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second World War. But to the new generation that was coming to the fore on our struggles these achievments were already part of history, more accessible to those who read history manuals than current literature.

The emergence of the independent state of Ghana had a far greater impact on us than all the states mentioned above. The events leading to the independence of that country were taking place not in the distant past but in our lifetime. The daily press, journals and the radio were repeatedly mentioning the name of Kwame Nkrumah, the Convention Peoples Party, the policy and tactics of that party, and the determination of the people of Ghana to regain their independence. There was a similarity in our respective situations which made the lessons of their struggle very valuable to us and the meeting between Professor Matthews and Nkrumah strengthened the ties between the ANC and the CPP. This meeting came about as a result of a suggestion made by the ANC and circularised to liberation movements in Africa for the convening of a Pan African Conference. Dr. Nkrumah undertook the task of convening such a conference (which took place in 1958 ?).

From the panic and the hysteria the independence of Ghana aroused amongst the reactionary white politicians in this country, especially from members of the government and the United Party, one thought this new State was right on our borders and its army ready to march to Pretoria. On independence Nkrumah immediately concerned himself with the liberation of the rest of Africa and put Ghana right in the forefront of the anti colonial struggle. He repeatedly stressed that the independence of Ghana was meaningless in a continent that was still in chains and undertook to do