Preface

The general preface to the three volumes of From Protest to Challenge, which appeared in Volume I, noted that these bulky volumes provided only a selection of the rich materials that should be used when a definitive political history of modern South Africa is eventually written. The validity of this observation has been strikingly apparent in the preparation of Volume II. In comparison with the first volume, far more primary material was available as were many more interviews which the editors had been able to conduct with persons active during the period 1935 -1952. At the same time, as the general preface pointed out, we are painfully aware that our documentary holdings do not include many of the records we would like to have. We are also aware of the invaluable oral history that remains to be recorded and of the problems of evaluation that that history presents.

Despite the amount of material now on hand, the introductory essays have a limited aim: to provide a broad setting for the selected documents, to comment on their significance, and to describe the main developments in African politics in South Africa. The volume includes documents dealing with political activities in which whites and Indians and Coloureds were closely involved with Africans, but not documents which illustrate the independent efforts of Indians and Coloureds and of both liberal and left-wing whites. One additional caveat: the space given to particular organizations and personalities is not necessarily a measure of our evaluation of their historical importance in South Africa. Although we have generally been guided by our view of such importance, we have also given substantial space to material that was illustrative of divergent trends of thought and would be of special interest to students of African political attitudes and ideas and, indirectly, to students of American race relations.

Primary responsibility for the selection of documentary material for Part One of Volume II and its introductory essay was undertaken by Sheridan W. Johns III, Associate Professor of Political Science at Duke University. The remainder of the volume is the responsibility of Thomas Karis, Professor of Political Science at the City College of the City University of New York. Both were fortunate to be recently at the University of Zambia, Mr. Johns in 1968-1970 and Mr. Karis in 1968-1969. In Lusaka, they had valuable opportunities to review the manuscript and to discuss recent political history with South Africans who played a role in that history or were close observers of it. Throughout the preparation of Volume II, Gwendolen M. Carter, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Program of African Studies at Northwestern University, has continued to serve as collaborator, critic, and editor.

Again we express our great debt to the many South Africans who have granted us lengthy interviews about the past, responded patiently to our many questions, and commented on early drafts of the manuscript. Their warm cooperation and friendship have been among the deep satisfactions of our work on this documentary history. We wish also to record the debt that scholarly researchers owe to Benjamin Pogrund, who has for years been providing both the Hoover Institution and the Center for Research Libraries with microfilm copies of historical materials.

                                Thomas Karis    
Gwendolen M. Carter

August 1970 

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NOTE: The introductory essays in this volume use "nonwhite" as an inclusive term for Africans, Coloureds, and Indians since this (like "non-European") was used during the period 1935-1952 by the leaders of these groups themselves. By the early 1970's, "Black consciousness" decried "nonwhite" and "non-European" as negative and derogatory terms, coined by whites. The term now preferred is "Black."