel. discrimination, condemning the dependence is the only prerequi- •, I hereby appeal to the Youth University contains criticisms of May I place before your readers Bantu Education Act, asking stu­ site of full educational opportu- , to fight vigorously for their free­ COSEC made in the debate that some facts in which I think they dent organisations throughout the nity. t dom, and not expect Freedom are misinformed. You report that would be interested? world to arouse public opinion We in South Africa need the " from Heaven alone as some of it was said that “big financiers of The 6th International Student against the imposition of univer­ maximum overseas support in our the shallow-minded Christians say. the Imperialist countries, notably Conference has just finished meet­ sity apartheid here, and deciding fight against the evil of the colour- Let us fight white supremacy and the Carnegie Institute and Ford ing in Ceylon, and a few points to inform UNO of the conference’s bar. I would suggest therefore that not admit inferiority. and Rockefeller Foundations” fi­ in relation to the meeting bear attitude. it is not only pointless but silly nanced COSEC. This statement is mention. 3. A scholarship fund for South to attack a conference which is We are fighting for a good cause an example of the unfortunate The conference was attended African Non-European students the most powerful and represen­ and therefore we must not fear to campaign of persistent misrepre­ by 56 national unions, three- was set up. tative international student agency suffer for it. Let us know that it sentation some people have seen quarters of those which exist in 4. Segregation in the United in the world, and which has so is better to die fighting than to fit to wage against COSEC since it the world. Participants included States was denounced, the Natio­ clearly adopted attitudes that few live on our knees. was farmed. the representative national unions nal Students’ Association of the of your readers would disagree Let not an African raise his The truth is that COSEC has of India, Indonesia. Pakistan, Cey­ U.S.A. supporting this resolution. with. The forces of reaction in hand against his fellow man, for, never received funds from any of lon. Malaya, Algeria. Morocco, 5. It was resolved to send RIC our country are strong enough, the time has come to avoid these the three mentioned sources. Its Tunisia, Uganda, the Sudan, Ni­ teams to investigate the suppres­ without those who regard them­ unnecessary killings amongst our­ administration is paid for by the geria, the Gold Coast. Sierra sion of student movements in Al­ selves as progressives echoing the selves. contributions of National Unions Leone. Senegal, the West Indies— geria, Cyprus and Goa. attacks on COSEC which have of Students, and it has also soli­ and of course NUSAS. 6. The report of a COSEC dele­ been made by the Afrikaanse Mayibuye I-Afrika. cited and received money for 2. After the RIC team which gation to South East Asia—of Studentebond and the Nationalist L. T..MET ANF specific projects—decided upon in visited South Africa in June had which I was a member—was dis­ Government. advance by the International Stu- presented its 70-page report tho­ cussed. This report unequivocally T. M, oinroT T ffSec ANfVn, rradock. tlenl fonference—from Ifi^FSCO roughly cohdfmnlng rac»ti) segre­ dpnoupcf\1 colfifllslisiTi, and the Purbap, CALL FOR UNITED FRONT AGAINST APARTHEID

(Continued from page 1) attempt to toy with apartheid in of reserves did not diminish black whatever form. and white economic contacts. On the contrary, with the passage of powerful body for which the Dutch time the reserves as labour reser­ Reformed Church speaks with re­ voirs and part of the marjtet for cognised authority to re-examine its Africans On European-produced goods have be­ approach to the race question. come an essential part of the entire “We call upon all South Africans economy of the coimtry. who realise the dangers and effects As a result of the rapid increase of apartheid to take positive steps Farms in population, he said, there was a to break down the colour bar in high density of population prevail­ group relations. We urge them ing in the African areas. Furthermore to ensure that democra­ T>EADING a paper on Africans After enumerating the advantages tic and Christian opinion expresses on farms, Advocate Duma of separate development as listed in itself on discriminatory legislation Nokwe asked why are there 3 mil­ the Tomlinson Report, he said: “You will have to judge these Some of the speakers at the National Conference. Left to right: in ways most likely to impress on lion Africans in what are known as Rev. B. Zulu read a paper on the “Reserves”; Mr. G. M. Pitje, the mind of the people of South European farming areas. He stated claims of advantages of separate de­ velopment on the basis of economic “l^ucation and the Tomlinson report”; Mr. D. Nokwe on the “Bantu Africa the urgent need for a posi­ that these people did not all migrate population in the rural areas.” to the farms but were originally set­ tendencies, administrative practices tive alternative to apartheid or sepa­ and political influences in South rate development.” tled in these lands before any African participation in the control White farmers, and through intrigue Africa on the one hand and your representation as a right. own aspirations and chances of re­ “It is the