fas work , rnnoR art mnj ,T* b » utsiar ? rcm it . . f * asrianw. THIS JOURNAL (ISIZWE) [ ® DfTTCATEP to the men f AND WOMEN WHO ARE DAILY FERSRUTEE THEIR ACTIVE PARTICIPATION B* THE SHIOGCIIE FOR MANKIND'S FREEDCM tEp Xsi 7 .v*£- ISIZWE y JaaaBry( 1956 . SUPPORT THESE JOt&tfALSj NO/ AGE. FIGHTING TAUC: LIIEFATION: MOHLA' -ANI : •THE CALL : W0-KHl»S UNITY : CONGRES VOICE : * RESISTANCE TO TYRANNY 13 THE FIRST OBEDIENCE TO GOD. T {\II ll tom- 4 /w t U heh S ii £ n <£ ^ >,U<C£'S you smtfa ISIZVTS IS WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED EY THE ISIZWE IDITQRIAI. rCARL , 2, MAIAKANE SIREET , NEW DRIC-HTDN PORT EUZACEhi .
Transcript
fas work , r n n o R art m nj
,T *b » utsiar ?rcm it . .
f*
a s r i a n w .
THIS JOURNAL (ISIZWE)[ ® DfTTCATEP to the men f AND WOMEN WHO ARE DAILY
FERSRUTEE THEIR
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION B* THE SHIOGCIIE FOR MANKIND'S FREEDCM
t E p X s i 7 .v*£-
ISIZWE y JaaaBry( 1956 .
SUPPORT THESE JOt&tfALSj
NO/ AGE.
FIGHTING TAUC:
LIIEFATION:
MOHLA' -ANI :
•THE CALL :
W0-KHl»S UNITY :
CONGRES VOICE :
*
RESISTANCE TO TYRANNY 13 THE FIRST OBEDIENCE TOGOD.
T {\IIl l t o m - 4 / w t U h e h S i i £ n <£
^ >,U<C£'S y o u s m t f a
ISIZVTS IS WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED EY THE ISIZWE IDITQRIAI. rCARL ,
2, MAIAKANE SIREET , NEW DRIC-HTDN
PORT EUZACEhi .
)
J
k
IN _J g g xssuy :
RACIALISM - jg L :*>tocRniq
tools and ues .
OFGANISATIORAL Problem* of the A.N.C.
ISITHOKO-THOKO SESIFTNGO.
" THERE WILL ^OME A TIME Vfl i
will de mor:: pffraFVl i:-.;-
strangi.?; t c d u
wTRTIQGLE'AQAINST SLAVE ETUCATION .
IIMAKYAKO ZJtBASKDFNZI .
/eft silekce
VOICHF iDU
- 1 - / 7
*31 tor 1*1. .
MURMR WILL OUT . '
B i z n , M a r c h , 1 9 5 6 .
The laat two weeks hare seen a few store of those incidents that are becoming a eonmooplace in the Jungle that is Nationalist South Africa • .. The'pattern la regular and identioal in every case — a challenge of peaceful and harmless Africans by well-armed r iy 3 provocative police - the shooting of a few rounds from a sten gtu resulting in several deaths end many more wounded . This is followed by the obviously slanted press and radio versions which prepare the coxntry far the usual police statement whitewashing the aggressors and placing the Mane on the Africans , on agitators , or even on the African Rational Congrasa , ftnally there 1s the arrest of Africans on acme rldiouicAie charges «
BUT MURDER WILL OUT sooner or later . Today a bankrupt and decaying social structure supports and sustains this type of incident and the trigger-happy neurotica that wield the starwgtm & rifle , All this is but a symptom of the degeneration of the ruling class and is of a piece with the tragic drana of the gladiator shows at the Colloaeum that announced more surely than anything else the Inevitable downfall of the great Homan Ifcrpire ,
In so far aa our people are concerned those incidents emphasise the necessity for organisation , discipline and a complete victory for the Freedom Charter in our country . The creation of a People's Democracy will be a sure guarantee of the people's safety from any form of legalised murder . It is then too, after the establishment of People's Rule , that we can deal with those responsible for these crimes against the people , After all prescription does not run in the case of murder ,
oooooooooOOOO00ooo^ooooc
The adoption of the FREEDOM CHARTER at the special oonfafence of the A.N.C. held in Johannesburg recently represented a rreat Victor for the forces of progress and democracy in this country . And it 1% at the very least symbolic of the times that the national Conference of the C,O.D, meeting at the same time endoravd the Charter ,» Thus whilst the gulf beteeen the Nationalist goveranerit and the African people has become still greater, the unity between the Africans and the Europeans who love freedom has been indissolubly cenenteri by tbw adoption of an identioal programme . The results of this are incalculable .
The Charter has now become a basic part of the A.N.C. policy and programme and as such binding on all members and supporters of the organisation • The task can now proceed unhampered of mobilising the millions of people in the towne and vil lages of South Africa behind the Charter » This work has got to be done tirelessly, pationtly and- thoroughly , The recent ban on nestings of more than ten African® in the Port Elisabeth and Human*dorp districts is going to be extended to other urban districts in the Union » Already the ban covers large parts of the country including the fee—called Reserves .
y*In practice these bans will render the work of arg-mlslj*? aaJ
uniting the people more difficult . It bocorcea therefore oore urgent to
Set the Freedom Charter to be part of the very soul of the people of outh Africa •
dam | to husband and ooMolldate your own forcee during that tine and to plan for tha counWr-offeoaive and final victory , all this lavery difficult and can only ba dona by tha eollactlTa leadership of ■atcring organisations .
It la characteristic of tha present tine that tha novanente of tha democratic camp are doing Just that # Thay ara proceeding vith confidence to crltldee and recognise their own
, organisational snortcorrdn^s 5 they are consolidating and huabanSiig their force* not through talk but precisely by engaging In the numerous day to day struggles of the people whether local or national ) and more Important at the height of the reaction they Bofclllso the creative eherriae of the people of our land and produce a prograwae that Is a sure sign of victory - the freedom Charter . That is not the work of a day. It is the accumulated experience of forty year* of struggle that produces that kind of thing . Hence the shattering force of the Charter *
y If the people of 3cuth Africa are organieod aroujri sodynardc a procransne as the Charter ; If they learn the relevance of ^he different sections of the Charter to their livee fcy means of struggles local an4 national in which they themselves participate y Nothing will
/ stop us when the time cones . Then , indeed . "The People Shall / Govern" .
