ABSTRACT
The dynamic between the national and the international in the development of South African socialism is best illustrated by the role of immigrants in the movement. The Eastern European Jews who emigrated to South Africa brought to their understanding of socialism their long history of severe repression in the Russian Empire. The South African Jewish community has been called a colony of Lithuanian or Litvak Jewry. Although it is impossible to trace their precise origins, probably three-quarters of the Eastern European Jews who emigrated to South Africa were Litvaks. British capital 'discovered' South Africa's mineral wealth before a significant proletariat existed; thus, it faced the critical problem of securing a labour force. British imperialism's quest for diamonds and gold set off a chain of reactions throughout South Africa and the entire Southern African region.
