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Resolutions of the ANC Annual Conference, December 20-22, 1942

1/42 ATLANTIC CHARTER

That this Congress gives the President General power to appoint a committee to go into the question of the Atlantic Charter and to draft the Bill of Rights to be presented to the Peace Conference at the end of the Present War.

2/42 PRESIDENTIAL ADRESS

That this most inspiring address delivered by the President General be printed in a pamphlet form by this house in order that it may be sold to all Africans.

3/42 CONDOLENCE GENERAL PIENAAR

That this general annual conference of the African National Congress now assembled at Bloemfontein is shocked at the reported death of General Pienaar, one of the great and promising leaders of our soldiers and requests the Prime Minister to accept the sincere condolence and sorrow of the African people represented here. (Despatched by telegram.)

4/42 CONFIDENCE PRESIDENT GENERAL

This thirtieth general annual conference of the African National Congress hereby notes with great pride the fact that Dr. A.B. Xuma, the President General, has achieved a unique success in the history of this National organisation by securing for the leadership of the Congress and the guidance of the African people the co-operation and the confidence of the leaders of all shades - distinguished University Graduates, and the most noted professional men among the African people today. This Conference sees in this achievement the opportunity to raise the influence and the power of the African National Congress and therefore the Conference hereby authorises the President General and his National Executive Committee to start a vigorous campaign of organising in the whole of South Africa a membership of one million Africans in Southern Africa.

5/42 NATIVES REPRESENTATION ACT 1936

That this Conference of the African National Congress held at Bloemfontein in December 1942 appeals to the Government to so amend the Natives Rep-resentation Act of 1936 that the Communal system of voting be replaced by a system of individual voting and that the number of electoral areas be increased.

6/42 REPRESENTATION ON MUNICIPAL COUNCILS

That this Congress urges the Union Government to put into immediate effect the expressed wish of Africans in favour of direct Representation on Municipal Councils.

7/42 WAR POLICY

That this Congress requests the Government (1) to consider immediately the arming of the Non-European soldiers in order that they may play their rightful part in the defeat of Fascism and (11) to admit Non-Europeans into skilled industry in order that our South African Army may be adequately equipped. Congress re-affirms its previous resolution on the war issue which was to this effect.

8/42 BEER HALLS & POLICE RAIDS

This Congress resolves that the Liquor Act be so amended as to abolish Municipal beer halls and police raids and to introduce home-brewing and to grant permits to those who want to obtain liquor.

9/42 SOLDIERS' DEPENDANTS' ALLOWANCES

In view of the hardships experienced by soldiers' dependants in receiving their allowances, this conference urges the Government to instruct Commissioners to travel from place to place for the purpose of paying the said allowances. Alternatively that such allowances be posted directly to each and every such dependant. This resolution is to be recommended to the members of the Native Affairs Department immediately.

10/42 NATIVE EDUCATION

That this Conference of the African National Congress requests the Government to finance Native Education on a per capita basis.

11/42 MIDDAY MEALS FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN

That this conference of the African National Congress requests the Government to include African School Children in its recent midday meal scheme.

12/42 MINIMUM WAGE FOR UNSKILLED LABOURERS

This conference views with grave concern the starvation wages recommended by the Wage Board for unskilled work in the 34 trades and industries affected on the Witwatersrand and in Pretoria; and requests the Hon. the Minister of Labour to have the recommendations altered in such a manner as would meet the requirements of the workers. Further, this conference supports fully the minimum wages of £2. per week for all unskilled labourers put forward by the Council of Non-European Trade Unions.

13/42 RAILWAY ACCOMMODATION

That this Conference should make representations to the Minister of Railways regarding additional 1st and 2nd class accommodation especially at week ends and holidays and that platforms be so extended as to serve all passengers.

14/42 TRADING RIGHTS

That this conference requests the Government to repeal that section of the Native Urban Areas Act which restricts the Trading Rights of Africans in Urban Areas.

15/42 PERMIT SYSTEM AND LODGERS TAX

That the Administration be requested to abolish the Permit Systems in the locations as well as the Lodgers' Tax.

16/42 INKULULEKO

This Conference views with serious concern the banning of the Inkululeko newspaper in Basutoland, Bechuanaland, and Swaziland and regards it as an infringement of the Freedom of the Press, and urges the High Commissioner to lift the ban immediately.

