COPY.

"S.A.F.N.T.U.: Three requests from this body (which had reopened
its office at Feneira Street Johannesburg) were before the Executive.
One was contained in a note from T.W. Thibedi to the Secretary
asking for the use of a table and two chairs belonging to the Party,
to which the Secretary had replied that he would bring the matter
before this meeting. It appeared however that in the meantime Thibedi
had taken the table and chairs without waiting for permission.
A motion that the Federation be allowed this furniture received
three votes for and three votes against, and the Chairman gave
his casting vote against. The next was contained in a letter from
T.W. Thibedi as General Secretary of the S.A.F.N.T.U. asking the
Party to raise funds for the purpose of sending delegates to the
All-in Trade Union Conference at Cape Town. On a motion to reply
merely that the Party could not raise funds even for its own needs
voting was again equal, and the Chairman, being taunted with wanting
to vote in a way to please a particular member of the Committee,
declined this time to vote.

The
third request was put forward verbally by Com. Nzula",
asking for the use of the Party Hall for a social to raise funds
for the same purpose. Hitherto even during the present controversy
the Federation had taken the hall without asking leave, still more
without paying or offering any rent, and it appeared clear that all
these requests were put forward in order to make propaganda against
the Party among the Trade Unions in the event of their being refused.
It was agreed that the hall be granted but in conveying this decision
to state that the Party cannot ignore the serious fact that the Federation
had appointed as its General Secretary a member expelled from the
party on a serious charge and that until the intolerable situation
thus created had been liquidated it was very difficult for the Party,
ardently as it desired to assist the Trade Unions, to deal normally
with them or the Federation, adding that for this reason no reply
could be given to the request for funds and no permission for the
removal of the furniture, which must be returned in view of the circumstances
of the removal. The voting in favour of this formula was unanimous,
the previous voting having been as follows: Coms. Sepeng, Sipobe
and Nzula against Corns. Soreson, and R and S. P. Bunting."