The real issues in — South Africa today By IDRIS COX The aim of the African peo- ple today is to end the in- iquitous Pass Laws imposed on them by the South African Government. For, though slav- ery was officially abolished there in 1834, these Pass Laws have taken its place. This is the centre of the struggle now going on in South Africa. . For the African the pass system is the basis of his pov- erty and of his exploitation. It is the cornerstone of aparth- eid. And, in spite of overwhel- ming African opposition, it is imposed and administered with cruel efficiency and force. : Every year some 750,000 Africans are imprisoned for “offences” under these laws —indeed, no African ever liv- es a full life without having spent a term.of imprisonment! To understand the complex network of controls on the movement, residence and em- ployment of the African, one must start with the land ques- tion. The Land Act of 1913 prov- ided for the redivision of the land surface of the country in- to, “Native Reserves,’ and European Areas.” The effect of this was to lim- it African rights to land own- ership and farming to the areas designated as reserves. As a result, the African to- day finds that some 700,000 whites own or occupy 250 mil- lion acres of farmland —while over six million Africans are _pressed and restricted to 35 million acres — the area of the reserves. Put another way, 85 per cent of the country’s rural population own 12 per cent of the land, while the remaining 15 percent possess 88 per cent. The crowded reserves here, aS a result, become areas of stark poverty, compelling the African to seek work in the white areas in.order to feed his family. In this way a vast /pool of cheap African labour has been created. To direct this migrant Afri- can into those industries de- pendent on cheap labour, the pass system is administered by the white authorities and most powerful industries —goldmining and white farm- ing — depend for their prof- its on the large-scale employ- ment of cheap, unskilled efri- can labour. At the age of 16, every Afri- can leaving the reserves is T= quired to carry a pass. He can only obtain one if he agrees to accept the job provided for him by the labour bureau, and this invariably means either in the gold mines or on the| white farms. He will be allow- ed to travel only if he possess- es this pass. _ It takes the form of a book, carrying his photograph and thumbprint, name, tax receipt and the official permission to be wherever he is. He must carry it on his per- son at all times and surrender it on demand to any: policeman —or white person — at any time. Without it he can find him- self in prison; without it, he cannot enter a town or city, or work for wages anywhere. Once in - employment, his employer — @ white man — will sign his pass once a month. If he so chooses, his song and dance. Assn. of United Ukrainian Canadians Presents ~ ANNUAL SHEVCHENKO CONCERT. . Tribute to the Bard of the Ukraine SUNDAY, APRIL 3-—8:30 P.M. QUEEN ELIZABETH AUDITORIUM ® 200 performers in a colorful program of music, . Admission by Invitation Only Available at: People’s Co-op Bookstore and 805 East Pender St. EVERYONE WELCOME ® boss can ade a comment on the pass book which can make it impossible for the African to find another job, This may arise where’ an African becomes interested in. trade unionism or asks for bet- ‘ter wages and ‘working condi- tions. The Pass Laws, fore allow, and provide for the perpetuation ‘of poverty wages. : : There are 2,500,090 Afri-' cans workers on white farms. Here the conditions of work amounts to near slavery. The Master” and Servants Act (a part of the pass system) makes it illegal for the Afri- can to leave his et gall al without permission. In 1959 the average earn- ings (in cash and kind) of an African family of six or seven in the white farming areas amounts to £9 a month (a pound is worth $2.65 in Can- adian money). In the towns and cities the average earnings of the Afri- can amount to £10 per month. Here again the urban Afri- can worker is subject to a mass of restrictions — he may be forced to live in the sprawl- ing misery of the shantytowns some ten miles away from his place of work, when as much as 10 per cent of his earnings are absorbed in fares. The poverty of the African is overwhelming. In 1944 it was Officially estimated that the gap between the level of African income necessary to keep life and limb together and the actual level of income was £3 a month. Ten years la- ter the gap rose to £7 11s 5d; today it is over. £10. In the township of Cato Manor — where African wo- men had to brew illicit liquor to supplement their husbands’ income — 95 per cent of the African population were found to live below the bread-- line. , On the Reef, the richest in- dustrial area of the country, 70 per cent of the Africans earn an income below the’ es- sential minimum. : The real reason for the Pass Laws .in South. Africa are, therefore, clear: @ It brings the African into the grip of the police State— every man is indexed, number- ed, fingerprinted and kept in his place and regimented to the needs of the privileged white minority, the mining monopolies and the white farms. @® Above all it keeps the system of cheap labour going —every worker, in fear of the loss of his job and his pass, is there- |? Picture shows an earlier demonstration of South Africa® Negroes with slogans expressing their demands agains policies under which 10 million Negroes are denied rights. The white population forced to accept poverty wag- es. It provides: for a vast con- trolled labour force without trade union rights, without the right to bargain and with- out the right to opporunity.’ @ It is a source of revenue for the white regime — pass book fees, court fines, and the thousands of pounds collected on the monthly service con- tracts help to maintain an army of civil servants and po- lice. The I.L.0. has declared that “through its pass laws the is 2,500,000. lation similar, in effect, t0 ‘: system of forced labour.” Violence, murder, panish* ment, exile and treason’ trials, as Verwoerd himself blandly declared, are ‘peri dic phenomena’ in South rica. The police are’ thanked in the South African Parliament — for the ‘courageous, efficient way they handle the situation.” In spite of all this, the rican people struggle and fight for their freedom and theit liberation, undaunted by the State is in a position to exert pressure upon the native popu- brutality and murderous ways” of the all-white regime. OBITUARY NICK COVALE Veteran of the first world war, logger and electrician, Nick Covale passed away this week in his 68th year, victim of a heart attack. Born in Russia in 1892 Nick Covale emigrated to Canada when quite a young man, working at his trade in var- ious parts of the country, and always taking an active part in all progressive cultural and trade union activities. He served overseas with the first Canadian contingent. Nick Covale joined the Communist party in the early | 30’s and throughout the years gave a great deal of his time and effort in the promotion of the party press and literature. For many years, up until his untimely death, Nick Covale was one of the Pacific Tri- bune’s most active promoters and salesmen. Funeral services conducted at the Russian Peo- ples Home, 600 Campbell Av- enue, on Saturday, April 2nd at 10 a.m. _ ART STAUB Many people who knew Arthur “Art” Staub will be saddened to hear that he passed away last week. Staub was very active in the will be | workers movement during the _ thirties, and for some time was Vancouver Island — organizer for the YCL. When the civil war broke out in Spain, Art heard the call for freedom, and joined _ hundreds of other Canadians, — to go to that far away country _ to fight fascism. | In his early fifties when he died, Staub came to Canada — from Switzerland when very young, ~ a —— WHALLEY | MOOSE HALL 13629 - 108 Ave. Public Meeting HOMER STEVENS GEORGE LACOUSTA NIGEL MORGAN “The Legislature & Your Tax Bill” Sun., April 10, 8 p.m. Auspices Surrey and | Whalley Clubs Communist Party Young Communist League and April 1, 1960—PAGIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 2.