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South African Historical Journal Volume 25, 1991 - Issue 1
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ARTICLES/ARTIKELS

Donald Molteno and the Politics of ‘Native Representation’ in Cape Town 1936–1948

BARRY KINKEAD-WEEKES University of Cape Town,
Pages 105-130 | Published online: 14 Jan 2009

  • 1952 . T. Karis Hope and Challenge, 1935–1952 3 Stanford
  • Scher , D. DonaldMolteno: ‘Ditizintaba-He Who Removes Mountains ’ (Johannesburg, 1979), 1, 16 and 23
  • Rich , P. B. 1984 . White Power and the Liberal Conscience: Racial Segregation and South African Liberalism Johannesburg 93 and 104
  • Lewsen , P. , Butler , J. , Elphick , R. and Welsh , D. 1987 . “ ‘Liberals in Politics and Administration, 1936–1948’ ” . In Democratic Liberalism in South Africa: Its History and Prospect 11 Cape Town eds
  • Scher, Donald Molteno, 16
  • Horn , P. ‘Donald Molteno and South African Liberalism’ . Social Dynamics , 5 2 (Dec. 1979), 66
  • Ibid, 65
  • Ibid, 64
  • Alexander , N. ‘Aspects of Non-Collaboration in the Western Cape 1943–1963’ . Social Dynamics , 12 1 (June 1986), 5
  • Ibid, 12
  • Bunting , B. 1975 . Moses Kotane: South African Revolutionary 146 London Quoted in
  • Central Archives, Native Affairs (NTS) 7670 86/332(1), Detective-Constable White's report to Divisional Criminal Investigation Officer, 2 July 1936
  • Workers’ Voice, Sep. 1935;Umsebenzi 29 Feb. 1936;Umvikeli-Thebe Feb. 1936
  • Lewis , G. 1987 . Between the Wire and the Wall: A History of South African ‘Coloured’ Politics 180 – 2 . Cape Town HJ. Simons and R.E. Simons, Class and Colour in South Africa, 1850–1950 (London, 1969), 503;Spark Nov. 1936, Jan. 1937 and Apr. 1937
  • Liberator, Mar. 1937
  • Lewis, Between the Wire, 184
  • Cape Times, 12 Dec. 1935
  • van , R. E. 1986 . “ der Ross ” . In The Rise and Decline of Apartheid: A Study of Political Movements Among the Coloured People of South Africa, 1880–1985 260 Cape Town
  • Cape Standard, 31 Aug. 1936 and 26 Oct. 1936;Umteteli wa Bantu 27 Mar. 1937 and 15 May 1937;University of Cape Town Library, Molteno Papers (hereafter MP), BC 579 A54.21, handwritten statement by Molteno, no date
  • Umvikeli-Thebe, Mar. 1937;Umteteli wa Bantu 20 Mar. 1937 and 29 May 1937;P. Walshe, The Rise of African Nationalism in South Africa (Johannesburg, 1987), 256;Scher, Donald Molteno 12
  • Roux , E. 1978 . Time Longer Than Rope: A History of the Black Man's Struggle for Freedom in South Africa Wisconsin 293;R. Kingwill, ‘The African National Congress in the Western Cape’ (BA Hons thesis, University of Cape Town, 1977), 34
  • Umteteli wa Bantu, 27 Mar. 1937
  • White Power Ncwana is thus characterized in Rich, 115.See also F. Wilson and D. Perrot, Outlook on a Century: South Africa 1870–1970 (Cape Town, 1973), 705–6
  • MP, BC579 A54.3, copy of Umafrika Omtsha, 6 Feb. 1937, with letter from Thaele giving conference agenda
  • MP, BC 579 A54.21. This undated handwritten statement by Molteno reveals approaches made to him by conservative leaders Oliphant and Ncwana
  • Roux, Time Longer Than Rope, 297
  • Umteteli wa Bantu, 15 May 1937
  • MP, BC 579 A54.2, handwritten damaged memorandum by Molteno, no date; MP, BC 579 A54.5, African Progressive Party manifesto in support of Thompson, signed by its president Ncwana, secretary IB Nyambolo and ostensibly by Thaele, no date;Cape Times 15 May 1937;Umteteli wa Bantu 29 May 1937 and 5 June 1937 (letter from Oliphant and press release from Mauerberger's election agent)
