THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA
P.O. Box 4197,
JOHANNESBURG.
September 22nd 1930.
The Secretary, C.P.
P. O .Box 1176,
CAPE TOWN.

Dear Comrade,

In reply to a letter from Com. Roux of the 18th inst., regarding
a telegram signed Thibedi the Executive has hitherto not been
able to give any directive because
it was itself divided. At our last Executive Committee meeting, however, unanimity
was bought at the expense of a grant of the hall (which costs the Party nothing
except that the Trade Unions have never contributed a penny towards rent) the
Thibedites thereupon consenting to the inclusion of the 'formula' remarks about
the intolerable situation etc., referred to in the Minutes (unconfirmed) of
which I enclose an extract, not of course for publication. On
the request for financial
assistance the same formula had been put forward as an amendment to a mere
reply that we had no money (which was all the reply the Thibedites
were willing to
give) but it could not be carried for the reasons stated in the Minutes. I
also enclose copy of my consequential letter to the Federation.

Thibedi has a certain following among the old Trade Union members, and as you
will see the Party is somewhat in the position of a person being blackmailed,
as, if on account of Thibedi it runs counter to the Federation, it is denounced
as an enemy of the workers.

You ask whether the Thibedi telegram was official? Well, on the 14th instant
some nineteen people met in our hall who called themselves the Federation and
elected Thibedi General Secretary of the Federation.

As regards the olive branch held out in the Party's letter to Thibedi of 30th
June last (written in reply to a request for reinstatement, and never replied
to by him), his defiance of the Party since, amounting to very serious mischief
making, has been such as to convince me for one that whether or not he was
justifiably expelled he deserves to remain outside now. Possibly or probably
however the
affair will be "liquidated" by an undertaking from him to be a good
boy henceforward - the value of which must remain a matter of opinion meanwhile.

As regards the importance of the S.A.F.N.T.U. being represented on October
4 in the present circumstances this must likewise remain a matter of opinion
as
the Executive has not been able to declare officially on the subject. I for
one might say better drop out this time, as the position is tainted and representation
amounts to an insolent repudiation of elementary discipline; but others would
retort that in this way the party is showing its hostility to the native trade
union movement. In circumstances like these I can hardly travel outside my
minuted
instructions; even this letter travels outside them.

As regards letters from Richfield to Nzula I do not feel able to do more than
ask
Com. Nzula al the next Executive to produce them. I do not know what they are
about. Nzula tells me Thibedi has the letters; so I don't expect to see them.

Thibedi came to me for a donation to delegates expenses: I refused.

G.K. Solundurana, Box 75 Brakpan says he paid 5/ annual sub to Umsebenzi & never
got the paper. Please put him on the list. He pad the money to Nzula, but must
be credited with it... say from 1 April.

Yours fraternally
S. P. Bunting
Actg Sec