J S W n } M a r c h , 1 9 9 6 ,
A
•V/
T S E ja a B B gN
One of these days we will Tobahly have the time to go thrcugh the nunercua volumes of unscientific bourgeois - Yes - bourgeois trash compllod by the Tonlinson Conrdssion . At the moment however we are only concernod to refer to the one fanlt contained in every single scheme supposedly drawn up to " solve the Native Prrbler". They are all unilaterally conceived by members of the ruling minority • It ia but fair to say that no such scheme will succeed or be accepted.It may be forced dcvn people's throats temporarily , but in the long run such a scheme will ool1^pse . No group whether it be African ,^iropean , Indian or Coloured has the right to arrogate to itself the power to draw up 3chymes , however wei''-intentioned , which purport to be for the good of the whole population . Ohly plans drawn up by ALL TOGETHER for the good of ALL TOGETHER will succeed ,
In the Liberation Movement that leeaon has Just about sunk in , Hence the amazing force of the Freedom Charter . It resnlns now for the lesson to be drunned into the hard heads of the Tomlinson’ s , ^arwo?Td'5 and others of such ilk . It apTjeers rs if only the force of history will accomplish that .
iMEHP
t
»
I S I Z W X , M a r c h ,1 3 9 9 6 .
RACIALISM - ITS T0OIS AND CTCttaQCTB IK HITLBl'S SHROPt.
ft In a bleak hour of dawn in the epring of 1944 Hitler1*tanks burst across the front!ar . The dim political and moral twilight \ whioh had hovered over ray country for many years , suddenly turned into complete , chaotic darkness .
Mine had never been a happy country . Beneath the glitter of its ur-tine cafeterias , fine theatres and concert halls there yawned an imnense amount of poverty and semi-feudal oppression , While the sons of the titled land—ovnor , the doctor and the lawyer , the merchant ant1 the high-ranking civil servant went to study - and to play - to Vienna and Paris , the peasantry ( four fifths of the population) lived in hovels , in squalor , illiteracy and near starvation . The rate of deaths by tuberculosis was one of the scandals of Burope , The Church kept on preaching that obedient submission is the highest virtue , that , on condition they cast out all dreams of advancement in this world , tho poor will in the end inherit the kingdom of heafen , As if to reinforce this spiritual message , a strong police force was organised - its lumbers , with cad historical irony , rocruite^ from among the poor themselves - in order to make sure that all notions of "sedition" will fce speedily knocked out of the few thinking heads , by boots and rifl&-butts
• i f necessary .
There was also the obvious method of distracting attention from the real evils . Officialdom f the gentry and the clergy vied with one another in blaming the Slav neighbouring nations and the Jewish minority for all the ills of the country . The mass of the people , desperate because of its privations and illiterate by the design of the ruling social set , could easily be swayed to fall in with such -^responsible , aide- tracking agitation . Occasional outburta of violence against* ews and other minorities showed how the genuine grievances of a peoplycould be nis-directod into false , racialist channels.
r ____ Gradually , as the Second World War approached and wore on,the governing class became more and more an obedient tool in the powerful German monster . Without ai$r visible signs of compulsion , the fascist Big Brother aede ay country adopt the Gorman rsoialist ideology and techniques . % a sham-respectable , pcepous prooess of legislation , Jews were exoluded from artiy occupations . All Jews previously in public servioo were aujnarily sacked 4 Ibiversity lecturers wore abruptly suspended , Business licences wore withdrawn , shops closed, professional men excluded from their respective associations • 7 ^ sew called " foreign Jews" were brutally uprooied from their places «T domicile and surrendered to the military authorities for'repatriation • .The syster. of miaBTjft— Cl&HflUa *as introduced in the universities so as to whittle down the number of Jewish students tc a negligible proportion. An innorality Act was passed which made marriages between Jew Gentile legally inpossible , and any sexual connections between thorn a criminal ofi once . In a hundred losser or greater annoying measures tho doctrine of racial superiority was put into operation .
But the true face of Nasi racialism only became apparent In the months that followed that sa^ , rainy morning when ny country was invaded , Within weaks it was made compulsory for all people of
• ewiah extraction to carry special docnwiiU (PiflMt) and weer large yellow stare go their outer garments , for easy identification . Rot <®*7 people who professed the Jewish faith, but anyone who had at least one Jewish grand-parent coxae under the provisions of this legislation *A curfew wav imposed i any Jew who dared to venture into the streets after the stipulated hour soon found hinself in the unsparing clutches of the Gestapo ( secret police) . The curtailmarts in occupational and educational opportunities which in previous yeara were only sporadic , now tightened into a stranglehold . The degree of genuine poverty among the dtspoeseeeed became ever nore distrosaing , Starvation in nany ^Juseholds beoaao a grim reality .
# _J *he next move was ooapulsory residential segregation of the Jews
all other "races" . In each town a snail area - nsually the worst bIubb - was declared as the or Qrcup Arec for^ewd ,At an absurdly short notice , all Jews were compelled to foraake their old family dwellings and most of their posseasions and move into the ghetto. The overcrowding within the walls of the ghetto - artificially sealed away Apod the outside world tjr bar bed-wire and a raachina-gunned military guard - reached terrifying proportions . Bpidemics broke out but there was no adequate medical aid to meet them ; famine too began to take its victims . Old people and children , the sick and the ailing > died in their hundreds — cases which with proper help and under deoent conditions could have been saved »
The young and still abl^-bodiod both men and women were forced into labour-brigadea. Every morning they were driven in close formation froji the ghetto under the keen eyes of an esoort quick on the trigger , to the place of whatever hard or degrading labour they were assigned to , There they worked to tho limits of human endurance . After the point of utter exhaustion had long been reached they were horded back at night into the ghetto again . Any attenpt at escape , or indeed a n y relaxation in the rigour of their offort a was punished by an unhesitant bullet , The Jew -• so the official dogma ran - was sn inferrior creature , oven in appearance not quite human t intellectually and norally degenerate ■His only right to survival ( for the tine being only; lay in his oapadty to do the work which ail others refused as to heavy or to base .
