Umteteli Wa Bantu Race Question

2 UMTI,TELi WA BANTU. JOHANNESBURG. 8TH JUNE. 1929. All ",,,,,,, ..ni"4u6In III b, "dq,uud Ili exigencies we are driven to conclude dividuality of opinion. There is in overoight 110 DO nos of men willlgro'\V MAMA-GEII., their ranks no solidarity of thought oVerDight ioto power and wealth. While that the practice of politics is in with SOme the growth ruay be pbeno P,O. Bol: 45.25, truth degrading and profitless, and and it is sate to assume that General meDII yet in the rua.jority of eases it JOHANKEUUaC that the battle for seats in Parlia· Smuts in constantly alert, tactful is a Blow process. W&Shin~ton's advice to hil people was that 'hey shonld build Pa.bli.died Weekly. ment is an emprise morally and and wary so that he rna)! not incur from the botlom and· not from the top. SUBIICRlPTlON RATa -(BY POST) intellectually debasing. the displeasure of his supporters. He saw that Negroes were in dlnger of Onl Year 15/- The Committee of the recently In such drcumstances it is pre· juat imitatiM the whites witb.ou~ laying formed Non-Racial Franchise Asso posterous to ask General Smuts to proper fonndations for tbeir Boeiallife. Sill Monthl _ 7,6 He tells us in bis book "Up From ciation has, rather unwisely we speak the whole truth and nothing TbJ:ee Month. .,- Slavery" th!l.t many Negro families just think, issued a statement which re but the truth, and we commend for immediately &fter the War of Emanci volves round the incertitude of the consideration of the Non.Racial pation neglected those thinga which Franchise Association the desirabil· were oeeessary for tb.eir lives and paid General Smuts' attitude towards the attentioo to the things withont which Umteteli wa Bantu race question. and quotes a number ity of restrammg its avidity they could live and be oontenw,d. One 8th JUNE, 1929. of remarks made by him at various for publicity and of more wisely da.y. he tell" us, he vi6ited B- Negro times and places relating to the Na· choosing how and when to dis fll-milr, R.nd noticed that while they had no bed, no table, no koives Il.nd tive case of an apparently coo charge its constitutional obligations. forks Il.nd no eb.airs yet they had II. big tradictory character. The Commit We are concerned only with the organ standing in the COIuer on which A BAD MOVE. tee calls on General Smuts to ex_ facts of the case, and we perceive they wece payi ng a. monthly instalment. The people, no doubt, were ambitious; press himself clearly and to define General Hertzog's intention to give they wanted tJ have an organ in their If we accept the view that politics his intentions in connection with the Natives nothing and to take home because white p~ople h.u thsir is a dirty game, it follows that it is the frallchise issue. The Committee away something that they have if orga.ns or pianos. But they forgot that while they had tb", ambition they did It he can manage it. General Smuts also an untruthful game. has is beating the wind. General Smuts not have the mea.n~. may not be inclined towards geoe· been said that at election times all is a p:>litician, albeit and admittedly The tendency of fln oppreued and politicians are cast in the same of a type fdT higher than the aver· rosity, but his tentative statements despised people is to pay more attention mould, their only difference being age, and he is engaged at the seem to afford evidence of an open to its disabilities tha.C\ to iU opportun mind. He has at least declared his itiell. And unlegs its lea.deu are c.pable that some of them lie more fluently moment in a stern fight for the of pointiag ont the way of salvation 'he and more convincingly than others. defence of his own and his party's determination to re.;;pect the exist· ineVItable re~1..I1t will he c)uluBioQ a.nd The recent election campaign in position and for the overthrow of ing rights of the Native people; and disintegration. The life of a people Britain was conducted with UDcom- his political opponents. It is futile notwithstanding the doubts of the depends upon its social, eoonomic, in_ tellectual and spiritual Bto.bility. And mon dignity and with a minimum of to ex:pect him at this time to cast Non-Racial Franchise Association a race of mea whose social life is not vulgarity; but even in England the away reserve and to declare himself the Native people are prepared to founded upon the rook or spiritua.lstabil rule usually operates much as it is