of August 9th, I enclose letters addressed to the branches of the A.N.C. informing them of the plans, and we shall

Transcription

1 5tn July The Provincial Secretary, African National Congress, Transvaal. Dear Friend, In connection with the proposals for the celebration of August 9th, I enclose letters addressed to the branches of the A.N.C. informing them of the plans, and we shall appreciate it greatly if you will kindly send them to your branches with a covering letter from yourself, as soon as sotxsjc possible. I am pleased to tell you that our plans are going forward mosj5 satisfactorily and that the proposals for the day of prayer have been received with enthusiasm Dy the Presiaen of tne Transvaal Interdenominational Ministers Federation. You s in the struggle, Joint Regional Secretary,

2 6th July 1959 The Provincial Secretary,..W.League, frican National Congress, iransvaal* Eear Friend, In connection with.he plans tarn for the celebration of iugusu 9th, I enclose Jot ers to he branches of the African National Congress Women's League, informing them of the proposals xor August 8th and 9th, and it will be of great assistance if you will forward them as soon as possible ti your branches with a covering le ter from youbself. Bur plans are going forward very satisfactorily and the plans for the day of prayer have met with enthusiasm among the various ministers* Much work remains to be done, especially among the women in the branches, so thfct they can start to organise the Church women for August 9th. b fehe end of this week, the leaflets will be available for distribution and also letters for the churches, in addition to the contact which is being made with ministers* Forward to August 9thI Yours in the struggle. Mafciraxl Joint! / egional Secj/eta ry*

3 22nd July, The Secretary, Sophiatown Branch African National Congress, Dear Friend, On behalf of the Transvaal Region of the Federation of South African v'ornen, we wish to make a formal request to your branch for the use of Freedom Square on Sunday, August 9th. Widespread preparations are being made for this great day of prayer throughout the country and for the womens prayer meeting in Sophiatown. The Rev. Calata has agreed to open the prayer meeting ^nd other ministers who have already agreed to be present include Father Martin Jarrett-Kon-, Father Rakale of Orlando, Bishop Nhlanhla of Alexandra Township and the Rev. Douglas Thompson. Many other ministers of various churches have also been invited* look forward with confidence to the support of ;rour branch for August 9th, the third anniversary of the day on which 20,000 vcnen of all races went to the Union Buildings, Yours in the struggle, J0I:T REGI0M^/SECRT2TARY.

4 July 2*rth, 1959 The Secretary, Rand Nurses' Professional Club, c/o Miss Asa Massar, 12A Small Market Street, JOHANNESBURG* Dear Friend, August 9th will mark the third anniversary of the great protest of 20,000 women to the Union Buildings in This day has been accepted as Womens' Day and the Federation of South African Women has decided to commemorate the gre.t protest in the following '.vay: 1. On Saturday morning, August 8th, there will be a large poster parade by women of all races at the City Hall steps throughout the morning* It is hoped that at le^st 100 women will bear placards of protest against the evil pass system, against the discriminatory laws of South Africa, against the banning of our leaders, and highlighting the many crimes for which South Africa stands indicted before the world. 2. During Saturday morning there will be at least one float to tour the townships and the city, more if possible. The floats will carry women of all races as far as possible. 3. On Sunday, August 9th, there will be a pray:r meeting of thousands of women who will gather in prayer for our country and our freedom. The prayer meeting will be held on Freedom Square, Sophiatown, where women of all races and all religions, of all churches, will be led in nrayer by the ministers of the differed churches. Women will come from all parts of the Reef and from all over the Transvaal for this great pray r ueeting. It is hoped, moreover, that women in other parts of South Africa will come together in prayer, so that all over this land there will be women praying on August 9th. The Federation of South African,Vomen appeals to your organisation for support from nurses of all races for the great prayer meeting on Sunday, August 9th* We are sure that the Rand Nurses Professional Club will urge nurses to attend in great numbers and we enclose a supply of leaflets which we hope you will distribute amongst your members. Yours sincerely,