Perhaps the most tragic aspect of all these oventa was the nanner in which Nazi ingenuity used the Jews thene elves to dig their own graves both as individuals and as a community , both figuratively and in a quite literal sense .
hew abeurdly atarry-eyed this supposition was . Uie creed which led to all these horrible techniques of persecution , regarded tho very Ideas of charity , mercy or humanity an fancies befitting inferior racos only .The acre obedient the Jpf was in carrying out the Nazis orders tie n»re they were convinced that the Jew deserved no better treatment . The trn welL-peening but hopelessly naive members of the JUnBHRiT leamt the atysnal folly of their attitude only when it was too late already to avert its dreadful consequences , -
And there were others too cn the Judenrat who could not be credited even with a faint suspicion of having had honourable motives , There were the carelees and the cynical who hoped to gain favour for themselves in the eyes of their fascists by their over zealous subservience to racialist doctrines , For a mere pittance of personal exemption they were quite willing to sacrifice tens of thousands of their o«n flesh and blood to Hitlers butchers . No Gerr»n could have surpassed In keeness those nsnbers of the Judenrat who thought to earn merit by oceplying with all the denands and executing all the decrees of the Gestapo • But even these could not bi y their own oonriunity by treason . Thtough they betrayed their persecuted people they too vere crushed In turn by Nazi bostiality . As long «as they were of some use tc the Regime they were kept alive and even in relative confort , No soonorydid their usefulness cease and they shared the fate of their betrafed trothers . The tragic analogy of the extern!nation canps held true here too . In Auschwitz and Maid on ek tho deh’.manized scunof the Jewish people volunteered to supervise their own peoples narch to the Gas chambers and death . . In the end they also ware node to join the queue .
But not only on the top, on the Judenrat level did Jewry witness and suffer fron betrayals . A3 the proccss of ♦he deliberate degradation of hunen dignity continued , more and more little mer 6t>d women were found who sold their souls to the devil. Jewish policemen , Block supervisors ( cf. Headmen ) labour overseers came forward to earn a miserable lease cf life or loaf of bread by becoming agents of the oppressor , Human failures who had never earned public respect by decent endeavour found an Occasion now to fulfil their ugly ambitions by terrorising and exploiting thoir kin t in th«jse days of dir<* aalanity .The Nazi monster was only too glad to have these allies . It did not have to dirty Its own hands too much —r there were traitors tc do it instead ,In due tine these too were swept out of the v<\y .
It was the victorious armies of the Allies which crushed this bestial system of oppression ,degradation and calculated massacre . Nazi fury was drewned In its own blood in Europe , At last - so it seoaed then- human freedom , right and dignity wore restored all ever the world . The survivors of the calamity could begin to build a new life over the ruins r.nd the graves ,
Did that era teach mankind anything at all ? The lessons of that period though bitter as gall , are basically simple .
Racial oppression is a child of stupidity and vlleness , 6f unbrindled selfishness running amok in a narrow prejudiced nind . It - instead of solving the real problems of society — adds a tremendous new item to their saddenlngly long list . Its tlma-tatle 13 always the sane... degrading marks of identification , curtalInert nf perecnal liberty , limitation of economic and educational opportunities , residential segregation , forced labour carapa and ( when the antagonism thus engendered as to make even the racialists realise the exploaivaness cf the situation ) organised mass murder , The rrst poteftt and periloat weapon In the hands of the oppressor is aithi'r naively nd.S{*uided or conciously treacherous behaviour of ccrtaln raerbers of the victimised
9 group • The goal towards which all racialist doctrines >-nd practic e thrust society blindly yet inevitably is utter catastrophe .
• -0 -
ISIZVi: , M a r c h ,1 9 5 6 .
E WOT UPON THEE TO FINISHthe w o * , uzrmm art thou
TO DESIST HU3M IT .
ISIZWB r March, 1956.
m u t iM i -
THIS JO'MiAL (ISIZVE)IS DETICATU) TO THE MBS AND WOMHC WHO ARE DAILY PERSECUTE) It) THEIR PARTI CIPATION IN THE STRUGGLE FOR MANKIND'S
FRHEDOH.
thoec journals*
NW AGE FIGHTING TALK! LIBERATION J
HOHLABANI j THE CALL : WORKER'S UNITY, CONGRESS VOICE*
|ijjMSISTANCE W TYRANNY tS THE FIRST ?BS>r#*CE TD 'jOD j
( Published br the Ieizvc EfHtortet Boer<! , 3ox 129A» Port. Elizabeth)
ORGANISATIONAL PROBUMS OF IRS A.N.C. by Klsngisi
Thor* is a very important development in our political struggle , • that of examining our organisational problems and weekneases • The tendency of raising thaaa problems for diaouaaion in writings and in discussion circle* will ensure the oorrectlon of our mistakes and the raising of our political understand^ .
It canno* be disputed that the Congreas arganiaaticnal machinery iscumbersome , but it would be a mistake to aastaae that this is the only cause of the organisational problems which the A.N.C. is nov facing .The low political understanding of both members and leaders is a vital contributory cause and aggravates the organisational problems . The inefflency of committees , the laxitv is ovrying out directives are due more to lack of political oonclousness and wderstanding than to a .cumbersome organisational machinery . Too nary officials tend to think that they can attend to A.N.C. affairs only when they have nothing else to do .
The organisational machinery of the ANC is rendered cttabarsons , firstly i by the lack of proper centralisation . The autonory of the provinces is an undesirable feature of our organisational structure and it is carpletely out of date , The reliance only cm Provincial Secretaries to submit reports and forward directives to the branches has hampered the development and progress of the branches . This should be roctifled by creating a direct link between the regional branches or local branches and the National Kxocutive . This *• of oourse, does not mean doing , away with the provincial system completely , It implies a modification of the functions of the provinces .
Secondly, the present provincial areas are unrealistic • Vast areas which have no real relationship to one another fall under the same province . The effect is that even an efficient provincial executive can only carry out its functions superficially and usually fails to keep contact with the large portions under its supervision . Tho Cape Province , for instance , could for organisational purposee be divided into a ember of provinces • This would enable provincial organs to lntonsify the organisation within their areas and alss deal with the specific oorr.on problems of their areas ,
Within each province , it is also essential to build up small p. closely knit regional organa , which would oo-or^inate the work of a few branches within a snail area .
