Documents: Africans Acting Alone

DOCUMENT 49a-2. Memorandum from the Transvaal Native Mine Clerks' Association to the Mining Industry Board, 1922 (Typewritten - 7 pages)

This is the only Native labour Association in existance and is recognised by the Mining Industry, its members are all educated natives and all holding responsible positions in the Mine Compounds, Time Offices, Hospital Offices, and Shaft Offices, as Head Police Natives, Native Clerks, Checkers and ticket sorters, etc. Its Constitution allows any native to join the Association who is educated but not actually doing Police or Clerical work at the time, provided he can read and write English.

This Association was formed in 1920 and received its letter of recognition from the Chamber of Mines dated July 1920.

Objects

The main objects of this Association amongst many others are the following;

(a) To improve the position of its members socially, economically and educationally.

(b) To facilitate mutual interchange of experience between members representing dif­ferent tribes and races.

(c) To discover means by which Mine Authorities may be provided with native labour in time of labour shortage.

(d) To facilitate mutual good under­standing between the Compound Managers and natives working under their supervision.

(e) To educate its members and the mine natives generally to avoid unnecessary agitation and strife.

(f) To afford opportunities for discussion upon subjects of interest and of improving the conditions of native labourers working in the mining industry.

(g) To be the means of communication between the native and all Governing Author­ities and Employers of Labour.

(h) To use endeavour to cause the Association to be represented on any Commission or Board of Reference or Enquiry appointed by the Government or local Authority in con­nection with any matter affecting mine native labourers.

(i) To agitate for the promotion of the native interests in such a way as is best calculated to bring about contentment and efficiency amongst natives.

History

This is the first time in the life of this association that we have given evidence before any Commission or Board of Enquiry.

Although this Association had not been invited to give evidence the members thought it necessary in the interests of all the parties in dispute to get an opinion of the natives working in the mines through their native representative solely as they would have a different view from even that of their white sympathizers.
This Association has also reasons to believe that this honourable Board would not have done justice to the country if it had not had the opinion of natives before making its recommendation to the Government.
In the opinion of this Association the natives are deeply concerned in this dispute and there is therefore a fear that this Board may determine the future of the natives upon misinformation.

This Association has not deemed it advis­able to make a long written statement but has sent men who will stand in front of the Honourable Board for cross-examination on all the points affecting the natives from the statements given by various witnesses specially the Chamber of Mines and the Labour Unions.
This Association wishes to make it clear to the Hon. Board that its delegates come to give independent evidence, not supporting Capital or the Labour Unions, but giving the view­point of the native.

The revulsion of native feeling came to a head in a general Passive Resistance Movement in the Free State, the Witwatersrand and elsewhere in 1918 when natives mutually agreed to throw away their passes and undergo voluntary imprisonment. In 1920 when the mine native labourers mutually agreed to defy the Authority of their con­tracts and undergo loss of life and imprisonment in support of their claims for higher wages,

This record of dissatisfaction amongst the natives has no precedent in the history of South Africa.
All these events must bring home to all self-respecting Europeans that if the natives are not given proper channels through which they can voice their genuine grievances they may be stampeded by a burst from any and every kind of agitator.

The Educated Natives working in the Mining Industry in the year 1920 decided to form an Association in order that they might safeguard their fellow men from all sorts of misleading, and to take the responsibility as a body for whatever might occur as provided in the objects of the Association.

It is not so easy to mislead an educated native to commit an offence as it is an uneducated native, and it is a known fact that although the educated natives are very few in South Africa--in the mining industry in particular--they have succeeded in having their influence so felt by the bulk of their native brothers that the latter have come to recognise them as their only hope of salvation.

The fact is indisputable to those who have followed the changes of native life in South Africa.

To ignore the voice of the educated native is to labour under misapprehension and court disaster. From the two years life of this Association we are able to state that although the times have been so bad and the atmo­sphere charged with electricity on many occasions we have been able to control our native brethren on the mines,

The behaviour of the natives during the recent disturbance can be put forward as a clear proof of this. So much has been said in front of this board in favour and against the Natives by Europeans that nothing has been said by the Natives themselves.