5 July 28th, Chief Albert J. Lutuli, GROUTVILLE. Natal. Dear Chief Lutuli, As you know, August 9th is recognised by the African National Congress as Women's Day, in commemoration of the great protest of 20,000 women of all races at the Union Buildings, Pretoria, on August 9th, This year will be the third anniversary of that protest and the Federation of South African Women has decided on the following programme: 1. On Saturday, August 8th, there will be a demonstration of 200 women bearing placards o the City Hall steps, throughout the morning. 2. On the same date we hope to have at least two floats, one bearing women of all races to tour the City and the other of African women to tour the townships, where women of other races would not be able to go. 3. On Sunda^y, August 9th, women of all races have been called to a prayer meeting to be held on Freedom Square, Sojhiatown, one of the few places where men and women of different races can still come together freely. Women from all parts of the Reef, and from many parts of the Transvaal, as well as women from Johannesburg will come to t is open air gathering so that thousands of women may meet in prayer together for our country and for peace, freedom and happiness for all people. It is hoped that not only will women from each congregation, from every church respond to this call, but that in each church there will be in that day, special prayers for our country, for peace, harmoney and justice for all so that the prayers of the women will be echoed in every church. This call has been made not only in Johannesburg and the Transvaal, but in all the main centres of the Union so that all over this land there will be women gathered together in prayer. The plans in Johannesburg and on the Reef for this prayer meeting are going ahead extremely well and we are receiving a very enthusiastic response from the churches. Rev. J. Calata is coming from Cradock and will open the prayer meeting and preside during the day. Ministers who have already promised to come include Father Martin Jarrett-Kepr, Rev. Douglas Thompson, Father Lokale of the Anglican Church and Bishop Nhlanhla. I am not sure yet whether Rev. Tantsi will be there in person, but

6 he has sent out a most inspiring call to the Ministers of the Transvaal which I include for you to read. I want now to ask you to send us a special message from yourself,for our prayer meeting would indeed not be complete unless we are able to include you in it, even if you may not be with us in person. May I suggest that you send a copy of your message direct to New Age in Cape Town, so that they can include it in the issue of New Age which will come out in time for the weekend of the 8th and 9th August. With best wishes to you and Mrs. Lutuli, HELEN JOSEPH National Secretary.

7 July 28th, 1959 Mr. M.P. Naick^r, c/o New Age Office, Lakhani Chambers, DURBAN. Dear M.P., I have to day sent a letter to Chief Lutuli asking him to send a message to the great prayer meeting which we are holding on Freedom Square, Sophiatown, on Sunday, August 9th, in commemoration of the third anniversary of the protest of 20,000 women to the Union Buildings, Pretoria, on August 9th, I asked him at the same time to send a copy of this qiessage direct to New Age in -Ssspo-'SgtOm to ensure that it would appear in the issue of New A?e which comes out before the weekend of the 8th and 9th August. Would you please be kind enough to check up with Chief on whether he receives our letter and whether he has sent the copy of the message to New Age? It is imperative that the message appears in that particular issue, as you will understand, and would really appreciate your ensuring that it does so. Many thanks. Yours in the struggle, H HELEN JOSEPH National Secretary.

8 t r» / \ M L f JOHANNESBURG BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S CLUB DIE JOHANNESBURG KLUB VIR BESIGHEIDS EN BEROEPSDAMES President... Mrs. Doris Brown.. Hon. Secretary Mrs. Marion Forsyth. yiau CLUB ( Telephone P O. Box 2331, JOHANNESBURG The Joint Regional Secretaries, Federation of South African Women, P.O.Box 10876, Johannesburg. 3rd August, Mesdames. Women's Pay of Prayer We thank you for your letter of 20th July, and have noted the contents. It is unfortunate that, before the day of prayer, on 9th August, the regular monthly meeting of our Members, at which announcements are customarily made, will not take place. We will, however, endeavour to convey the information given to us to as many individual members as is possible in the short interval of time. With best wishes - Yours sincerely Marion L. Forsyth. Hon. Secretary. AFFILIATED T O : The S.A. F ed eratio n of B usiness a n d P rofessional W o m e n a n d th ro u g h S.A. F ed eratio n to th e In te rn a tio n a l F ed eratio n of B. & P. W om en GEAFFILIEER MET: D ie S uid A frikaans# F ed erasie v ir B esig h eid s e n B e ro e p s d a m e s e n D ie In te rn a sio n a le F ed erasie v ir B esig h eid s e n B eroapsdam es

9 LIBERAL PARTY OF. SOUTH AFRICA (Transvaal Division) LIBERALE PARTY VAN SUID-AFRIKA (T ransvaalse Afdeling) 117/118, Zygmarsh House, Zygmarsh House 117/118, cur. Kruis and Marshall Streets h/v Kruis- en Marshallstraat, Johannesburg. Johannesburg. P.O. Box 5495, Posbus 5495, Johannesburg. Johannesburg. Telephone: Telefoon: Joint Hon. Secretaries, Federation of South African Women, Box 10876, J ohanne sburg. Dear Mrs. Joseph, Thank you for your letter of July 20th asking for support for the Womens Day of Prayer on August 9th. We will draw the attention of our members to this event and ask them to attend, as many as are able to do so. Thank you for notifying us about this Day Yours truly Mrs. H. Cobden p p. HON. SECRETARY