opposite of a right, it is and administration of schools. had lost their ownership to the These Bantu School Boards can White farmers. alising them on the other hand.” a disability.” Concluding, he said what the He refuted the Commission’s have a very great influence in the Human Rights Referring to the inequitable dis­ statement that in constitutional law future development of African edu­ tribution of land, Mr. Nokwe cited Commission’s proposals amount to is a scheme of regional develop­ no distinction is made between the cation if they are given real respons­ the case of one farmer in the Cape races and that there is equality of ibility. who owns 140,000 morgen in one ment, the regions being “Native ^PENING the conference, the areas.” persons, property an^ rights. Greater “If this real responsibility is given Rev. Mahabane said that the Considered in that sense, much of value, he said, is placed on persons it will encourage a spirit of self- oi European descent-. help and develop initiative in our Declaration of Human Rights by the economic reasoning in the Re­ port is sound and their conclusions committees where opportunities for the United Nations did not apply worthy of respect. Economically A TRAVESTY the exercise of such qualities have in South Africa, where apartheid is been few and far between. Africans speaking many of the proposals Denying the Commission’s asser­ are prepared to accept the challenge the law of the country. The African made by the Commission would, if tion that all individuals of all of self-help implied in the new ii treated as an undesirable, an un­ carried out, raise productivity, cre­ groups are equal in the eyes of the system. They are determined to ate wider employment opportuni­ law and receive equal protection make it work in spite of the diflB- touchable, an alien, an uitlander, a ties, raise incomes and wealth and from the law, he said that as far as foreigner. culties that confront them, so that living standards. Africans arc concerned, the whole they may not lose ground in the The great question of the day is legislative process, insofar as it is forward march of progress.” whither this policy of separate de­ supposed to guarantee his rights, is velopment is leading the country. a travesty of justice. BAASSKAP Viewed from all aspects, he said, it Religion “How can the Commission say nobody is exposed to arbitrary The system of Bantu Education has reduced the black man to a springs from “die wit mense se position of homelessness, hopeless­ arrest, detention or banishment rpH E Rev. Calata read a paper on when at the time it wrote the Re­ baasskap,” said Mr. Pitje, reading ness, helplessness, lawlessness, pen­ a paper on Bantu Education as a nilessness and powerlessness. the religious implications of the port the Governor-General could Report. He condemned the fact that arrest any African and order his technique of domination. He based In dealing with the concept of the Report sought to make the detention in jail for three months his conclusion on a statement made national homes for Africans in Ban- Church the handmaiden of the without assigning any reason and by Premier Strijdom in Parliament: . tu areas. Dr. Xuma condemned.jlhe State. He was confident, he said, such African had no right of re­ “I say there is only one way that fact that the Europeans in the coun­ that the conference would reject course to court? It is all done in the White man can maintain his try were seeking independently of the Report unconditionally. the name of the law. leadership of the Non-European in the Africans a solution to the prob­ Talking on the same tofric the “As for banishment, what of this country, and that is by domina­ lem of relations between the two Rev. Sitiloane, who returned re­ Gwentshe and others who have had tion. Either the White man domi­ groups. Any one-sided decision or cently from overseas, said that while practical experience of this aspect nates or the Black man takes over.” any scheme or plan by one section, 1' Germany he had studied the po­ of equality before the law? he said, can only rest on force and sition of the Church during the Whatever way one lo<^ at it intimidation instead of goodwill, Rev. Z. R. Mahabane, President one cannot help coming to the con­ of the Interdenominational Afri­ Third Reich and when he returned and any such scheme bears the seeds and read the Report he was filled clusion that the notion of civil of future strife and conflict. can Ministers’ Federation, who with horror to find the simUarity. rights for Africans as conceived by delivered the inaugural address the Commission must be rejected by at the conference. He refused to accept the conten­ BACKWARD STEP tion that the Church should not all right-thinkii^ Africans.” interfere in the day to day activi­ Referring to apartheid as a retro­ area alone, apart from land he ties of man. Men must be saved in FULL CITIZENSHIP gressive step Dr. Xuma said: “I have owned elsewhere. Taking into con­ their bodies and like Rev. Calata At a gathering such as this, he never known retrogression being sideration that tens of thousands of he was shocked at the utter bru­ urged, the Africans ought to place called development except in South Africans are squeezed into 74,000 tality of the Commission’s recom­ on record their determination to Africa.” morgen in Thaba Nchu, he said, mendations. w'ork for the attainment of full He drew the attention