  • Umteteli wa Bantu, 23 Jan. 1937, 20 Feb. 1937 and 5 June 1937 (letter from Native Central Committee office-bearers Oliphant and Kenke);MP, BC 579 A54.2, list of Native Central Committee members, no date
  • MP, BC 579 C1.6, ANC Worcester branch secretary to Masiu, 13 June 1937
  • Umteteli wa Bantu, 6 Mar. 1937 (letter from JG Masiu). Original in MP, BC 579 E3.10. Despite this strong stand, Oliphant somehow retained his position of Western Province Congress secretary
  • See, for example, Umteteli wa Bantu, 20 Mar. 1937;Umvikeli-Thebe Apr. 1937 and May 1937;Umteteli wa Bantu 15 May 1937;Cape Guardian 4 June 1937
  • MP, BC 579 A54.34, Molteno's election manifesto, 30 Apr. 1937
  • Scher, Donald Molteno, 13–4 and 17;Umvikeli-Thebe Mar. 1937, report of Molteno's speech at a meeting in Langa; Roux, Time Longer Than Rope 297
  • Scher, Donald Molteno, 2. Scher says that ‘[L]ong queues of desperate and indigent Africans waited daily in the passages of his chambers at 4 Wale Street, seeking his advice and guidance’. In 1941, Molteno founded the Cape Town Legal Aid Bureau, under the auspices of the South African Institute of Race Relations (Scher, Donald Molteno, 52)
  • Guardian, 11 Dec. 1941
  • MP, BC 579 A54 37.1, All African Convention campaign committee circular, 27 Aug. 1942;Tabata, The All African Convention 40–3
  • Guardian, 10 Apr. 1941, report of a speech to local student socialists; MP, BC 579 A7.304, Molteno to Eva Conn of the People's Club, 6 May 1942
  • Guardian, 4 Dec. 1941 and 11 Dec, 1941, reports of Molteno's speeches in Durban to the Friends of the Soviet Union and the Liberal Study Group
  • MP, BC 579 D1.46, fragment of typewritten memorandum, no date
  • University of the Witwatersrand Library (copy at UCT), Xuma Papers (hereafter XP), ABX 411229, Molteno to Xuma, 29 Dec. 1941, 4–5
  • MP, BC 579 D1.37, unpublished article on ‘Soviet Imperialism’, no date; Roux, Time Longer Than Rope 303–10
  • See for example Guardian, 16 Oct. 1941;Guardian 29 Jan. 1942;and Guardian IS May 1942
  • Guardian, 4 Dec. 1941
  • Guardian, 12 Feb. 1942
  • XP, ABX 411231a, Xuma to Pendla, 31 Dec. 1941;ABX 420115a, Pendla to Xuma, 15 Jan. 1942
  • lave lose Afrika, 5 Dec. 1941 (in MP, BC 579 A54.13)
  • MP, BC 579 A54.21, damaged handwritten draft resignation, no date. See also MP, BC 579 C1.187, Moult to Molteno, 29 Sep. 1941
  • Inkokett ya Bantu, Dec. 1941;Izm lose Afrika 16 Jan. 1942 (in MP, BC 579 A54.15)
  • Kingwill, “The African National Congress’, 39;XP, ABX 420305, Nikiwe to Xuma, 5 Mar. 1942
  • XP, ABX 411214c, resolutions of ANC Executive meeting, 14 Dec. 1941;ABX 411220c, Xuma to Molteno, 20 Dec. 1941
  • XP, ABX 411228(b), M Ballinger to Xuma, 28 Dec. 1941;ABX 420115b, M Ballinger to Xuma, 15 Jan. 1942
  • XP, ABX 411228b, M Ballinger to Xuma. 28 Dec. 1941
  • XP, ABX 411219b, Molteno telegram to Xuma, 19 Dec. 1941
  • XP, ABX 412122d, Xuma circular to editors of unnamed newspapers, 22 Dec. 1941;ABX 411223, Xuma to SA Press Association, 23 Dec. 1941;ABX 411229, Xuma telegram to Molteno, 29 Dec. 1941;ABX 411220b, Xuma to Molteno, 20 Dec. 1941
  • Walshe, The Rise of African Nationalism, 391;XP, ABX 411231a, Xuma to Pendla, 31 Dec. 1941;ABX 411231c, Xuma to Oliphant, 31 Dec. 1941
  • MP, BC 579 A54.21, damaged handwritten draft resignation, no date
  • XP, ABX 420106c, Xuma to Molteno, 6 Jan 1942
  • Inkokeliya Bantu, Jan. 1942
