The Convention Road

Abstract

The Liberals saw the call in December 1960 for a ‘consultative conference’ as an initiative of the Johannesburg ANC leadership. Congress Mbata, on the staff of the Institute of Race Relations, held that he had been the initiator, and had sent out letters putting the idea to Msimang, R. H. Godlo, Ngubane and Bhengu. The IDAMF were also said to have called for a successor to their 1956 Bloemfontein ‘All-In’ conference but had been unwilling to set it up themselves. In any event, invitations were sent out from Johannesburg to leading Africans over the names of Chief Lutuli, Professor Matthews, W. B. Ngakane (ex-Race Relations official), Duma Nokwe and the Revd N. B. Tantsi to a conference at the Donaldson Community Centre in Orlando on 16–17 December 1960. The leaders who came together were depleted by the banning or gaoling of the major ANC, PAC and A-AC figures and the absence of some who, like Msimang, were invited too late.¹