17/42 MANAGEMENT OF NATIVE SCHOOLS

That the present system of managing African Primary Schools through Superintendants be abolished and be replaced by Committees of Management in which Africans are directly represented.

18/42 GOVERNMENT AND SCHOOL BUILDINGS

That the Government should take responsibility for the building of schools for African children.

19/42 BOARD OF NATIVE EDUCATION

That the time has come when the Board of Native Education should be constituted in such a way as to give the Africans direct representation of not less that 50%.

20/42 LAND TENURE IN URBAN AREAS

That Conference requests Parliament to grant Africans freehold rights to land in Urban Areas.

21/42 SECRETARY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY

That in view of the growing importance of the Trading and Business move-merit among Africans, Congress should take steps to create within its Secretariat a Secretary for Trading and Business Activities.

22/42 NATIVE LAND AND TRUST ACT

That the African National Congress requests the Government to amend the regulations under the Native Land and Trust Act of 1936 so as to make it possible for African tenants in released areas (i) to have a larger morgenage of land available for cultivation (ii) to be granted better grazing and other rights (iii) and to permit squatters on European farms to plough land on the "Ploughingon-Shares" principle as was the case prior to the commencement of the Act.

23/42 ORGANISATION OF CONGRESS

This Conference of the African National Congress, recognising that further progress in building the Congress into a powerful National Movement is gravely hampered by lack of full-time employees to attend to the organising work and the taking up of the burning issues of the people

(a) instructs Congress to open an office at its National Headquarters and employ one or more paid organisers without further delay;

(b) recommends to all Provincial Congresses to take similar steps.

(c) to take all steps to raise the necessary funds to give effect to this resolution.

24/42 SUSPENSION OF BETHANY AND RAMOKGOPA TEACHERS

That this African National Congress in Convention at Bloemfontein views with alarm the growing autocratic manner in which the teachers in the Transvaal are being dealt with by the Transvaal Education Department in that they are being suspended for failure to collaborate with superintendants in their desire to retain superintendancy of African Schools such as Bethany and at Ramokgopa. This conference therefore requests the Transvaal Education Department to reinstate these teachers.

25/42 ALEXANDRA TOWNSHIP

That this annual conference of the African National Congress held in December 1942 views with alarm and desires to place on record its emphatic protest against the proposed removal of the Alexandra Township. This conference desires to endorse the recommendations of various commissions of Enquiry such as the Young Report, the Thornton Report, the Feet ham Report, and the Native Affairs Commission Report which reported against the abolition of the Township and in favour of Government assistance of the inhabitants of the township to improve their social and health conditions.

The Conference desires to commend the Government Departments concerned for the steps recently taken to approach this problem through consultation with representatives of all interested parties, including representatives of the African people directly concerned.

26/42 NORTHFIELD COLLIERY

In view of the disgraceful conditions under which the workers concerned were employed as disclosed by the evidence and by the remarks from the Bench, the African National Congress desires to appeal to the Minister of Justice to allow a review of the matter of the severe sentences imposed on the 42 Africans charged with public violence at the Northfields Colliery in Natal.

27/42 This Conference of the African National Congress views with alarm the growing strike wave among the African workers, which it declares to be due, above all, to the terribly low wages of these workers, especially in relation to the sharply rising living costs. Congress protests strongly against the repressive emergency regulations introduced by the Government, making strikes by African workers illegal and giving the workers no say in the appointment of an arbitrator to settle disputes. In order to meet the just demands of the workers and to avoid stoppages of work which are harmful to the Country's war effort, this conference calls upon the Government

(a) to repeal these emergency regulations;

(b) to grant immediate and full recognition to African Trade Unions, such recognition to be under the Department of Labour and not under the Department of Native Affairs;

(c) to introduce by emergency regulations a minimum wage of not less than £ 2. per week for all unskilled workers.

28/42 CONGRESS ORGANISATION

This Conference hereby authorises the President General to employ all the means in his power to carry into effect all the resolutions of this Conference as well as the suggestion which he brought forward in his Presidential address. The authority of this House includes the power to raise the initial fund necessary to begin the important work of organisation with the view of enrolling one million members of Congress in Southern Africa to be the new foundation of our greater Congress.

29/42 CONGRESS YOUTH LEAGUE

That this Annual Conference of the African National Congress authorises the Executive to institute a Youth League of the African National Congress to include students at Fort Hare.