  • Izwe Lose Afrika, 16 Jan. 1942 (in MP, BC 579 A54.15)
  • Guardian 27 Aug. 1942, letter from W. Ndunyana
  • Lewis, “The Reactions’, 446
  • MP, BC 579 AS4.17, undated pamphlet advertising meetings in Cape Town on 8 Jan. 1942 and in Langa on 12 Jan. 1942
  • Inkoketi ya Bantu Jan. 1942 and Feb. 1942
  • Inkokeliya Bantu, Mar. 1942;XP, ABX 420305, Nikiwe to Xuma, 5 Mar. 1942
  • XP, ABX 420512b, Bulana to Xuma, 12 May 1942;UCT, microfilm copy of Carter and Karis Papers (hereafter CKP, 2: DA 17:40/2, Nikiwe to the editor of Umteteli wa Bantu 1 May 1942
  • Inkokeliya Bantu, Apr. 1942
  • Roux, Time Longer Than Rope, 300;Kingwill, “The African National Congress’, 39
  • XP, ABX 420408b, Tladi to Xuma, 8 Apr. 1942
  • CKP, 2: DA 14/2:30/2, minutes of ANC national executive meeting, 29 Aug. 1942, 5
  • XP, ABX 420408b, Tladi to Xuma, 8 Apr. 1942;XP, ABX 420530b, Xuma to Calata, 30 May 1942
  • MP, BC 579 A54.50, Congress Campaign Committee circular, no date;Inkokeliya Bantu May 1942
  • XP, ABX 420729c, Xuma to Bokwe, 29 July 1942
  • XP, ABX 420728a, Xuma to Pendla, 28July 1942
  • XP, ABX 420804, Ncwana to Xuma, 4 Aug. 1942;ABX 420813, Xuma to Ncwana, 13 Aug. 1942
  • Guardian, 18 June 1942;Inkokeli ya Bantu July 1942;Guardian 23 July 1942, letter from L.H. Msila
  • MP, BC 579 A7.350, Molteno to M. Ballinger, 4 Aug. 1942
  • MP, BC 579 A54.54, pamphlet for Langa meeting, 20 July 1942;BC 579 A54.52, pamphlet for Banqueting Hall meeting, 18 Aug. 1942;Guardian 27 Aug. 1942
  • Roux, Time Longer Than Rope, 300;Guardian 10 Sep. 1942
  • MP, BC 579 A54.37.1, circular signed by Colo and Jayiya, 27 Aug. 1942
  • CKP, 2: DA 14/2:30/2, minutes of ANC national executive meeting, 30 Aug. 1942
  • MP, BC 579 A54.53, pamphlet for Raubenheimer election meeting, 10 Sep. 1942;XP, ABX 420916d, Malangabi telegram to Xuma, 16 Sep. 1942
  • XP, ABX 420916a, Xuma to Oliphant, 16 Sep. 1942;ABX 420916b, Xuma to Ncwana, 16 Sep. 1942;ABX 420916c, Xuma to Pendla, 16 Sep. 1942;ABX 420916d, Xuma to Tladi, 16 Sep. 1942
  • See MP, BC 579 A54.55, pamphlet advertising this meeting
  • XP, ABX 420922a, Tladi to Xuma, 22 Sep. 1942;ABX 420925, Xuma to Tladi, 25 Sep. 1942
  • MP, BC 579 A54.35.3, Molteno's election manifesto, no date;Guardian 1 Oct. 1942
  • MP, BC 579 A54.36.1, circular signed by Coto and Jayiya, no date
  • XP, ABX 421008, All African Convention Committee (Western Province), ‘Manifesto on Elections’, no date
  • Guardian, 15 Oct. 1942
  • MP, BC 579 A54.39–42, pamphlets for meetings in Claremont and Cape Town, 31 Aug.- 22 Sep. 1942. Additional meetings at Langa, Kensington, Athlone and Simon's Town are mentioned in Guardian, 24 Sep. 1942
  • Guardian, 15 Oct. 1942
  • XP, ABX 421026a, Malangabi telegram to Xuma, 26 1942;Guardian 29 Oct. 1942
  • XP, ABX 421029a, Xuma to Calata, 29 Ocl. 1942
  • XP, ABX 420922d, Calata to Xuma, 22 Sep. 1942
  • XP, ABX 420922b, Nikiwe to Xuma, 22 Sep. 1942
  • Guardian, 12 Aug. 1943
  • Lewis, Between the Wire, 220–1
  • XP, ABX 440313b, Ntshona to Xuma, 13 Mar. 1944;Guardian 10 Feb. 1944,16 Mar. 1944 and 6 Apr. 1944
  • B. Kinkead-Weekes, ‘Influx Control and Resistance in Cape Town, 1936–47’ (seminar paper, University of Cape Town History Department, 1990)
  • MP, BC 579 C6.206, Molteno to Smit, 15 Mar. 1948;Rich, White Power 100;Lewsen, ‘Liberals in Polities’, 109
  • Scher, Donald Molteno, 16
  • Ibid, 73
  • XP, ABX 411229, Molteno to Xuma, 29 Dec. 1941, 4;MP, BC 579 Dl.32.4, Rhodes University Summer School talk on ‘Segregation and Democracy’, 8 Jan. 1948
