South Africa

Northern Advocate, 18 February 1949, Page 5

South Africa

CAPETOWN, Thu. (11 a.m.).—The South African Government will vigorously combat the “dangerous subversion” of Communism in the Union, following a report from a departmental commission. The Minister of Justice (Mr Swart) told the Assembly that Communism was undermining South Africa’s national life and democratic institutions. Mr Swart said he did not consider it in the public interest to disclose all the findings of the’ commission on the extent to which Communism had already penetrated South Africa, but he was willing to give such details confidentially to General Smuts or his representative.

Mr Swart said neither was he prepared to make public what steps the Government already had taken or intended to take, to combat Communism.

He quoted 10 conclusions which had been drawn from the report.

One of these conclusions was that a considerable number of principals and teachers in non-European schools were active Communists and there was evidence that night classes were being held to promote Communist doctrines. Two other conclusions were that Communists were making particularly vigorous efforts to incite the native population and that there was reason to assume that Communist activities were being conducted in certain public and semi-state institutions.