What has been said about the clvmsy size of certain provincos car also be said In relation to many of our branches today * Tho system of establishing branches on the basis of huge townships s h o u l d be a v o i d e d ,
as in many cases these townships are too large for effective or franisation under a single executive oonrdttee . J>r\aller branch units would be mare effective and active . Tho branches too should be further sub-divided into blocs according to the *1!* plan ) each bloc should be a living nucleus of the organisation providing the membership with political education by discussing the material produced by the organisation and also wielding the mesfrerefelp together through 9o d al and oulttxol activities .
The financial condition of the organisation is one of the most disgraceful aspects of its work . The confidence the people have in the ANC shcaild have been used to eliminate our financial troubles . Tho main reason why the organisation continues to lack funds is tho fact that up to now the whole machinery of the ANC hww been inefficient . With an efficient organisational machinery we will at the same time have an efficient financial machinery . The two aspects of our organisation are
inseparably bound together . The ANC membership is only financial3y valuable once a year when subscriptions are paid. It is essential that branches through their bloc leaders should l^>laaant the decision of the Kimberley ocnference which required every msmtnr to pay a monthly le*y of one shilling in the urban are a and 1 Ixpenct In the rural • ees* ^d s
ISIZVI , March # 1956.
will not only be a aource of funds bat will assist In activising meabers.
Efficient organisational machinery or structure will not of itaelf eliminate c*r orftaniaational problems . It la esssntial that the people who will operate the machinery pust raiae their political conciouaneaa and understanding . It is therofore Imperative that the organisation •hould provide members with systematic political education . Finally the gigantio tasks which face the ANC to—day have croated a condition in which it is impossible to rely on perWtlme workers only a It is nocoaaary to introduce full-time paid functionariea at all levels of our organisation s ^iere Is no doubt that once these defects have been remedied the decisions of the organisations will"Efficiently , effootively and iBiifomly executed . /
( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
WHAT ON EARTH HAVE RUSSIA OP CHINA GOT TO DC VITH IT 7
p U r?1® APrlL 1 f«»J0 "lighting Talk" contains an article by Mr.atrick Duncan which sets out to reply to criticlaae of the Utxral Party
by various members of the Congress • of Democrats . The article has aurprise^ us a great deal . No attempt was made to be objective and we oaraot get over the feeling that mischief was intended by the author .
« T?er° 18 flr8t of a3J 1116 arrogant claim that the Uberal Partyla the only organisation which "has in fact made no concession to tho colour-bar . Presumably this refers to the fact that the Liberal Party . besides Europeans contains Non-Whites . Others may t* impressed
Aftican would O '** such a claim from the Uberal South AfVlrlo^ raucous :laughter . After People’s organisations in
* h*Te suffered for decades in the fight arnlnatColdurwbar and the polical and economic set-up that
n° y ^ ° :L? ** aJ woo,Mr that they in ftict make no Colour-ber • This is on a par with the pro*! boast
repT \ thao ^ rf,ason of the Citizenship Act the Africans
before*the Uw - ’U U shM-lrr wlth *ropem.
merelv Z, *** 18 there *° h® fou^ht • It does not disappearw T i a ^fP^an® are willing to accept selected Africans Into
f S L T L S S 3 * * ° f thQ" • * ^ ^ t an id e atio n of aoolour-bar that ho is prepared to sit next tc one of
ba£ Care y arranged drcuastancee . Ib fight the oolour-r? L “^ ^ n o concessions to it means to <«ge an uncompromisingataroggle agalqgt the whole colfcur-har society and the economic structure
^ a c ^ ? ^ T ttT J ? +0r?anlfl1^ thL OR* s 0f * * P*°Ple late a force capable* • PatrJck understand the
a of National Oppression ? • Doe* He knew the dif for once between
C o!d a nt tlonal organisation ? Nelfchar in the A.K.C. orOura ^ ^ar.e?t fcraal goaturw against the ColowU3ar .
1 eoarade.+iip pitting itaelf against the realities of
°PPrf ,*ioK ** W h l f r i c a . That the Uberal Party ®d«ratand bftcauae it bases its actlvites too mAh on Mr.
So- and-so rather than on policy and p m g r n e . ,
. . **“* then Dunoaetftakea the G.O.D. and A.K.C. to taak \ for what he calla dlignocnt with and China In the CoJd War
f W - «*
D i a i > l W * , 1 9 5 6 .
S L t*nn r ’ ?r **“ M bT *1 I»rtr to t«k. .ocoart Of Om fvT?®-; 0 * ifrlo<m poople ColonUUj* and %
S w W ^” . oioM U l jW B t with th« W«t«n> Povar., 1b th.
“ * • ^ ’loanf *r* oooc«nad we m Africa ruled ov«r by a «nb«r of We.t«pn *cw«ra including Balgiua , M ta ln . Partowd.
?rmr5CS6 » . * *A* ^ Spain • MU Ilona of African* wore trej-arcrted
? “ 5 ° . ^ i* Bric»£ «* « !** •• and they are rtHl fighting for fTaedom In the H .S U . it U.N.O. aU these powers ▼ota agalnet the interests of the oppressed colonial peoplea • - R^atnstua Africans particularly , regularly and without fail . O u r own
notorious apartheid clique receives the tacit support of thaae power* in the interests of fighting against SoHBQida8ifl .
