The National Committee of the Non-European United Front of South Africa has considered its attitude to the proposed Passive Resistance Movement in the Transvaal.

While the Non-European United Front will, at all times, give assistance and support to any section of the oppressed people engaged in a struggle against Segregation or ColourBar Laws, it is of the opinion that it would be premature for a group within the Indian Community to launch a separate and independant campaign against the Government. It is essential that all the oppressed races should combine in joint and simultaneous action, particularly in view of the fact that the Indian community is itself divided on the desirability of initiating passive resistance so soon as the 1st August, 1939. The salvation of the Non-European lies upon the path of a United Front of Indian, African, Coloured, and Malay, against racial discriminations and the inhuman suffering under which all live.

The Government in the past has enacted law after law against the non-European by dividing and keeping apart the various races. The reply of the non-Europeans to the Government should not be a separatist and isolated sectional struggle by only a part of the Indian people. Passive resistance is only one of the methods of struggle and in view of the fact that the South African Indian Congress has convened a Conference for the 31st July and 1st August, 1939 at Durban to decide whether to support passive resistance or not, and in view of the lack of the preparations necessary for waging a successful and effective campaign against the Government, in the interests of Unity and of the people, the United Front expresses the urgent hope that passive resistance will not hastily be embarked upon until mutual consultation and preparation for simultaneous action be taken by the leading Organisations of the non-European people.

Sectional action is the very negation and contradiction of a United Front of African, Indian, Coloured and Malay, who are already strenuously preparing to fight the Government with every means in its power to free all South Africans from the abomination of racialism, segregation and all discriminatory laws.

Moses M. Kotane
Secretary.