St. Peter's Mission

16-6-50

My dear Chief;
    I am writing you a private letter. The national executive has agreed on the sit down strike on June the 26th. My chief, let us not carry our brains in our feet. We must study the conditions and internal affairs of the nation. We are a conquered nation, this we must admit. Let us face practical truths. Through the May Day strikes, our people lost lives, properties and jobs, and have had no redress. Before these wounds are healed, we are again formulating another strike. The nation is not ready. If we are to be at the mercy of the Communist Party, take it from me, the Congress hasn't got another year to live. The Engine and brain of the Congress cannot be the communist influence.
   Take these into accounts. There are poor widows by their thousands whose children do not eat until the mother comes back from the white man's kitchen carrying scraps of food left at the table. If this woman does not go to the kitchen to cook for the white boss, are we to feed her children that day? The next she finds another woman already employed; are we to give her work? There are several other instances which render this strike business of any form at present impracticable.
   There are cases where we have to retreat according to plan and organise. That is strategy. We cannot achieve all over one night. There are other means by which we can make our voice heard. Remember, the strike hits friend and foe, while Swarts in the house of Parliament is scott free. He will not suffer a thing. As a member of the national executive, and you as president of this province, use all your influence that the nation is not ready. No army ever marched into the battle unarmed and untrained. That is what we are now doing. We are dividing the nation into two or several hostile camps. Chiefs under the jackboot of the ruler set against the urban labourer and the end will be that Congress will stink in the nostrils of the whole nation. Let us take into account the national groups to be used against the strikers. Africans against others.
   We are now in Basutoland divided. The chiefs and the Administration arrayed against the Basuto strikers.
   I will be the saddest of men if Congress is dragged into this confusing issue. I was at E.L. and the Communist Congress members invited Kotane to come by air ahead of me to disorganise my Congress meetings for which I was invited. This he tried, whenever I reached a certain part of the location I was at his heels. The people were hostile against the preaching of strikes.
   I poured water and got a lot of new members, I will after the conference sacrifice my time again and organise since you, Bokwe & Mzamane are at the head of the affairs.

Yours for Africa,

J. J. Skomolo

P.S. The Communists' sinister move is to get into all Congress branches to disrupt Congress from within