*he A***c* i» agalnat imperialism and eolonialiam it wil] obviously be against the foreign policy of the C .S .A ., Britain and FVance which is baaed on aipport of colonialism . As for the Russians
h?v I * ° n earth haVe thQy «** *° do with it ? Theythl? i are against colonialism and imperialism . Thereforei find themselvos on the same side as we are and vice versa. H *t
are^otflrml n n°r * Xt 19 the fnvdt of th« Imperialists who^determ ined to carry on their exploitation an3 oppression of other
'Hie rest of Mr. Duncan's article consists of slanders and innuendo s against the Conr-uniet Party of S uth Africa , tfce C.O.D. and
thin.-'l* n° ovltfence is Preferred at all and the wholet w a ? ^ i liberals have of the Africans thatJ l Z l f V i Under"!and anything at al) and are Just unsophisticated ,
S 3U3t PUlla'' 17 th“ — ly noa-Africans who Ire
whr We lrl Just heartily sic* and tired of those people
" ^ " 6ave" Africans from the imapineryoontrcx of Moscow" , ’’New Delhi" , "Cairo" , etc. Let then
Prem ia “5? Job of getting us all out of the control ofPretoria anffi they will find us better friends . ‘
ooooooooooOOOOOoooooooooooo
"All national groups shall bo protected by law against insults to their race and national pride j
v"?? T ^ 106 of f race or colour discriminationand contempt shall be a punishable crime ;
ffuhxy Cujrrm -
ISIZWB , March, 1956.
tawoaxa fcdttoatho vakudal* taako w l ^ t o « V W ^ « V “ ttVHKi aaizele ngokwakhe uku*a ktmabctwa sedgodini • »«ia vakfaa
, abilala ocngxqw»*ikula abase Ifritani naaa Morf*a » jam agoduke neaikotUa aaiaakuphela eogagqibanga nevakl ekhsya , . kuf\»ak* ukuba aphiaiale . W f r i k a naye wapfeelelwa kuksaW a ,
jwM im yaxomakeka ekuberd athengise anandla akhe • »aba
Making cloaing r«narka at tha ccmdualon of the Seaalcn of the Tnmakai whore the C«uncill£*rs hartto operate the natico^lat nach-inary of oprwseioii (the ^ t a Autborltlae Act) t Chalr*na» whc If the Chi?.x Natire vonr jsal atIn tha frasfcal aald >
proposal is that each fcagiatrat* should held a. a special Mating of all the chiefs ertf nends«n of his district togetfc** vitii awAara of the dlstriat c«aunJ > ao3 try to thrash <mt dataile of tribal *»+> iritlea
.in ihrzir dls’ ricto .................
Wt AR2 wa» GIVING 1C0U 2HS TO RTD5 <t "we" I m b the govern***) BUT DO NOT yOHjg WKIM !TOP
ue? m x m d ticthe ,1m can jusi get ck that 5 ^ 3 no w-zv&f *
ISmnt , March, 1956. .
ffm SmXtiU AGAINST BilfW EDUCATION.
It is qcm exactly a year •lace the parents on the Reef began an active mass struggle against the notorious Bantu Education Act tinder the leadership of the African National Coqgreea . On April,12th 195$ . African parents in Beoonl withdrew their children from Bantu Sobools and pointed the way towardi the oocf>lete destruction of the Bantu EduoStion %stec . This is therefore aa good a time as any to discover the progreea , if any , of the cenpaign against the Bantu mducation Act . .
The first question that naturally springs to the Hind le whether or not the lead given by the Durban Conference of the A.N.C. and ooplifled In numerous statements and articles contained in the literature of the Congress rMotaoent has been Justified by events . Tho A.N.C. attitude was that the Bantu Education system was a far-reaching attack on educational standards and was intendod to make of the Africans a docile nation of labourers . Tho organisation felt that Dantu Education was poisin for 'frican children j that the teachers would be attacked by the I*A.D. on all sides ; that they would be dismissed and that their salaries and security would disappear ; that therefore the Act C'*ild not be fought from within . The A.N.C. pointed out the fallacy of tho idea that the Africans would control education through Dantu School Doardi and Ccomltteos established in terns .of the Act and
Sredicted that those would in tine turn out to bo mere adjuncts of the otlve Affairs Deportment.
On the basis of this onalydls the A.N.C. felt thct tho ONLY way to dofert the Bantu Education Act was to parsuado the parents to to take the hard and perhaps painful decision of withdrawing their ohildren fronOantu Schools . If this were dono the A.N.C. was positive that the whole Bantu “ducation structure would come crashing to the ground . v
% .Needless to say the attitude of the Congress met with voheaert
opposition from all sides and in particular from the teaching profession itself throughout the country . The Congress was looked upon as completely wrong in its policy . Some said Bantu ^v+ucation was not as bad as all that and others maintained the Act could be fought from within the systerc . All organisations outside the Congro3s movement (with the possible exception of the Anglican Church on the P«et ^ oppcsod the Congress line . We recall a particularly virulent l\uty Movement leaflet issued about this time last vear which uttgrly oondnraned the A.N.C. attitude .
It is but fair to say now that after a year of Dantu truncation in action tho A.N.C. and its allies are tho only one- who in natters of basic policy and method will not have to do any heartf-eearchjjvg , Tho attitude of the Congress has been conpletely vindicated .
Ihe attaek on our educational standards t achieved after a hundred yeers of educational sitrugglo , proceeds apace . Whether it is primary or higher education the probleaaa grow ncre profound as the ‘Nationalists Intensify their attack . As time pas'es by more fantastic and unbelievable become the vorfcj of the N.A.D. Tho H at of dismissed teachers grow* daily. Our children continue to be fed on trash and still more trash . The scenes of thr Nationalist* are revealing themselves as *evon worse than anticipated as they unfold .
The reaction of the people to these attacks hea been mixed . fh- snd tiCi'tsaci policy of the A.N.C. has resulted inthe«eand.s of
children being withdrawn from Bantu Schools in the Eastern Cape end the Reef . These have been organised in cultural olube which are carrying o<i the task of providing our children with a modern and progressive cultural outlook amid prodigious odds . On the other hand the weaknesses in propaganda and organisation of our movements h*a prevented the Campaign against Bantu Education assuming a iass form as soon as was expected . This may be due to the fact that many people within the movement looked upon the campaign as a more protest whereas it is and must be a long and sustained struggle for Real Education . These mistakes need to be corrected and with the \ experience and confidence gained from events of the past yoar the Congress Movement must carry cm the canpaign against Bantu education
until the evil system is defeated .
