The Freedom Army Grows Long Walk Original Manuscript (Image #144)

Chapter 6: The Freedom Army Grows. The ANC emerged from the Defiance Campaign under the new and dynamic leadership of Chief A.J. Luthuli who was to hold this position for 15 continuous years until his death in 1967. This was a record for no other National President of the ANC has ever held this position for so long. I first heard of him in the mid forties when he became a member of the Native Representative Council and soon after that actually met him when I was invited to a meeting of the Natal Executive of the ANC. In 1950 he became President of that province when he defeated A.W.G. Champion, an influential figure who had dominated the politics of Natal for many years. Chief Luthuli and Chief Kumalo of Ladysmith attracted considerable attention as ruling chiefs who were active in the ANC and who resisted the policies of the government. The success of the National Day of Protest in Ladysmith in 1950 having been largely due to Chief Kumalo's hard work. In 1950 the government informed Chief Luthuli that his activities in the ANC were incompatible with his duties as chief and ordered him to resign from the ANC. When refused to comply with this order he was promptly deposed from his position as chief, a step which made him a national hero almost overnight. He was warmly welcomed by delegates at the 1952 Conference of the ANC as one who was prepared to suffer for his beliefs and the right man to lead the attack against the enemy in a period of rising mass activity that faced us. During 1953 alone there emerged the South African Coloured Peoples Liberal Party, all of which