From: South Africa's Radical Tradition, a documentary history, Volume One 1907 - 1950, by Allison Drew
2 000 Protest against Discriminatory Legislation
To protest against the new proposed colour bar legislation a mass meeting was held in the City Hall, Cape Town, on March 22 last. It was organised by the National Liberation League of South Africa and supported by the S.A. Indian Congress, Cape Malay Association, African National Congress, Communist Party, Socialist Party, S.A. Railway and Harbour Workers Union and S.A. Garment Workers Union. Coloured, Native, Indian, Malay and European leaders of these organisations were the speakers, who all emphasised the aim of the new colour bar legislation proposed by the Union Government, which will affect all Non-Europeans alike. The crowded hail of 2,000 people approved the speakers' exposure of the Government's evil intentions "to rob, filch and debar Non-Europeans from their rights."
The Government is passing oppressive and repressive laws against all sections - Natives, Coloured, Indian, Malay and White workers - during this session of parliament. The Marketing Bill provides for setting up of boards for control and pricing of agricultural products, from which the Non-European farmers will be excluded. The Native Laws Amendment Bill, Amendment to the Urban Areas Act, gives power to the Minister of Native Affairs to expel Native people from one town or location to another. It further deprives Native voters in the Cape Province of the right to stay in towns outside the segregated Native locations and to introduce "stop orders" for the deduction of rent from their wages.
The Anti-Mixed Marriages Bill is to prevent Indian and other Asiatics from marrying or co-habiting with Europeans, Coloureds and Malays, and if it does happen, the latter will, like Indians and Natives in Transvaal, be deprived of and forfeit the right to own land and property. So, too, the Asiatic Land Tenure Bill sets out to curb and suppress further the already limited right of Asiatics to own land, property and to trade in the Transvaal.
The Provincial Legislation Powers Extension Bill will give power to the Provincial Councils and Municipalities to discriminate against granting licences and permission to carry on trade and business to Non-Europeans. The meeting unanimously passed following results on:
This meeting emphatically protests against the proposed anti-colour legislation and expresses its resentment against the principle of subjecting Non-Europeans to special disabilities because of their colour. This meeting demands that the Non-European people be guaranteed complete equality, equal rights to work and education, and full right to vote, organise, serve on juries, and hold public office. This meeting requests the organisations present to lay before the Select Committee of parliament the reason for their rejection of the proposed Bills and pledges itself to do all in its power to resist the passing of the proposed iniquitous anti-colour laws,
The passing of continuous reactionary laws by the ruling class shows the vital need for UNITY OF STRUGGLE - amply demonstrated by the enthusiasm of the 2,000 people present at the meeting - in a mighty anti-imperialist and anti-Fascist movement.
Resolutions of First Congress
The following resolutions were passed at the first Congress of the National Liberation League held at Cape Town on March 28 and 29, 1937.
This First Congress of the National Liberation League of South Africa, having in mind the efforts of certain leaders of the white working class to further pide the movement of the oppressed people against imperialism by advocating pision on racial lines, and in addition the efforts of imperialists to draw away the white worker with such concessions as the "civilised labour policy", and other anti-colour legislation, points out the urgent and dire necessity for the conscious white worker and Socialist leadership to educate their followers upon the impossibility of achieving freedom from imperialism without unity of black and white anti-imperialist forces in South Africa.
We, here assembled pledge ourselves to do all in our power to build the anti-imperialist movement of the non-Europeans with the aim of eventual unity with the white worker for the overthrow of imperialism in South Africa.
Bearing in mind the atrocities committed upon the people of Africa by the imperialist nations, and in particular the sufferings of the non-European people under former German colonial Government, and in view of racial theories propagated by the Hitler Nazi regime, this Congress is in determined opposition to any intention declared or contemplated by the other imperialist powers to return mandated territories or colonies to the German Government. The League does not give preference or condone the rule of the present exploiters and oppressors of the colonial peoples.
It declares unequivocally for the right of the colonial people to determine their own form of government, to rule and develop their respective countries free from imperialist domination.