Documents - Part One: Leaders and Chiefs oppose government plans

Document 1. "A National Convention." Statement by the Rev. Z. R. Mahabane, in the Bantu World, May 18,1935

The proposals embodied in the Report and the Draft Bills constitute a direct challenge to the African community of the Union. How long shall the African people who form the integral and inseparable part and parcel of the population of the Union be contented with a position of political inferiority and political helotry and of exclusion from the civil organism of this land of their birth? The present occasion calls for the summoning of what should prove to be the largest, most important and representative National Convention of chiefs, leaders and other representatives of all shades of religious, educational, economic and political thought among the African people of the four Provinces of the Union of South Africa. This National gathering should be held at a centrally situated locality which should be easily accessible to delegates from all parts and all corners of the Union.

It would also be most fitting that an assemblage of this colossal character should be held this year when South Africa is celebrating the Silver Jubilee of the consummation of Union of the four Colonies. The Africans should gather together on this occasion, take stock of the position as a race of people in the country, consider the whole Native policy that has been inaugurated since Union and prosecuted during the last period of twenty-five years, study the culmina­tion of this policy as adumbrated in the draft Bills that are now before the country, "reason together" and publish a statement of their views on the whole situation.

The proposed National Convention should be preceded by local District, Divisional or parochial Conferences, the object of which would be to make preliminary pronouncements, suggest items of the Agenda of the National Con­vention and elect Representatives to the latter...

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