The Native Republic 1", Umsebenzi, 24 February 1934
"We have explained in an earlier lesson that the Communist Party is fighting for communism. But we cannot go straight to communism, because many things that are needed for communism have not yet come about. Even in the Soviet Union, where the working class has been ruling since 1917, they have not yet got communism, though they are marching steadily towards it. In order to build communism we must: firstly, make a REVOLUTION and throw out the capitalists from their place as rulers; secondly, set up a government of the workers together with the poor peasantry; thirdly, build up a socialist industry, that is to say the workers' government must take charge of the factories, mines, etc., and the workers must learn how to manage these things themselves; fourthly, collectivise the small peasant farms, by getting the peasants to come together and work their land together instead ofeach man by himself; fifthly, do away with all the capitalist and exploiting classes, by taking away their land and capital and making them work like everybody else; and sixthly, educate all people as communists to work in a communistic way for the good of all.
In South Africa the first step in the revolution is the fight for democratic rights (which is what the workers already have in the capitalist "home" countries, and what the white workers already have in South Africa.) The first step also means the fight for the independence of South Africa from British Imperialism and for the return of the land to the Native people (mayibuye).
By DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS we mean freedom of movement (that means the end of the pass and curfew laws); freedom to organise as workers (that means the end of the Master and Servant Laws and other such laws); freedom to become skilled workers nd to enter all trades and professions (that means the smashing of the Colour Bar Law); the right of all people to own land (that means the end of the Native Land Act); free
primary education and the right of all Non-Europeans to enter the high school and the universities; the right of the oppressed Native people to rule themselves, to be independent, to set up their own free Native government in this country. As the Native people are the majority, this means an INDEPENDENT SOUTH AFRICAN NATIVE REPUBLIC. Such a Native Republic, being a democratic republic, would give freedom and right of independence to all the smaller oppressed nations in South Africa, to the Coloured People; the Indians, etc., if they should want it. It would give the white workers and poor farmers full rights as citizens in South Africa but would do away with the ruling power of-the white imperialists."




