Documents - Part One: Leaders and Chiefs oppose government plans

Document 5. "The African Liberator, Our Message." Editorial by Gilbert Coka, in The African Liberator, October 1935

War is on. Fascism has let loose the hounds of hell. Greed and envy have their little hour. International conventions and treaties have been treated like a scrap of paper. Wars and rumours of war, are in the air. But the divinity that shapes our ends, has also brought forward the opportunity of liberty to the captive, freedom to the oppressed and opportunity to those who struggle. Of course there will be suffering and woes, but that is the rule of nature that there must be death in order that life must be. Africa is opening another era in human history. As she started the era of knowledge, culture, education, civilisation and worship, so today she commences a new era of goodwill, magnanimity and triumph.

The hour of African freedom has struck. That for which Toussaint L'Ouvertue suffered and died, that for which Frederick Douglas and Booker Washington lived and died, that for which Menelik, Shaka, Makana, Lewanika, Lobengula, Langalibalele and other great sons of Africa, lived, suffered and died for. The complete liberty of Africans to shape their own destiny in their own way, has come. The light of liberty has broken in great splendour. In the present confusion of class and national interests, the African underdog is coming to his own. Justice will have her way. Africans must be ready to take their great opportunity towards freedom. They must be prepared to act the part of men. The dreams and prophecies of Marcus Garvey, the solidarity of Africans throughout the world, is becoming a fact. And but for a few traitors, Africans had reached the land of Promise-liberty, equality, opportunity and justice.

But this good time coming, will not come of its own volition. It ill be brought by Africans themselves when they purge themselves free of envy, jealousies and other manifestations of the inferiority complex which debar them from unity and solidarity. The African Liberator teaches Africans to free themselves from the bondage of poverty, prejudice and injustice. It teaches them self reliance and self help not only in one essential but in all those things that contribute towards human happiness and wellbeing. However, the unfortunate thing about us is that we take the monkey apings of our so-called distinguished men for progress. There is no progress in Africans aping Europeans and telling us that they represent the best in the race, for any ordinarily well trained monkey would do the same. The slave mentality still holds our people in chains and they firmly believe that they can only exist through the good graces of their "Masters". Before doing anything worthwhile, they must have the stamp of approval, from some European, otherwise they have no confidence in their work, thoughts and ideas. It is this spirit of "defeatism and Boyishness" secured as "good servants," rather than as independents, which makes our "men who represent their coats, suffer from lack of initiative, inferiority complexed, lying, backbiting, envious, backstairs-creepers and abject cringers" fight to death any and all inde­pendent ideas and actions calculated to uplift Africans without consulting the "good master" first. But in the bottom of their hearts, Europeans as well as other men respect Africans who work out their salvation, than throughout the whole of eternity they could ever respect the groups of helpless apes and beggars who make a monopoly of undermining themselves and their people by being "Good Boys" instead of able men. But such spineless creatures who live by deceit will not forever remain deceiving Africans and therefore cannot permanently impede African progress towards unity, liberty, justice and freedom.

The present war is destroying the Old Africa, which has been undermined for over three centuries. The new Africa is being born. The pangs of suffering attendant upon new birth will follow the bringing forth of a New Africa. But where there is courage there will be a way. Africans must unite and co-operate in their enterprises. They must spend their money where they will get fair returns. As long as they are buyers they will remain despised and powerless, but when they become sellers they will be respected. It is therefore time that Africans reorganized their economic life in order to enter into the new era. They must face the realities of life which are that Nothing can be obtained for nothing and that Money at present is the ruling power of the world. Consequently as workers, they must struggle and obtain higher wages. As buyers they must spend it for tangible returns and that can only be best done by organising consumers cooperatives in every locality. Time has come for Africans to supply themselves with the necessities of life. Our reply to War, oppressive legislation, discrimina­tion, injustice, pauperisation, unemployment and oppression, must be "Let all African money circulate through African friends". An economic boycott against unjust and tyrannical employees, coupled with a persistent struggle for more wages and shorter working conditions, as part of a national consumers league, supplying all African buyers with the necessities of life, a national liberation movement for equal democratic rights for all South Africans irrespective of colour, creed or race and an independent National newspaper of Africans for Africans by Africans to tell truth about our conditions in the Union, will be worth tons of pious hopes.

Africans! rescue yourselves from degradation, poverty and oppression. Let every African worker be a Trade Unionist. Let every African consumer be a cooperator. African workers unite into your Trade Unions and fight for your rights. African buyers, buy from African traders, put up your cooperatives and get your biggest returns from your monies. Kill envy. Work together. Unite for the greater common good of a free Africa. Mobilise Public Opinion and struggle for "equal citizen rights", justice, liberty, freedom and opportunity of all inhabitants of South Africa irrespective of colour, creed or race. But, fellow Africans! Put your house in order. Sink petty selfish jealousies. Organise your consumers cooperatives, Organise your Trades Unions, demand your "Citizen rights," co­operate with all lovers of justice and fair play and make of Africa a land fit for the dwelling of the brave, the just, the humane, the loving, the rich, the powerful, the free and the honest as it was in ancient [times]. Smother internal jealousies, prejudice, injustice and exploitation. To be fit for a new Africa, Unite and cooperate, think and act, struggle and win.

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