Luthuli: Why tribalism must go!

A rare manuscript, penned by the late Chief Albert Luthuli, has been discovered, in which he spells out his deep belief that South Africa must become a common society which includes all racial groups regardless of colour, race, creed or land of ancestral origins.

The 28-page school exercise book, crammed with the writings of the late president of the African National Congress and Nobel Peace prize winner, was discovered amongst the papers of the late Justice John Didcott.

The judge’s wife, Pam Didcott, came across the book while sorting through her husband’s papers after his death in 1998. Justice Didcott was a founder member of the Liberal Party and president of the National Union of South African Students (NUSAS).
“John kept absolutely everything, right down to cheque stubs. I was sorting through the mountains of paper in our garage, from the time he was a student and court reporter. When I came across the book I noticed that my husband had written ‘AJ Luthuli’ next to Luthuli’s signature.”
She said she had met the chief briefly once, but did not know how her husband had come by the book. She was persuaded to bring it to the museum by a friend, Durban University of Technology council chairperson professor Jairam Reddy.
Reddy said: “I met Justice Didcott when I persuaded him to become chancellor of the University of Durban Westville. I kept up my friendship with Pam and when she showed me the book I suggested she bring it to the museum.”
The book, still in remarkably good condition, was handed over to the museum by Pam Didcott and Jairam Reddy last week. It will be logged and stored safely in the Luthuli Museum archive room. It will also be digitally catalogued and stored online, where researchers and academics can access it.
Chief Luthuli, who led the ANC from 1952 until 1967, titled his writings ‘My Outlook – June 20, 1957’.
Excerpts from the historic document point to his firm, Christian-based belief in a common society.
“It is only practical considerations that make me support the present policy of the ANC of separate political organisations on racial lines. The masses of our people still think in terms of tribal units and loyalties.
“They must be gradually led to the concept of a common society. They must be led from a tribal concept to the concept of African Nationalism, which in the multi-racial nature of our country must be given a wider meaning to include all racial groups regardless of colour, race, creed or land of ancestral origins who are domiciled in any given part of Africa and pay individual loyalty to that independent African state.”
This was the concept of Africanism, Chief Luthuli wrote, that the ANC should lead the people to.
“The cry ‘Afrika for Africans’ is only justified in our country if ‘Africans’ are given this wider inclusive concept in the spirit of “Africans for Africa, Africa for the World and the World for God.”
Chief Luthuli was also politely critical of the ANC’s lack of commitment, at the time of writing, in persuading others to join the movement.
“The ANC – Liberation Movement – fails to reach as many as we should reach because of the paucity of such voluntary warriors. Our membership is not imbued with the spirit of going all out in voluntary service to preach the Congress message and win people to the Congress fold,” he wrote.
Some of the other topics Luthuli pens his thoughts on are ‘Why I champion the cause of freedom’ and ‘Why I reject apartheid’.
The Groutville museum’s marketing director, Heidi Gibson, could hardly contain her excitement at the donation, which also included photographs of Nokukhanya Luthuli receiving a taped version of her husband’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, from professor Reddy.
“This is so valuable and precious as most of Luthuli’s things are either overseas or were destroyed. We now have a first-hand piece of our chief’s history, which is powerful. Looking at these photographs of Mam’Nokukhanya we can see what the Luthuli home looked like when they lived there. We are so grateful,” said Gibson.