freely on the Native or any other welcome a National Convention to ity cannot, even with politioal pOwer at ita disposal, acbieve a position of im doing in South Africa, and politicians question; and it is surprising that deal with tbe franchise and other portance in the affairs of oivilieed man· under election stress become won- men like Sir Jame Rose-Innes, phases of Native affairs-provided kind. derfully facile of invective and Messrs Burton and Ross Frames that they are adequately represent The Bantu are tod .. y sta.ndiog on falsehood. Political animosities and and Professor Fremantle, versed in ed. the tbreahold of II. new life, bristling with difficulties lI.nd eooia.] llroblems personal feuds are accentuated in election subtleties and horrors, Writt.n by A. R. M.pIDYO, 46 E.d Stre.t. J.IwIUI b~rr, , ...prell tit. Pi.WI of "U ..t.l.li w. Bo..t~:' that are as baffling as tbey a.re meoaoing. the Uniun by racial differences and should waste so much of their valu In this period of transitioo ~hey >:leed by traditional beliefs unaffecte9 by able time for the mere purpose of • gllida.noe and aesistaDOe, aod they need knowledge which will enable them to passing years and changing condi- advertising their new society. For Do we make use of our fight against the disint.ellrating in tions, and discretion is flung to the they cannot hope that General Opportunities? fiuenoos of tbe Dew life The old winds_ Speech makers say only Smuts will embarrass himself and Bantu was deeply religious ",tid o.r ried his religion into aU hie a.c'iv_ what they believe a majority of their his friends by replying categorically (BY R. v. SELOPE-TnEMA..) ities. His Cl..IstolllS and tra.dition! re audiences wishes to hear. There is to questions to which few men in It wa.s Booker Wo.ebington, ooe of gulated and direoted his life. The Dew a complete absence of decorum, and II South Africa could honestly provide tbe foremost leadets of the Negro raco Blntu is ra.Jlidly disoarding the old veracity is variously adorned to suit complete answers. The Committee in America., who advised his pe~ple life and be is enteriog the new life ., DO~ to let their grievances overshllodow wi,hout any pre])a'ation. In the pasb the occasion. There is, moreover, asks inopportunely am' too much, their opportunitie5.·' Thie wu 80und he wa~ taught to diac,arn. ilis custom. a lamentable dearth of ideas, inven _ and we venture to suggest that its advice, and was faitbfully foltowed by and traditions ail thillr.:J of da..rkno:~'1. tiveness being a monopoly of the own objecLives will more hopefully Ne~toes with tha result tbat withio But "part from th~ Chru'inn relillion there wa" harily nnytbioc thtLt WU fll..lt few. Thus we are called upon to be pursued if s')me study is given sixty YOIlrS of tbeir emanCipiLtion from slavery thev ha.ve progresaed to a.n in their stead. Tile result wtl.sthe endure a wearisome repetition of to political psychology and if reaS03· extent that hlS IIostonished tbe world, brea.king up of tribal ani! f!lmily otg&ni the phrases, mostly unadmirable, able strategy is exercised. Its whilo explodir.g the theory that ."m ,lOtion. '\tld tod,,), there i8 .. cry t.hl!.t ~.i e chio·s hBve I Jtit ' }lltrol over their with whic:h le<1deri I)f the respective sorties on oublic o[linioo will grow Alricnn was inca.pahle- of f"')~rei;'. \Va at,· . lid ">a.t tvla.y "U<l .'u.oe-< III Negro J;:;:j:J .~ pal. t oalll,ot !laDa~. sides e~:,3.y each)ther'", political tediou:. unless th~- are mure ere ., I,:,wing Jon imp::H·h.nt pa,rt in the ,I[ '.:11 :lreo o· ~'u.t ~ol·lren defamation; while the leS5er lights, fully planned; nor will the deliver ,levelopmoDt of lUI !.moric\n civilisa. bu.t{" "Ie' lelnm· na I ,. Tb.'ll::.>. lOtegc:l.tiC'1 0 JOJ! 011 I, ".~':. ··6 inexcusably heroic. abuse their ance of opprt!ssed peoples- b~ coo· tion. He is ml\kiDg II distinllt contri butk'n in llWr'Lt\lftl, art (I,~d science. Ilrevenk·!."o t ,1''''ri,hle tha! Lt betters. The" dirtiest election ever " trived by if!;udiclov"S and Ill-timed 1\li<lc·;·;"lly ue'i~ increasing ill wOll.ltb, 91l0Utrl. be ch'."~k,!,'1 \Vb'lt We c.. ;lld is IS a disgraceful, disgusting business, attacks upon the rectitude of a a.nd Il~rticipatin~ io the comworci~l and tb.a.t wa sh)uld)'e gt ·dod an" cli.aeted ill our aI·llanCe into tl. '"w Jj·a by and altl10ugh we takesideshesitantly leader of place seekers.

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