10 P. 0. Box 700, DUREAN : August 7th. Dear Helen, I am so k e e x very sorry for not having been able to send off Chief's statement on the women to New Age in time for the last issue. I only got your letter on thursday and out deadline is Saturday morning. This is what I did to try and get it in time : I phoned Chief's home on thursday, found that he was out and left a message for him to phone me on Friday. On Friday he was involved in some local business in connection with a meeting he was organising for last Sunday in his area and therefore, forgot to phone me back. On Saturday morning I phoned again, fortunately found him at home and told him about youfletter. He apparently misunderstood your letter thinking that he had to send a message to your rally rather than an gdvance message to the New Age. But as I had pissed my deadline all I could suggest was that he sends something down to me for this week's issue. I only got his copy this minute. Please find a copy enclosed. I am sending it verbatim to New Age with a request that it be printed as an article. If space is available I am sure New Age will use it. I hope they do.. Your letter to me is dated the 28th July and it reached me late because the address on it was wrong. I am not at Lakhani Chambers but at 118 Grey Street, (Lodson House). I am eeally very sorry we were not able to ensure the message reached New Age in time. We should have thought of it ourselves.. The Treason Trial affair is getting so confused that I am not sure if you are in the first batch or not. If you are may I take this opportunity of wishing you all the best. I am sure our legal team is giving those rascals a rough time. With very best wishes, Yours,

11 ft /,,I '/ August 13th, 1959* Mr, Farrid Adams, c/o T.I.Y.C., 30 Bezuidenhout Street, JOHANNESBURG. Dear Farrid, On behalf of the Working Committee of the Federation of South African ^omen, I want to tnank you very much for the great assistance which you gave us on the occasion of the poster demonstration at the City Hall steps. The spectacular display of posters was undoubtedly due to your assistance in planning the disposition of the posters and seeing tha_t the demonstration was maintained throughout the moring. '^he demonstration received a number of admiring comments and we know that this was largely due to your capable handling In conclusion, we once again send you our warmest thanks. Yours in the struggle, HELEN JOSEPH. Joint Regional Secretary.

12 August 13th, 1959* Mr. A. Mashagane, ORLANDO. Dear Mr. Mashagane, The Working Committee of the Federation of South African Women has asked me to express to you the appreciation of your generous assistance and co-operation in constructing the floats for the womens' demonstration on Sat u r d ^, August 8th. We really appreciate very deeply the many hours which you spent in building these floats and your willing assistance will always be a peasant memory of this great weekend. The women were very satisfied with the floats and there is no doubt that they added greatly to the high spirit of the demonstration on Saturday. I should like to add my personal appreciation of your friendly welcome when we called on you so frequently at all hours of the night. Yours sincerely, I HELEN JOSEPH Joint Regional Secretary

13 The Secretary, Transvaal Indian Congress, 31 Bezuidenhout St., JOHANNESBURG. August 13th, 1959* Dear Friend, On behalf of the Working Committee Federation of South African Women, I want to express our appreciation for the friendly assistance and co-operation which we have received from the T.I.C. on the occasion of the celebration of Women s Day on August 8th and 9th, We very much appreciate the assistance that was given to usthrough the officials of your Congress and we want to tell you that without that assistance the celebration of that great weekend could not have been such a success. Yours in the struggle, I HELEN JOSEPH Joint Regional Secretary

14 August 13 th, 1959 The Provincial Secretary, African National Congress, (Transvaal;, 31 Bezuidenhout St., JOHANNESBURG. Dear Friend, On behalf of the Working Committee of the Federation of South African Women, I want to express our great appreciation of the assistance rendered by the Iransvaal executive Committee on the occasion of the demo stration and prayer meeting on August 8th and 9th. The co-operation of the Committee was very welcome and we particularly want to thank you, as Secretary and Mr. Mthembu and Mr.Rapola for the invaluable technical assistance that was given to us in the production of leaflets and circulars. Without this help, we are sure, the demonstration and paryer meeting could not have been such a great success. Yours in the struggle, i HELEN JOSEPH Joint Regional Secretary

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