Although the terms of reference for this Board do not distinctly make it known that the native evidence is required we have decided to ask permission to be given an opportunity to give evidence which will be helpful to the Hon. Board and prevent injustice to all parties in the dispute and to the natives who are intimately concerned as to their future.

We have taken particular notice from the Press report that this Board is trying to lay a strong foundation for the future prosperity of South Africa and if possible to devise ways and means of preventing future industrial crises.

In our opinion as natives of this country we wish to submit that we are satisfied that there can be no permanent settlement nor desired good will and looked for prosperity unless the natives have been given a proper place in the management of their industrial affairs.

In order to get the desired ends we ask the real genius of the British race which is the spirit of compromise as opposed to the bullying spirit.

We ask the workers to give away something which they claim as their right namely their superiority by the virtue of their colour and we are willing to meet them with the same spirit namely our respect for their higher standard of living. We honestly believe that there can be no permanent peace between Capital and Labour if the natives are not put on a proper footing for their development as necessitated by European civilization. In the mines you will find all kinds of natives. Educated natives trained and semitrained natives. It is these natives who feel the operation of the Colour Bar. To the uneducated native it gives a dangerous impression creating in him a sullenness which is antag­onistic to efficiency, considering that he has no education, no cultivated reasoning and practically speaking does not see the reasons why that while he the native can do work without the presence of a European he is prevented from doing it because of his colour.

It was the white who taught him the blessing of work, it is also the white man who prevents him from working to the best of his abilities.

Generally speaking the length of time a native has been working on a property--a long period is not considered a recommendation in many cases it has the reverse result--that of being looked upon as a spoilt native. The fact is he has become too efficient--knows too much for ill-disposed persons.

This Association has no objection as to the system of recruiting as done by the native Recruiting Corporation through its labour Agents, but is opposed to the recruiting done by the traders in the Native Areas, on the grounds that they encourage Natives to accumulate debts and persuade them to join for the Mines; making double profit in each individual head of native.

1. We therefore beg to recommend that this Association should be recognised on the same status as all White Labour Associations.

2. That this Commission recommend the Abolition of all Colour Restrictions in the Mining Industry.
The Manager to appoint any one for any job, if he is capable of doing it satisfactorily, be he White or a Native.

3. That the formation of Native trade Unions in the Mines should not be discouraged by the authorities.

4. That the status quo Agreement of 1918, better known as the "Colour Bar" should be abolished soon to enable the natives to work themselves up to efficiency.

5. That the new system which has been adopted underground viz. The cleaning Shift which starts at 7.p.m. to 2.a.m. and the breaking Shift starting at 7.a.m. to 3.p.m. should be encouraged as much as possible, as it enables the native to do more work within the required length of time.

6. That all boss boys of underground managers, Mine Captains, and shift bosses should be educated natives who will be able to interpret for all the disputes between the gangers and their natives.

7. That in all the Mine Groups the Compound Managers should be invested with superior powers to decide all cases between the Underground Authorities and Natives, and his finding to be final as far as the disputes between the mine natives and Mine Authorities are concerned.

8. That encouragement should be given to all natives who are doing skilled work and engaged on responsible jobs, such as drill sharpening and blasting, by the way of extra pay and certificates.

9. That the Low Grade mines should be worked by the Natives with a few Europeans as supervisors.

10. That the Recruiting should be taken away from the Traders in the Locations and Territories, and be done by the Labour Agents who have nothing to do with Stores in the Native Areas.

The native may be thought a rough dia­mond among the many gem races that are at present in South Africa but this Association is of the opinion that with a little chiselling and polishing he will become a sculptured leaf in the Capitals of the grand columns that sustain our Empire.

We respectfully ask this honourable Board to recommend that the strangle-hold of the "Industrial Colour Bar" be gradually removed from us.

To keep us wallowing in the mud the white man must wallow along with us to keep us down there.
WHY NOT ALL GO UP HIGHER

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