Document 35 - “New Tactics Proposed for N.R.C. Boycott: Xuma’s Address to African Congress”, The Guardian, 18 December 1947

From: South Africa's Radical Tradition, a documentary history, Volume Two 1943 - 1964, by Allison Drew

Document 35 - "New Tactics Proposed for N.R.C. Boycott: Xuma's Address to African Congress", The Guardian, 18 December 1947

BLOEMFONTEIN. - In his presidential address to the annual conference of the African National Congress over the weekend. Dr. A.B. Xuma urged the African people to re-elect the present members of the Natives' Representative Council on a boycott ticket.

Tracing the history of the N.R.C. over recent months. Dr. Xuma referred to General Smuts' promise to place more concrete proposals before the whole N.R.C.

"However, before long we heard it rumoured that it was Government strategy not to call a statutory meeting of the present N.R.C. in the hope that they will present concrete proposals before a new Council to be composed of untutored representative'

“The proposals, vague as they are, have been published, and the present councillors completely ignored. This is not calculated to win the faith and confidence of the African people."

Dr Xuma said the Government's act in sidestepping the present councillors had influence congress to change its strategy in implementing the resolution to boycott the Natives Representation Act of 1936.

GIVING SMUTS A CHANCE

We urge African people to send back the present N.R.C. members to give General Smuts another opportunity to keep the engagement he promised to have with all the present members of the Council."

“We must not abandon the boycott as an ideal; but we must return the present councillors as a second step in our strategy to organize our people for the final state - the complete boycott of elections.

We are abandoning the field. We are merely withdrawing for the time being to change our tactics for a final blow."

It is understood a meeting of the national executive confirmed a recent decision of working committee to contest the elections on the boycott ticket as a positive method it the boycott decision. [....]