​

as amended by

Suppression of Communism Amendment Act, No. 50 of 1951

by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate and the House of Assembly of the Union of South Africa, as follows:―

1. (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise indicates—

“authorized officer” means a person designated as such under sub-section (1) of section seven, and includes any person acting under his written authority;

Suppression of Communism Act, 1950/1951-07-20

“communism” means the doctrine of Marxian socialism as expounded by Lenin or Trotsky, the Third Communist International (the Comintern) or the Communist Information Bureau (the Cominform) or any related form of that doctrine expounded or advocated in the Union for the promotion of the fundamental principles of that doctrine and includes, in particular, any doctrine or scheme—

Suppression of Communism Act, 1950/1951-07-20

which aims at the establishment of a despotic system of government based on the dictatorship of the proletariat under which one political organization only is recognized and all other political organizations are suppressed or eliminated; or

Suppression of Communism Act, 1950/1951-07-20

which aims at bringing about any political, industrial, social or economic change within the Union by the promotion of disturbance or disorder, by unlawful acts or omissions or by the threat of such acts or omissions or by means which include the promotion of disturbance or disorder, or such acts or omissions or threat; or

which aims at bringing about any political, industrial, social or economic change within the Union in accordance with the directions or under the guidance of or in co-operation with any foreign government or any foreign or international institution whose purpose or one of whose purposes (professed or otherwise) is to promote the establishment within the Union of any political, industrial, social or economic system identical with or similar to any system in operation in any country which has adopted a system of government such as is described in paragraph (a); or

which aims at the encouragement of feelings of hostility between the European and non-European races of the Union the consequences of which are calculated to further the achievement of any object referred to in paragraph (a) or (b);

“communist” means a person who professes or has at any time before or after the commencement of this Act professed to be a communist or who, after having been given a reasonable opportunity of making such representations as he may consider necessary, is deemed by the Governor-General or, in the case of an inhabitant of the territory of South-West Africa, by the Administrator of the said territory, to be a communist on the ground that he is advocating, advising, defending or encouraging or has at any time before or after the commencement of this Act, whether within or outside the Union, advocated, advised, defended or encouraged the achievement of any of the objects of communism or any act or omission which is calculated to further the achievement of any such object, or that he has at any time before or after the commencement of this Act been a member or active supporter of any organization outside the Union which professed, by its name or otherwise, to be an organization for propagating the principles or promoting the spread of communism, or whose purpose or one of whose purposes was to propagate the principles or promote the spread of communism, or which engaged in activities which were calculated to further the achievement of any of the objects of communism;

“document” includes any book, pamphlet, record, list, placard, poster, drawing, photograph or picture;

“gathering” means any gathering, concourse, or procession in, through or along any place, of any number of persons having a common purpose, whether such purpose be lawful or unlawful;

“liquidator” means a person designated as such under paragraph (b) of sub-section (1) of section three, and includes any person acting under his written authority;

“Minister” means the Minister of Justice;

“office-bearer”, in relation to any organization, means a member of the governing or executive body of—

the organization; or

any branch, section or committee of the organization; or

any local, regional or subsidiary body forming part of the organization;

“officer”, in relation to any organization, means any person working for the organization or for any branch, section or committee, or for any local, regional or subsidiary body forming part of the organization;

“organization” means any association of persons, incorporated or unincorporated, and whether or not it has been established or registered in accordancewith any statute;

“periodical publication” means any publication appearing at intervals;