National Democratic
Revolution, Part 3a
Socialism and
Nationalism
Jack Simons and Ray Alexander (they married in 1941) were
two of the greatest communists South Africa has ever produced.
Ray Alexander’s record as a trade union organiser was second
to none. Her record as a founder of the Federation of South African Women is
still the benchmark.
Jack Simons was a great scholar, from humble beginnings, and
a great teacher. Jack Simons is the benchmark in political education. Samples
of his contribution in this regard can be found in the book “Comrade Jack - The Political Lectures and
Diary of Jack Simons, Nova Catengue”, STE Publishers and the ANC, December
2001.
The Simons’ most outstanding joint work is “Class and Colour in South
Africa, 1850-1950”, published when they were in exile (from which they
both lived to return in 1990). Click on the title to access the full book on
the ANC web site.
In this series on the NDR, the main post for this week was the
selection from “African Communists Speak”
(1981), a book full of verbatim documents. Our selection included the “Black
Republic Thesis”, and Moses Kotane’s “Cradock Letter”.
“Class and Colour” is a narrative, with footnotes indicating
sources. Many people are named. “Jones” is David Ivon Jones, and “Andrews” is
Bill Andrews. Other names will be more familiar.
This chapter covers the decade following the 1914-1918
inter-Imperialist war (The Great War).
This was the formative period of the Communist Party of
South Africa, the African National Congress, and the black trade union
movement; and the course was set from that time which continues in the form of
the National Democratic Revolutionary Alliance that still exists today.
Illustration: Cover of “Comrade Jack”, a book that includes
political lectures Jack Simons gave in Angola.
- The above is to introduce the original reading-text: Class
and Colour, C10, Socialism and Nationalism, Simons and Simons.
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