AHMED KATHRADA

The progress towards maturity of a national movement brings with it new problems, new tasks and new issues, often requiring new policies, or rather, precise policies in ever-increasing spheres of life. Whereas a decade ago the national organisations could have been satisfied with a purely political programme, their development in recent years has had an increasing influence and effect on a wider strata of people. Although there have been occasions in the past when the people's organisations have been called upon to declare their attitudes on questions not dealt with in their programmes, essentially their main interest was restricted to the political field. So that today they find themselves in the position where they have no clearly defined policies towards several important questions. Such a question for instance is the cultural relationship between South Africa and the outside world, a question which of late hasevoked much interest and some spontaneous action abroad. . . One cannot just pick on a popular demand of the time and apply it mechanically to any country and to any situation. Of course, everyone would love to see Madame Ulanova or the Janacek Quartet, Yehudi Menuhin and other great artistsof the world. But the times demand a sacrifice in favour of the greater long-term benefit to the cause of the people's struggle. The continued performances by international cultural figures in South Africa will leave behind fine memories for a comparatively few people. The greater majority of the people will remain indifferent. But, let the artists and actors of the world boycott South Africa and thus help further the cause of progress and freedom.

-Ahmed Kathrada, "Towards A Cultural Boycott Of South Africa", Liberation, no. 20, August, 1956.