m j s a u L m m a m •
Consideration of the role the people are expocted to play in fighting Bantu ^tucation is not cra^lete without r of erring to the teachers who have placed themselves in a particularly invidious position wherein they are wide open to attack by the Nationalists. If anything is clear from the events of the past year it is that the teaching profession as we know it is doomed. This applios not only to the African toachers but to those of other groups as well . The teachers have lost tho status and security that they enjoyed relative to ether sections of the African population , They a£e harrassed , intimidated , divided and in fear .Their organisations can give than no asaitance • Th^Tare isolated from the people through their opposition to the A.N.C. policy . The question then is what is the teacher expected to do in the circunstances • Is ho to wait Micavber-like for something to turn up whilst the government dismisses a P teachers whom it thinks cannot conform 7 Or is he going to support the P e o p l e ' s Organisations in their policy of total withdrawal of children from Vsrvoerd Schools ? The choice rests with the teachers both individually and as a collective unit. If reason does not , eventswill show the teacher that the only way of restoring security and standards to the profession is to defeat the Bantu Kucation system • The road napped by the Congress Movement is a harsh and rough <■ ne , But there
Xuscase^a o»i airmnga nje seJcusikva islaena e^ew ri 'r%an batyalaJvt u'rob« bayo kwakhe aouxpa anej-bcrape khonc . KalaJlsva
H PIT IS SOT UPON THEE TO njJSH B B WORK, KEITKflr / ART THOU ?WE TO DESIST
n w i r . ( ,
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IX 1 ‘•o- ..jt a. ATIv l*
DH)ICATICy.
THIS JOURNAL (ISIZWE) IS DEDICATED TO THE Mi» AND WOKEN
WHO ARE DAILY PERSECUTED FOR THEIR ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN TOE STRUGGLE FOR MANKIND'S
FREEDOM.
SUPPORT THESE JCURNAIS:
NEW AGE.
FIGHTING TAIKj -
LIBERATION: . *
MDHIADANI:
THE CALL:
WORKERS’ UNITY.
)
LLRESISTANCE TO TYRANNY IS THE FIRST GPEDIEJJCE TO GOD
■ 'fy n t Iv/ll Ccfrle I? -fjMe VJjtCN fc/K il/il'rtCf isnU 4 f
% H e hw ii/ 'i /L -fttHf.' -TfK-'VncM Vc-n
JEWE IS WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED BY THE "ISEWE EDITORIAL BOARD",
2 , MALAKANE STREET, NEW FHIGKTON.
PORT ELIZABETH.
f f t * * no .....7 ....................... ............. .....' *
■ p * r , ........ l E L M ' I ^
Te........ ^ S . r -r TJF H B X / '> ) * r ^ r / t /n , s ............... :•• is EW E ', Jfcnuary, 1956 .Datum......k * ,/W a
M S * #
--kokc udolIeintlth/1 akJr‘ 1 !fgn ^^^n u b a n lsa ngeentlokc
nj* abantu afcofuni nokuvn k S ^ z l J S l t j hi J "afcnBtu ncenk°si . Kunanhla Hnk ai agdt*b‘ W R ±xho1* ^ velefutha .
* « t u - * * » - * «
unzi ^ ^ i r ^ ^ ^ J t h e t h w r 2 i ^ ^ i bnkh0nfTf 1K1C1ngarhandle kokubayinccanezelc ka VeleStte ? ^ "t-haba lwatimtu uyifunde inyaniso yokubn S k? /0 ^cineaelo kufuneka <mS -C*c tana neenkoai , “ * * “ ■‘uNihl'Jngu unrethlsl a m n d l a . .£
-ensile na “ I f w . ukuba
■ -inokuwexulwa lutahaba nrnnsln^* i . 1 nesiqingatha kwoNciba . ‘ f ^ wobuxoki njongoko kwenaekile Phesheya
OOOOOOOOOOf-OOOOOOOOOOOO *t
________ ^ s*TTPN of To p m , , . TT~ tr ^ r .
ariae out o f ^ e ^ L y l ^ t u r ^ o f ^ u t h Hi®.obJectlVB difficulties that concerned with Jo d * .. We arc
literature of tba t e n a n t a^ X r l u T e ^ o ^ ^ of th° *
disgrace thatrS r Bt e u I d ^ ^ ^ ^ g ri S 3hn3tan^ 1 1 ls to our eternal gr ater than that of "New Are" * ^ 5 2 that h®8 a oirciilation
print . Purthorraore It if to , ip Sorrii ^ ♦?U? to Uclc of newa- courageous freed or fighters wh^h™ \ that a araa11 bQnd of should be condemned to worry *continunri^ viJ?cible faith in the people
when crooks and exploiters S s 0ut*« ' f y L PVCr Amds for ™nninc "New Age" should it be difficult to find ?8p2P with our money . Why'uiagatines whn remit the monies due tr ° S ®n for our newspapers and and in full ? ** our production offices regularly
financing otct , f . T ? ° r’ ° nlaatl<?B ° f the circulation ,froodon Movonent . It shoulJ r«?«zine3 published by thethe- systonntlc sale of th. o r m ' I these gr-ups to organ Is o
supervise the- a ^ t ° selTt*” ^ , ^ " 110"19 > ^ find aXd
records and thus eliminate the chaotic P ^c tic o A h lt b°°kS Qndin nanfr areas ; ^ finp-i1v _ r. os thet arc now current
conciouaneas about the role cf th n ^ ^ f T ”* OUr peopl° a realcontinuous and substantial financial tht> 000(3 to render thenth- case qf <W«rAgev t onclal support. This ia particularly so ftn
u ■ i iwo are positive th< V,o>- r»tir« nr v . r
of People's Information Bureaux
VOL: 1. No*l ...............jflmiiv' rollions of yorith t'. nur side
1. EDITORIAL. ISTZWE: HJDEPEUDENT POLITICAL REVIEW.
2. UVEU PHINA GEHAZI. UTHI UHJAII INYAHGE.
3. SLAVE BD DCATI OK IN ACTION : NGU FEPHIWE.
! 5. KGIAJSHO BOOTJUmULL. 17, ^ ™ TOfI>CM Ciu'RTEfl-ACTIONS OF THE MEM IN Riru STREET.• ■
7. OnSHDTSHISO E NEW BRIGHTON: AMANQAKU OMBfTT® WESIZWE
9. m u LanOJLULEKO.
10. FREEDOM CHARTER.
*?. I S I M E M I Z E I D S E N r j L Tl £ K C .
