"Latest Developments." Editorial in Imvo Zabant-sundu, August 31, 1909

THE blow has fallen, and the British Government and House of Commons have passed the Union Constitution Act without the amendments we had hoped for. In another column will be found the cable account of what has been said and done in this matter, which our readers may study for themselves.

There are, however, a few points to which we wish to give prominence. The first is that we should be truly grateful that Mr. SCHREINER and the Native and Coloured delegates did appeal to the people and Parliament of England, though the time was too short and the conspiracy of silence too great to allow of their really arousing the British conscience. But for their action we should never have had such weighty utterances of British statesmen against the colour blots utterances which will tend to make some of our South African rulers more willing than they otherwise would be to remove these blots from the Constitution; and we say, hesitatingly, that if ever the South African Union Government does the right thing and remove the colour disabilities it will be largely due to the action taken at the present time by the civilized Natives and Coloured people and their delegates and friends.

Secondly, we wish to say that we are entirely one with Mr. SCHREINER in the position he takes up in his letter to the Morning Post that the reservation for signification of the King's pleasure of any legislation of the Union Parliament which is entirely in accord with the provisions of clause 35, is of no value whatsoever, for the King will most certainly not veto action taken in [consonance] with a clause which the Imperial Parliament has now approved of, and those who are trying to make the Natives to believe otherwise are encouraging them to live in a fool's paradise.

We desire also to express our deep regret, from the Native point of view, that the idea that the first Union Ministry should be a Coalition seems to be abandoned. A Coalition Ministry of 6 South African Party and 4 Progressives would have been the surest safeguard of such rights and privileges as are left to the Natives by the Constitution, and would have meant the real healing of the racial divisions between Boer and Briton, which will now continue to hinder the progress of South Africa and damage its prosperity.

We cannot credit the correctness of the rumour as to Mr. WINSTON CHURCHILL'S being in the running for the Governor Generalship of British South Africa. Such an appointment would be, we think, resented by the whole of
South Africa
. We want a man of fixed and steady principles not a political mountebank however clever.

We know nothing of Lord PENTLAND and his character or capabilities, but we can conceive of no reasons profound or cogent enough to justify the appointment of anyone but Lord SELBORNE as the first Governor-General; and as to the Premiership the superior claims of Mr. MERRIMAN cannot well be overlooked, whoever may be Governor-General.

The Native and Coloured people must now realize that an entirely new chapter in South African history is opening, in which they will have to depend on themselves and their South African European friends for the securing and maintenance of their civil and political rights. They must become united politically and refusing to cling to any of the present political parties must work for the creation of a new political party in the State which will unite the religious and moral forces -- European and Natives -- of South Africa upon lines of righteous legislation, justice and fairplay irrespective of race or colour.

The Natives -- men, women and children must bend their energies to the advancement of themselves in all that civilization and true Christianity means, so that their claim to equality of treatment for all civilized British subjects may be irresistible. Let us have faith in the GOD who rules over all, and in the justice of our cause, and let us be patient in the well doing, and be willing like the Syro-Phoenician women to accept thankfully even the crumbs of justice which fell to our lot from the Constitution, while mentally and constitutionally claiming our lot from the Constitution, while mentally and constitutionally claiming our full heritage.

Source:

Karis, T & Carter G. M. (1972). From Protest to Challenge: A Documentary History of African Politics in South Africa, 1882-1964, Volume 1: Protest and Hope, 1882-1934. Stanford University: Hanover Press.

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