30/42 SECRECY AT NATIVE ELECTIONS

That this Congress requests our Parliamentary Representatives to take up with the authorities the question of the procedure adopted by the Returning Officers in the 1942 elections under the Native Representation Act with a view to establishing the fact as to whether the provisions of the electoral Act of 1918 as amended relating to secrecy apply to the Native Elections.

Documents 29a-29b. ANC Annual Conference of December 16,1943 Document 29a. Constitution of the ANC

1. NAME : The name of the organisation shall be the African National Congress.

2. OBJECTS:

The aims of the Congress shall be:

(a) To protect and advance the interest of all Africans in all matters affecting them.

(b) To attain the freedom of the African People from all discriminatory laws whatsoever.

(c) To strive and work for the unity and co-operation of the African people in every possible way.

(d) To strive and to work for the full participation of the African in the Government of South Africa.

3. MEMBERS:

(a) Individual Bodies:

Any person over 17 years of age who is willing to subscribe to the aims of Congress and to abide by its Constitution and rules may become an individual member upon application to the nearest Branch.

(b) Affiliated Members:

Any organisation whose aims are in harmony with the aims of Congress may become an affiliated body upon application, in the case of a Provincial or local organisation, to the Provincial Committee and in the case of a National Organisation, to the Working Committee.

The Executive reserves the right to refuse an application without giving reasons.

4. BRANCHES:

(a) Branches may be formed with the approval of a Provincial Committee in any locality within its Province.

(b) A Branch shall consist of not less than 20 individual members.

(c) Each Branch shall hold an Annual General Meeting at which it shall elect a chairman, a secretary, treasurer, and not less than two committee members.

5. PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE:

(a) The Provincial Conference shall be the highest organ of Congress in each Province.

(b) An annual provincial conference shall be held in each of the provinces of the Union of South Africa. Special provincial conferences may be convened at such other time as the provincial committee may deem fit, and shall be convened upon the requisition addressed to the Provincial Committee, of branches and/or affiliated organisations representing at least one quarter of the total number of delegates entitled to be present at a Provincial Conference.

(c) Each branch shall be entitled to be represented at the provincial conference by one delegate for every 100 members or in the proportion laid down by the provincial conference from time to time.

(e) [Sic] No branch or affiliated body shall be represented by more than 10 delegates at a provincial conference.

(f) The provincial conference in each province shall be responsible for the affairs of congress in that province subject only to the general supervision and control of the National Executive Committee and the Working Committee.

6. PROVINCIAL COMMITTEE:

(a) The annual provincial conference shall elect a provincial committee consisting of a president and 11 committee members of whom the president and not less than 5 committee members shall be resident within 50 miles of the Provincial headquarters designated from time to time by the provincial conference.

(b) The provincial committee shall elect a secretary and a treasurer from amongst its members resident as provided in the foregoing section. (c) The provincial committee shall meet at least once in every 3 months and at such other times as it deems necessary. It shall be the executive body of the provincial conference and shall administer the affairs of Congress within the province between provincial conferences, and shall convene provincial conferences at the times provided herein.

(d) The provincial committee shall submit an annual report of the Congress organisation work and finances in the province to the provincial conference and the working committee not later than 6 weeks before the annual national conference. On failure on the part of any provincial committee to function in terms of this constitution, the working committee may convene a provincial conference to elect a new provincial committee and may form a Committee to carry on Congress work in the province during the interim period.

7. NATIONAL CONFERENCE:

(a) The National Conference shall be the supreme body of Congress and shall determine its general policy and programme.

(b) An annual national conference shall be held once a year at a time and place decided upon at the preceding annual national conference. Special national conferences may be convened at such other times as the national Executive Committee may deem fit, and shall be convened upon requisition addressed to the working committee by two or more provincial conferences.

(c) The provisions of clauses 5(c), (d) [sic] and (e) shall apply, mutates mutandis, to the election of delegates to the National Conference.

8. NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

(a) Once every three years the national conference shall elect a national executive committee consisting of a National President, a National Secretary and a National Treasurer, and not less than 15 committee members.

(b) The N.E.C. shall meet on the day of its election and thereafter at least once in 6 months and at such other times as it may be convened by the Working Committee.

(c) The N.E.C. shall be responsible for the activities of Congress between National Conferences and shall supervise and review the work of the Working Committee.

(d) The N.E.C. shall submit to the annual national Conference full report of the work, organisation and finances of Congress during the preceding year which report shall be made available to provincial Committees, branches, affiliated members not later than one month before the date of the annual conference.