\ V ' Cv'r-’V . • '*' •
■ m ^ ^ ^ m m - E a i n c A k s m E . [ r f
The noed for dfln^cratic journals end newspapers thet reflect the eeptretions of the poopl® In the.Afri can languages has long been recognised as urgent and necessary . Recent events connected with the rapid advancc in South Africa of the Mal&nazi juggernaut led by Stiydcm « Verwoerd and Swart have made this gap in our armoury even more apparent . But the mere contemplation of the diverse problems Involved in the production and financing of such journals was often sufficient to curb and finally kill the idea of progressive African-. - language newspapers every time it arose .
The prossuro from the masses of the people for literature that speaks the language of froodcm in their languagos grows loud or and more insistont . As tho Centresr Movement r*nins more and more adherents so the attacks from the tyrannical Nationalist government become more vicious and unscrupulous . The absence of newspapers and journals in our languages rakes it possible for the enemy to spread numerotis lies and slanders about tb Movemont. Furthermore it renders it more difficult for the Movemont to isolate agents-provocateur who havo been discover d within o’rr renks .
ISIZWE is or. independent political review published by an Editorial Beard consisting of woll known fighters for Proedom in our Lifetime . One of the aims of ISIZWE will be to campaign fortho establishment by the Congress Movement in South Africa , of bulletins, journals and eventually nowspapers in the different regions which would be written lrrgoly in the African language predominant in each region .
Whilst it is not an official orran cf tho Congress Movement ISIZYJE is unswervingly ccrr'.itted to the policy which finds its clearest and most dynamic expression in tho Freedom Charter .
We will th'-refer*, fight for and support all efforts of the South African people directed towards the achievement of the aims embodied in Freedom Charter and seek out and expose all those dark modiaeval forces which attempt. to prevent or delay the dawn of its inevitable triumph .
Kgako oko oiya Tunga ukuba sakulwela jfahke i: .igudu ynBcntu
beli «.. .2f11(
j
- — - ■ - - - ..................
SIAVS HDUCITI.QN IK ACTION . Nguf«phiwe .
We have been reading through the draft Higher Primary School Course prescribed for Bantu Schools and have been greatly shocked > (though not surprised) by the contents . We would strongly Buggest that all those people who appear determined to nake the Africans accept the dnagerous Bantu Education system should nake a careful study of the July issue of the Bantu Bducation Jourhal .
We do not propose in thi3 issue of Isizwc to examine the entire syllabuses in detail nor indeed tc describe the full implications of the adoption of this course for our children * We should like merely to draw attention to a few points which summarise the conception that obviously lies behind the men who drew up this Course .
(i) The barely concealed aim of Indoctrinating the African children that runs right through the syllabuses. This is not renderod less obvious by the patronising tone and sweet reasonableness in the language uaod throughout .
(ii) The ruthless determination with which the false Godsof tribalism are sought to be revived as part and parcel of the apartheid dominated South African society .
Viii) The emphasis placed on the idea of the seperate and different destiny cf the African people in relation to other groups .
(iv) TCie aim of cutting off the iXrican people fron world culture an . progress by substituting vernacular for English as the medium of instruction . (incidentally this pretence of loyalty to African languages and culture is a fine cheek from the Afrikaner Nationalists who have done almost nothing to dovelop them )
(v) The blatant, and disgusting propaganda tc bo encouraged in the schools for all manner of administrative organs and measures of control which Africans hate and are unalterably opposed to .
In order to assist the people we can do nothing better than to quote at random from the draft syallabuses themselves : -
Thus the Introduction to the Course blandly infoms us that " the syllabus of the past almost without exception ignored the sooial life of the Bantu " . We are told that "If the pupil appreciates hie own culture he will be better able to understand the other cultures included in this course " .
Later we are told in one of the- Summaries for Memorisingin Scripture that "even prirltive people have a dim knowledge ofGod , thouch they do not know how to worship hi"* , till messengersof God ( ! ) shall teach them " . Ihen if we skip a ni*”.bor ofpages we get to the section entitled "Social Studlu3 " . TheIntroduction to these studies first of all warns the teacher "toguard constantly a^^^at^t^ ^ n y ulcatlon of unrelated facts to thedetriment of a cleart or tne sufrjecrt—mat4 or of teaching" , Havingmade this clear the aims of this section are stated thus * -
n .
(a) The realisation by the Bantu chiidthat he is a member of a particular community and thatfn.? bound by various ties to particular groups of people as they are represented in his homo, his school, his church, hie village and his HIIBE V
- 4 - jIn the Geography Section for Standard III we find under
Section A (3) a subject "Ponulatlon ■ . This includes the Btudy of *-
" (a) In broad outline only the general distribution of the different races — Bantu ,European, Indian, Coloured
and Malay .
(b) Distribution of the major Bantu TRIBES #
Further on in the same Geography syllabuses we laarn that in otidying the "People of South Africa " - "more attention should be devoted to the study of a specific TRIBE than to the topics indicated
above " .
In the Geography for Standard IV we find that Section C is devoted to "Citizenship and Good Conduct" . As part of this the children are to be taught "How the Bantu child is bound to tho people of his hone through birth (!) marriage , Izibongo , toten , language , ownership of property , age groups , etc M .
In the seine section £he children are to be taught "Why we need
the services of :
<D (a) the headman s(b) the chief :(c) the policer-ar:(d) the teacher and principal of a school........... "
(2) How wo C3-i assist these official and professional nen in
their work .
For standard V Geography we get Section - "Citizenship wrid Gnod Conduct ” . This section deals with the organisation of the
Tribe and its government
In this fane section the pupil is supposed to obtain "Instruction
and Guidance in connection with
(a) The Personal Reference Book - why and how used .(b) The Labour Bureaux and how they work .(c) Control measures in urban areas - control of the
movement into and out of urban areas : reasons for this ;
(d) Curfew ( ] !I )
This is probably the only school syllabusos in the world in which pass laws and curfews aro part of necessary "education" for children.
We could go on giving examples of this vicious plot by by the Nationalist government to make the Africans accept oppression and domination as natural and proper.
