Contents
- The SANNC and the South Africa Act
- The 1913 Land Act and deputations to London
- Continued resistance and internal criticism
- Rejuvenation of the ANC and intensification of the struggle
- The ANC and the early development of apartheid
- A change to armed struggle and the state's intensified repression
- Armed Struggle; 1970s - 1980s :The revival of armed activity
- Armed Struggle; 1984-1990: The anti-apartheid struggle accelerates
Reference
African National Congress
1920s and 1930s: Continued resistance and internal criticism
Josiah Gumede became president
of the ANC in 1927 During the proceeding years, the ANC leadership evolved to be more inclined to action than passive deputation, but very little was achieved during the 1920s and 1930s. The ANC continued to criticise the government and call for changes, participated in the 1919 anti-pass campaign, and resisted the Hertzog Bills - which called for ‘comprehensive segregation’. The effects of their protests were however, not far reaching, and their support base remained middle-class.
It was in fact the trade unions that were more effective with regards to the masses at this time. The late 1920s saw internal conflict between moderates and those that supported the more radical ideas of Marcus Garvey. Lack of political success eventually led to those with more radical ideas coming to the fore- Josiah Gumede being one of the most prominent from this group.
In 1927 Gumede became president of the ANC, and spent some time in the Soviet Union. The ANC began to work together with the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA) on some of their campaigns, until Gumede lost his presidency in 1930 and the ANC officially rejected communism. Seme took over as president, and tried to bring the ANC back to its more moderate path.
However, the proceeding years were filled with excessive internal conflict, which left the ANC quite ineffective against the government. This was also due to the fact that the government was taking action against resistance organisations, and that the ANC lacked the support of the masses. There was even talk in the mid-1930s of disbanding the ANC and starting a new organisation that did not have the same problems with leadership conflict. However, the Jubilee Celebration in 1937 demonstrated the fact that the ANC did in fact have a substantial support base.