  • XP, ABX 411229, Molteno to Xuma, 29 Dec. 1941, 4–5
  • MP, BC 579 Dl.32.4, Rhodes University Summer School talk on ‘Segregation and Democracy’, 8 Jan. 1948, 15–6
  • Walshe, The Rise of African Nationalism, 285 and 334
  • MP, BC 579 D1.23, article on ‘Democracy and Native Policy’, no date, 7;MP, BC 579 D1.22, article on ‘An Alternative to Segregation’, no date, 4
  • Cape Tunes, 5 Aug. 1946, editorial;Cape Argus 5 Aug. 1946, editorial
  • See Roux, Time Longer Than Rope, 340;Bunting, Moses Kotane 136–8
  • Tabata, The All African Convention, 137
  • Cape Times, 13 June 1947
  • MP, BC 579 C5.182, Molteno to Malcomess, 2 Dec. 1946
  • Bunting, Moses Kotane, 142
  • Rich, White Power, 105
  • Walshe, 77wr Rise of African Nationalism, 291
  • Guardian, 12 June 1947, letters page and ‘Topical’ column
  • MP, BC 579 A7.650, Molteno to Radford (Sacks), 4 Aug. 1943;BC 579 A7.1598, Sacks to Molteno, 11 Sep. 1945;Guardian 4 Oct. 1945;Guardian 10 Jan. 1946
  • See, for example, FP, BC 580 Hl.1, minutes of Joint Council annual general meeting, 2 June 1942;BC 580 Hl.1, minutes of Joint Council executive meeting, 5 Apr. 1946
  • Cape Times, 17 June 1946;Cape Argus 17 June 1946. The strongest nominee was W.G. Ballinger, a prominent member of the Friends of Africa and the husband of Margaret Ballinger. The reason he gave for deciding not to stand was his concern that a contest between himself and fellow-liberal Buchanan would confuse the electorate
  • Cape Times, 13 June 1947, news item and editorial;Cape Times 16 June 1947, letter from W.H. Andrews
  • Guardian, 19 June 1947, news item and ‘Topical’ column
  • Rich, White Power, 113
  • Guardian, 10 Jul. 1947;Guardian 31 Jul. 1947;Cape Tunes 2 Aug. 1947;Cape Times 6 Aug. 1947
  • Umtunywa, 23 Aug. 1947
  • Guardian, 31 July 1947, editorial
  • Cape Times, 13 Aug. 1947
  • MP, BC 579 A5.264, Molteno to Secretary for Native Affairs, 11 Aug. 1947
  • MP, BC 579 A5.265, Molteno to Secretary for Native Affairs, 13 Aug. 1947 (marked ‘Personal and Confidential’)
  • Scher, Donald Molteno, 58–9
  • Horn, ‘Donald Molteno’, 63;P. Lewsen, ‘Introduction: The Decade of Flux’, in P. Lewsen, ed., Voices of Protest: From Segregation to Apartheid, 1938–1948 (Cape Town, 1988), 56
  • Kotane, in Bunting, Moses Kotane, 140
  • Walshe, The Rise of African Nationalism, 285;see also Karis, Hope and Challenge 97
  • MP, BC 579 C6.141, Molteno to Jabavu, 16 Sep. 1947
  • Cape Times, 13 Aug. 1947;Cape Tunes 3 Sep. 1947;Torch 8 Sep. 1947
  • Torch, 1 Sep. 1947
  • Cape Times, 30 Aug. 1947, letter from. L.S. Phillips
  • Cape Argus, 27 Aug. 1947
  • MP, BC 579 C6.141, Molteno to Jabavu, 16 Sep. 1947;Walshe, The Rise of African Nationalism 338 and 348;Karis, Hope and Challenge 109;Rich, White Power 105
  • For the ‘Along the New Road’ statement, see Karis, Hope and Challenge, 115
  • MP, BC 579 C6.141, Molteno to Jabavu, 16 Sep. 1947;MP, BC 579 C6.142, Jabavu to Molteno, 23 Sep. 1947
  • Torch, 1 Dec. 1947
  • Bantu World, 3 Jan. 1948
  • Bunting, Moses Kotane, 148–9
  • MP, BC 579 C6.201, Xuma to Molteno, 20 Feb. 1948;Torch 23 Feb. 1948
  • MP, BC 579 C6.202, Molteno to Xuma, 8 Mar. 1948. See also BC 579 A24.1217, Molteno to Lwana, Ntshinga, Ndunyana, Malangabi, Ngwevela, Stuurman, Mosopha, Welcome, Ndimangele and Coto, 8 Mar. 1948;and BC 579 D1.45, press statement, no date

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