But our people can take ccnfort from the fact that Tyrants are never given enough time by History to complete their schemes against the
froodcn of the people . conchow the people catch up with then before long . Furthermore the publication of this draft Higher Primary School Course i3 a clear warning to our people and all democrats generally that unless their resistance is conducted in a determined fashion and on a mass scale the Bantu Ldxication will becomo an ever greater and groater danger . LET US GET OUR CHILDRHi OUT OF VEEWOEHD'S SCHOOLS NOW !
( In our next issue wo shall daal in detail with the implications of the draft 3yllabuses . Ed. )
k4
- 5 -
NGXATSHQ BOOVPLTWnLKT-A
H
Ibiya kuba aiSizve kanjani na xa singenakuphoaa i*vi kooVuIindlela - unthinjana nonliBela onqonqa iirgrar^ane ulebela indlela yeWcululeko ?
Lihambiseni ilitha nefuthe lo Nkululeko nilise kvabo basese - bunnyanoni bezikolo zobukhcbcka buka Veiefutha . U Vulindlela ngannye na kabuye nonye eloko nhla ephuma naye kwizikolo zika Velefutha .
" Godukani ningalali niza kuthcngiswa ngocyihlo .
Godukani ningalali eyona nfazwe m a ndithi ifikile "
(S.E.K. Mqayi )
ACI1QNS OF THE MEN IN F 'JU 3 TEEET .
It is not cur int.unticn to play t^e part of fly-swatters , but when the flies acquire delusions of f:randcur tho bc3t of us nflst stoop to exaninc , in the light of circumstances whether we should net do a little W t of extermination . If the antics of the flies dirt not gc beyond the ludicrous there would be no hard , it night even be amusing ; if , on the other hand , the consequences of these antics becono tragic , then , the fly-swetter muat do its duty
We have been watching , listening and reading Messrs. Mnyanda and Lenani for sone tine . We have hoard their false i~rputations against the opponents of "Bantu Education" . We have for a long tine remained patient and very tolerant since it is our 3acred heritage to believe in freedon of speech and criticisn . We considered it our duty to concern ourselves with duties r.ore profitable tc the cause of the people’ s freedom .
When , however , Messrs. Mnyanda and lemani slavishly echo the porentory utternance3 of the fascist , Varvoard , they go beyond the pale of tolerance on our part and stand accuser1 not only as orportunists as Mr. Christopher Gell sees then , but. also as saboteurs - traitors .
These men would have us accept blindly the ycke of the hewer of wood and drawro of water . To bntray people in ruch n manner is an unforgivable crine anr* yet we like tc be juat . let us therefore examine a little nore closely the actions -f the ir.en in P-ula street
lest year Mr. I«nani called a meeting of New Brighton residents tc conaider the effect of the changes that Bantu Educa+lon would have on African parents and their children .
6/
gr if
- 6 ' I
people • °? th!,'pQrt ° f this ^entlemn a concern for his
not^look Ibr o t K T T t t ” ? ” ““ “ oxceUent one lnd^ U you did n
& = 2r s on*
be the inevitable result of Bantu Education • in vthe residents appointed an ad hoc ^ M s ataosPh«"e »of Mr Um.r.4 +~aZ , 00 corKittee under the chairmanship
s s S z S £ * ^ t 2“4 £ 2.ars’K s - -
s s s a ^ J
~ w s s s s
E2 ™ r :“ -s a e s » d ~ E i S S o rmeeting was not called Ha\ t occasions . 'The parent*.1
the ad hoc comittee were*not nor wh ** W s ass° clates inconvinced th«+ nBrt.<n i ft * ' could be influenced or even
to betray their people i n S accerti-^ ^ tho®e wh? prepared
to African children under Bantu L u c a t iS P',islnJ?hat Would: fed no purpose for Mr Leiwi-f tn h * I j ’ There was therefore
isetlon-to-be . ’ w T « £ h r i ?or°M f th0 r”™ 13' °rS»" 'waicned lor his next nove anr> were not
next nove . * ^First he went*^0^ ’ ^ Lftnnni femulated his President to inforn him th^t ^ * ^ pu^ tlon„ tr the A*N-C. (Cape) see theiWleor to s u - ™ ^ J? r®Sldenta of N«w Brighton could not
schools ; Where Mr' Lannni^har?6 Vcrvoor',lar- Slave education )enquire for God'and S " X £ 1 ^ the W % *< this we do not foiled . Foll^u-tr u ' Again his oohene was
him In his machinations t? “ ?° »“?£ *“ “ U te press t0 sasl3t Just fight against Voruoord." ” ° FBronta and the children In their
BOARD OF T . t tCV &Tt i“ t ! ? T !edidith the"T^ ^ YS^ nO^™F°PANTU
« s i r £ v £ r -considered the sinecurp h > 3 h*" *CGto deprived hin -f what he
r sinecure he had bravely striven for all, all along .
patriot let u s ^ ^ e n 11U l + "v ^ ^ m 00"?' ns^irator and super Bantu
^ n e e t ......... Mr. B. J. foynJda *** ^ n n i ' a hoU3e in Rula street
once
life in RhodesieMwhore\ehwa<, n r t T r “ ln.ter9s* inT Part ° f his public the bitter gontlenan who fron With th° ****< *** » ishumble efforts of the Afri^n i u pours his accra on the
fasclsn . Ho is o n o ^f the ? ~ P ^ S° ° k t r S e l v e s fron
Pert Elizabeth City Council ^ ^ 7 ^ ° " f * ®of raovonent of the AfrirlrL < p ? i?5 he borterw‘ th^ froedore pound technical coUe^e 1 th ^ Elizabeth a «v o thousand
illusion of a technical c o i l o g e ^ ^ E t S S a 1 th “of Verwoerd he is e genuine a»r+n i a torod > • *n tho estinatir-n tc hin as a moderate native l ^ leader . . . . the City Council refers
the native advisory boarc1 Mr ^bf* mS he-ls their noninee onin the setting up of tho P^rt FiT v Wft| lpTnely instrunentalhe meritoriously is S E U Z ' both B“nt“ R '^ < - lc n W d of uhich
Collection Number: AD1812
RECORDS RELATING TO THE 'TREASON TRIAL' (REGINA vs F. ADAMS AND OTHERS ON CHARGE OF HIGH TREASON, ETC.), 1956 1961 TREASON TRIAL, 1956 1961
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