Report of V. Danchin and W. Kalk to Anglo-American Secretariat, ECCI, [5 December 1928] (Extract)

Report of V. Secretariat, ECCI,

REPORT ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

Internally, the Party is faced with the problem of its attitude to the policy decided upon by the Sixth World Congress of the Communist International in regard to the slogan of a ‘Black republic’.x

[ . . . ] This slogan, has produced considerable discussion in the Party since it was

put forward a year ago. The consensus of opinion, including that of the majority of the native comrades, was definitely against its adoption. Although accepted by the Capetown branch, it was rejected by the Johannesburg branch. At annual conference of the Party in January it was decided to refer the matter back to the Central Executive (consisting of 8 whites and 5 Natives) which, in turn, was divided on the matter, the majority being against it and the minority consisting of three, being in its favour. The principal grounds for opposing the slogan are as follows. It is generally recognised in South Africa, both by the black and white sections of the population, that the position of the white race there is radically different from that of any other ‘colony’, in so far as it is made up of a nation of 13=4 million people, comprising all classes, who regard the country as their permanent home. Further, the white working class, who number close on 200,000 and whose numbers are growing, despite its present attitude of ‘leaving matters to the Pact Government’, had produced an important labour movement, politically and industrially, which is capable of, and practised in, militant action against the capitalist class. A good deal of progress in their ranks has been made by the Communist Party in recent years in its propaganda that the interests of the white and black workers are identical, and some notable practical achievements have resulted. On the other hand, our native propagandists have popularised this idea amongst the black workers, who, as a consequence, have, on several occasions, shown their readiness to fight side by side with the whites. In sharp contradictions to these

achievements agitation of native nationalists for a failure. Now, in the words of one of ‘we are asked to preach black racialism although we have hitherto condemned every kind of racialism – black or white’. Another point is that as far as British imperialism, as such, is concerned, there is the curious position that, owing to the Native policy pursued by Britain while administering the Cape, England is regarded as a ‘friend’ by large masses of the natives. Furthermore, in the present circumstances, it is extremely probable that if the Party propagates the slogan it will be brought ‘within the law’ of ‘setting black against white’, and its legal existence made impossible. The Party is too weak as yet to go ‘underground’ and fight illegally, and if it is outlawed it would be forced into extinction. All these difficulties can, however, be avoided by pursuing the Party’s present day policy of concentrating on the building up of mass organisation of native workers, and overcoming the prejudices of the white workers. When the achievements are reached the South African proletariat will form a force to be reckoned with politically and an invincible power industrially. As against these arguments the protagonists of the slogan (who number three on the Central Executive, two of these being whites) contend that, owing to the white working class forming an ‘aristocracy of labour’, unity between black and white labour is impossible, and that our policy on these lines should be abandoned in favour of an ‘all-black’ policy.