The heat rises Long Walk Original Manuscript (Image #307)

Congressmen and women African, Indian, Coloureds and whites in national costumes, which toured the black areas. At the rally itself a festive atmosphere prevailed enlivened by the marching of school children, the sound of band music accompanied by traditional dancing and singing, the waving of thousands of flags and the display of huge portraits of African leaders, including Jomo Kenyatta, Kwame Nkrumah, Chief Luthuli, Nasser and others. The excitement reached fever pitch when Congress leaders Oliver Tambo, Arthur Letele, Lilian Ngoyi, made a dramatic experience dressed in traditional garb. While the preparatory examination was proceeding at the Johannesburg Drill Hall in 1957, another explosive issue the Alexandra Bus Boycott attracted much public attention. The Public Utility Corporation (PUTCO) which ran the bus service between the township and the city decided to raise the fare from 5 pence to 6 pence for a single trip and to 12 pence for a return journey. At the initiative of the local ANC branch a massive campaign was launched against the raising of the fares. It enjoyed the support of the overwhelming majority of the township residents. Politicians, churchmen, sports leaders, scholars, businessmen, workers, womens groups combined to form the committee which ran the campaign. The local ANC leaders like Alfred Nzo, Thomas Nkobi, occupied prominent positions on the committee, while rank and filers such as were in the thick of the organisational work relating to the campaign. The campaign leaders protested to the Corporation against the increases mainly on the ground that the majority of the people there were already living below the bread line and could thus not afford