Document 55 - Letter from the International Secretariat of the International Communist League (B-L) to the Workers’ Party of South Africa and the Communist League of South Africa, 12 October 1935

From: South Africa's Radical Tradition, a documentary history, Volume One 1907 - 1950, by Allison Drew

Document 55 - Letter from the International Secretariat of the International Communist League (B-L) to the Workers' Party of South Africa and the Communist League of South Africa, 12 October 1935

                                                                                                                           Geneva, 12th October 1935

To the WORKERS PARTY and to the COMMUNIST LEAGUE, of South Africa

Dear Comrades,

we have read with great interest and great attention the documents and letters you have sent us. In particular, we have devoted attention to the efforts that both groups have paid to the Negro question. It seems to us that as a result of the given circumstances in Africa, a considerable part of the issues of conflict that have even led to a split between the two groups, has to be shifted into the background in light of the current significance which Africa has received during the last few weeks. We therefore advise both groups once again and with all seriousness, to pay attention to what both have in common in place of the dividing differences, and to jointly tackle the current task.

These current issues are characterised by the complications in the Abyssinian-Italian conflict, due to the position taken by the British. The greatest, strongest and most brutal of imperialistic colonial oppressors has adopted the role of the champion of freedom of a hitherto virtually independent black African people and country, and the English working class follows these imperialistic troubadours of peace in that they, following the social-patriotic enthusiasm of their largest organisations - Trade Unions and Labour Party -, loudly declare themselves prepared, without fuss and in the name of peace to fight a war against the disturber of the peace, Italy.

To fail to point out in this situation in Africa, that it is a question of miserable imperialistic talk, when English labour organisations, instead of calling upon their colonial people not only to support Abyssinia, but also to set as their own goal the struggle for independence from the English (as well as from the white imperialist robbers and slave traders), means to be co-responsible through the stupefaction of the working class for the preparation of the next imperialist war. That Stalinists are in full agreement with this position, they will try to hide with nice words, but their actions in the League of Nations as well as their eloquent silence over the Italo-Abyssinian conflict during the 7th Congress are apparent enough.

This imposes upon the genuine communist groups everywhere, but in particular in Africa, the obligation to muster all their forces in order to raise their voices in a clear, unambiguous and unanimous manner in order to make organisational progress, so as to clearly explain to the natives that in addition to the white oppressors there also exist white revolutionaries, who proclaim the right of every people to severe their ties to the imperialists, and emphasise in Africa, that the white oppressor has no business in Africa.

We urge you, dear comrades, not only to maintain your contact with us, but also with each other, i.e., to speedily and seriously re-establish contact among both divided groups, for the benefit of the whole movement.

With communist greeting,

on behalf of the I. S. DUBOIS