of the con­ the benevolent protection which the “As with the Rev. Calata I say citizenship status and not second or ference to the similarity of aims and Land Acts are claimed to afford the God bless Africa, not only that, third class citizzenship status, how­ purpose between the Government’s African is completely obscured. but God save Africa.” ever long the struggle may endure. “Native policy” and the Tomlinson As a result of low wages, bad “We are not opposed to the Report. Thus one cannot escape the working conditions and frequent White man or anyone else claiming conclusion, he said, that the floggings of defenceless Africans by for themselves in the land they have thoughts, deductions, recommenda­ farmers, a labour shortage had de­ Equality Before made their home all the fundamen­ tions and conclusions of the Com­ veloped on the farms. To remedy tal rights to which as human beings mission were influenced by the such a situation a congress of far­ they are entitled. WTiat we cannot Government’s “Native policy” and mers in the Free State had resolved concede is that this is a claim of ideology. for consideration by the Nationalist The Law which the White man has a mono­ Party congress that the Nationalist poly.” Referring to site and service, he Government should stop labour claimed that the Johannesburg going to the highest bidder and that Council had become the biggest no African children over 12 should ■pkEALING with civil rights for Chief A. J. Luthuli, President- builder of closets in the world. be allowed to begin at school. Africans, Professor Matthews Bantu General of the ANC, called for AS A RESULT OF SELLING said the method of appointing com­ a truly representative multi-racial “We rdject the concept of a na­ CONVICT LABOUR TO FAR­ missions in order to give the im­ conference to hammer out tiie tional home for Africans and call MERS THE GOVERNMENT RE­ pression that the passing of legisla­ answer to the country’s problems. upon South Africa to face facts CEIVED £59,000 IN 1953 ALONE. tion has been preceded by expert and admit that there can be no Education These grim facts about the lives investigation and scientific inquiry Mr. Pitje said Bantu Education is such thing as separate development of more than a third of the African i« traditional in the country. unless such expressions are used as merely the instrument by which the people have completely escaped the Among the commissions whose Government of the day seeks to per­ a cover for exploitation and econo­ notice of the Commission, charged recommendations have played havoc T^R. Mtimkulu said the Commis- mic strangulation of Africans.” -■^sion accepted as a basic assump­ petuate the outworn and thoroughly Mr. Nokwe. The Commission is ab­ with African rights in urban areas discredited myth of racial superio­ Dr. Xuma concluded by saying sorbed in the statistical problems was the Stallard Commission which tion that the Africans must be re­ garded as an independent race and rity. that to accommodate those Euro­ created by apartheid and completely preceded the Urban Areas Act. The neglects the human aspect. Commission recommended that the their development must be chanelled “It is an instrument of oppres­ peans who insist on apartheid he The Report, he said, like the African should only be allowed to along separate and different lines. sion, a technique of domination.” might consider it on the basis of apartheid policy which gave birth enter urban areas, which are essen­ He said that education should con­ Commenting on the inclusion of an ethical formula as stated by the to it, will not alleviate the suffering tially the White man’s creation, serve the best in Bantu culture. After emphasising the need for sections in the syllabus such as Commission itself: He wanted total of the African. It is intended to when he is willing to enter and focus attention on the dreamland of minister to the needs of the White the teaching of English, he said t^ t “Why we need the services of the and complete apartheid in which total separation. The people of man, and should depart therefrom Bantu Education is going to bring police and headmen,” Mr. Pitje said the country would be divided up South Africa will reject the Report when he ceases so to minister about certain solid benefits to Afri­ it all sounds like a careful plan of Referring to political rights, he can education. It will increase and with due regard to population and apartheid with the contempt indoctrination. Pupils must be they deserve said that regarded in the light of expand the opportunities for the at­ ratios. the standard set forth in the Decla­ tainment of minimum education by taught to assist these officials that REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT bringing more Africans to school. SHARP REACTION ration of Human Rights, that the assist the police in arresting their TkEALING with the economic im- will of the people shall be the basis Through the Bantu school boards fathers for pass offences, assist them The reaction from the floor was plications of the Report Mr. of the authority of Government, il and school committees it has swift and sharp, condemning any Selby Ngcobo said the establishment was a misnomer to describe African brought about a greater measure of (Continued on page 7)

Collection Number: AG2887 Collection Name: Publications, New Age, 1954-1962

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