African
Revolutionary Writers, Part 5
Moses Kotane
The African National Congress of South Africa is sometimes
called “Africa’s Oldest Liberation Movement”. In this limited series we are not
attempting a comprehensive sampling of the abundant South African Revolutionary
writing. But in this part we will look at four South African revolutionary
writers, together.
Starting with Moses Kotane, we go on to Govan Mbeki, Oliver
Tambo and “Comrade Mzala” (Jabulani Nxumalo). The first is a letter, the next
is a book chapter, the third a radio broadcast script, or transcript, and the
fourth is an article for the ANC publication “Sechaba”.
It is a mistake to think that Kotane’s famous “Cradock
Letter” (download linked below) was the origin of the Africanisation of the
Communist Party of South Africa. The well-known Black Republic thesis, imposed
on the South African Party by the Comintern, was far earlier in time
(1927-1928). From soon after its founding in 1921 the CPSA had been a
majority-black Party, though this was not always reflected in the top
leadership, especially not in the beginning.
But Kotane’s plain and direct 1934 letter does perhaps mark a
real turning point because of the impact that it had, and because of the
consequences. Kotane became General Secretary of the Party in 1939, and then of
the SACP, and remained in that office until his death in 1978. He was also
Treasure-General of the ANC for several years.
Kotane worked hard to make the Alliance between the Party
and the ANC a solid and permanent one, and his name is historically associated
with the Party’s approach to the National Question, which has been so
influential in South African history up to the present time.
Here is Kotane’s even shorter summary of his short letter
from Cradock:
“My first suggestion
is that the Party become more Africanised or Afrikanised, that the CPSA must
pay special attention to S Africa, study the conditions in this country and
concretise the demands of the toiling masses from first hand information, that
we must speak the language of the Native masses and must know their demands.
That while it must not lose its international allegiance, the Party must be
Bolshevised, become South African not only theoretically, but in reality, it
should be a Party working in the interests and for the toiling people in S
Africa and not a party of a group of Europeans who are merely interested in
European affairs.”
The book from which this text was taken (“South African
Communists Speak”1981) gives the following note below the “Cradock Letter”:
“The Independent
African National Congress (Cape) had been formed in 1931 by Elliot Tonjeni and
other left-wing members who had been driven out of the Cape ANC by the
dictatorial action of the chairman ‘Professor' Thaele. Tonjeni had been
banished to the Eastern Cape by Justice Minister Pirow, and the Independent ANC
drew most of its support from country branches in the region.”
Taken all together, the four pieces of writing in this part
should provide a good outline of South African revolutionary history, and a
good sampling of the South African revolutionary writing style.
- The above is to
introduce the original reading-texts: Moses Kotane, ‘Cradock
Letter’ to Johannesburg District Committee, 1934.
- To download any of the CU courses in PDF files please click here.
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