Records of the All-African Convention

Minutes of the All African Convention, edited by Davidson Don Tengo Jabavu, June 1936, December 1937 and December 1940. Printed by the Lovedale Press.

The All-African Convention conference took place from 15–18 December 1935. Formed in 1936, the AAC was an umbrella organisation for corporate groups. For a while the African National Congress belonged but withdrew after disputes within the AAC leadership. In 1944 the recently formed Non European Unity Movement (1943-1957) became affiliated. In its public pronouncements the AAC was increasingly radical; But its membership remained mainly middle class professional people, especially teachers, in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town. It opposed Bantu Education in the 1950s but was scarcely activist. Its only rural support lay in the Southern Transkei where it actively opposed land Rehabilitation measures and the Bantu authorities. By the 1960s it had developed a strategy which focussed more on rural workers and subsistance farmers (in contrast to the urban-oriented ANC). It later survived in exile as the African Peoples’ Democratic Union of South Africa (1961-1980s), but was not to have the international status of the ANC or Pan Africanist Congress.

Records are open to the public, subject to the overriding provisions of relevant legislation, including data protection laws.

The All-African Convention conference took place from 15–18 December 1935. Formed in 1936, the AAC was an umbrella organisation for corporate groups. For a while the African National Congress belonged but withdrew after disputes within the AAC leadership. In 1944 the recently formed Non European Unity Movement (1943-1957) became affiliated. In its public pronouncements the AAC was increasingly radical; But its membership remained mainly middle class professional people, especially teachers, in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town. It opposed Bantu Education in the 1950s but was scarcely activist. Its only rural support lay in the Southern Transkei where it actively opposed land Rehabilitation measures and the Bantu authorities. By the 1960s it had developed a strategy which focussed more on rural workers and subsistance farmers (in contrast to the urban-oriented ANC). It later survived in exile as the African Peoples’ Democratic Union of South Africa (1961-1980s), but was not to have the international status of the ANC or Pan Africanist Congress.

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Further accruals are not expected.

* Records of Dr Alfred Bitini Xuma (Borthwick Institute, CSASFICHE/9-11).
* Papers of Noni Jabavu (Borthwick Institute, SA/7).

* Documentation Centre for African Studies, University of South Africa: D D T Jabavu Collection (Acc 47, 1.1).

Published

GB 193