(e) Provincial Presidents shall be ex officio members of the National Executive.

9. WORKING COMMITTEE:

(a) At the meeting of the N.E.C. held on the day of its election the N.E.C. shall appoint a Working Committee of not less than 7 persons who shall be persons resident within 50 miles of the National headquarters designated by the National Conference from time to time.

(b) Members of the Working Committee shall be chosen in the first place from amongst members of the N.E.C. having the necessary residential qualification and in the event of there being fewer than 7 so qualified, the remaining members of the Working Committee shall be chosen from amongst Congress members in general who have the requisite residential qualifications.

(c) The National President shall ex officio be a member of the Working Committee. The President shall appoint an assistant National Secretary for the Working Committee.

(d) Between meetings of the N.E.C., the Working Committee shall enjoy the full Executive powers of the N.E.C. and shall carry into effect the policy and programme laid down by the National Conference, convene National Conferences and meetings of the N.E.C. as provided herein. It shall remain responsible to the National Executive Committee.

(e) The Working Committee shall meet once in every month and at such other times as it may deem necessary.

(f) The Working Committee shall place before every regular meeting of the N.E.C. a report of its activities and of the work, organisation and finances of Congress in general. The Working Committee shall take steps to publish a report of the proceedings of all National Conferences within three months after the termination of such conference.

10. FINANCE:

(a) Every individual member shall upon applying for membership and thereafter at the beginning of each year pay to the Branch concerned a subscription of 2/6d. There shall be no reduction in the subscription to be paid by members joining in the course of the year.

(b) Affiliated bodies shall upon application and thereafter at the beginning of each year pay to the Provincial Committee or the Working Committee, as the case may be, a sum representing one-fiftieth of the ordinary subscriptions or dues collected from its own membership in the preceding year.

(c) Affiliated bodies shall submit a constitution and an annual financial statement.

(d) Each branch shall pay to the provincial Executive Committee two-thirds of the subscription received by it and the Provincial Executive Committee shall pay to the Working Committee one-half of the income received by it.

(e) Funds of Congress shall be raised through membership fees, subscriptions, levies, donations and through functions and entertainments.

(f) All such funds shall be deposited at a recognised bank or post office savings bank immediately they are received at the Branch, Provincial or National Office.

(g) Branch Committees, Provincial Executive Committees and the Working Committees, shall keep full and proper records of all income and expenditure and shall present annual financial statements to the branch, provincial conference, and national Conference as the case may be. The Working Committee shall take steps to have a regular audit of its accounts and of the accounts of Provincial Committee, where the provincial Committee fails to do so.

11. DISCIPLINE:

Every Committee of Congress shall have the power to take such disciplinary action as it may deem fit against any member within its jurisdiction who acts in breach of the Constitution or rules of Congress, violating its decisions or behaving in a way which is prejudicial to the interests of Congress or of the African people, provided that there shall be a right of appeal against disciplinary action to the Provincial Conference and in the case of a decision of the Working Committee of the N.E.C. to the National Conference.

12. RULES:

(a) The N.E.C . shall have the power to frame rules or approve rules framed by the Working Committee not inconsistent with this constitution for regulating all matters connected with Congress.

(b) Each Provincial Conference shall have power to frame rules not inconsistent with this constitution for regulating the affairs of Congress within its own Province, which rules shall come into operation only with the previous sanction of the Working Committee.

13. DECISIONS:

All decisions, save amendments to the constitution, taken by bodies or Congress, including the election of office-bearers and Committees shall be taken by majority vote.

14. VACANCIES:

(a) The office of a member of a Congress Committee shall be vacated by resignation, death, expulsion or removal as a disciplinary measure.

(b) Such vacancy shall be filled by co-option by the Committee.

15. AMENDMENTS:

Amendments to this constitution may be made by two thirds majority vote of the delegates present and voting at a National Conference provided that three month's notice of proposed amendments shall have been circulated prior to such National Conference, to the provincial affiliated bodies.

16. GENERAL:

Congress shall have perpetual succession and the power, apart from its individual members, to acquire, hold and alienate property, enter into agreements and all things necessary to carry out its aims and objects.

(Sgd.) A. B. XUMA

PRESIDENT GENERAL

(Sgd.) JAMES A. CALATA

SECRETARY GENERAL

AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

BLOEMFONTEIN

16th December, 1943 ABX/ARM

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