Sam Kahn
Encyclopedia
Sam Kahn was a South African Communist and MP from 1949 to 1952, for one of the constituencies representing African voters. Born in Cape Town
, he joined the Communist Party of South Africa and earned a LLB degree from the University of Cape Town
in 1932. From 1938 onwards, he was nearly continuously a member of the central executive committee of the CPSA.
From 1943 to 1952, he was a member of Cape Town city council
, and on November 17, 1948 he was elected to South African House of Assembly as a Communist, representing African voters in the western Cape Province
(from 1937 to 1960, African voters voted for 'native representative' MPs instead of constituency MPs with White voters), campaigning on his disapproval of Prime Minister Malan's "nazi doctrine of white supremacy". He made his maiden speech on January 27, 1949 during a debate on a no confidence motion moved by the leader of the opposition, Field-Marshall J.C.Smuts.
Expelled from parliament in 1952 upon suspicion of operating with illegal Communist organizations (the CPSA being outlawed in 1950), he left South Africa permanently in 1960 and settled down in the United Kingdom.
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, he joined the Communist Party of South Africa and earned a LLB degree from the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
in 1932. From 1938 onwards, he was nearly continuously a member of the central executive committee of the CPSA.
From 1943 to 1952, he was a member of Cape Town city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
, and on November 17, 1948 he was elected to South African House of Assembly as a Communist, representing African voters in the western Cape Province
Cape Province
The Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa...
(from 1937 to 1960, African voters voted for 'native representative' MPs instead of constituency MPs with White voters), campaigning on his disapproval of Prime Minister Malan's "nazi doctrine of white supremacy". He made his maiden speech on January 27, 1949 during a debate on a no confidence motion moved by the leader of the opposition, Field-Marshall J.C.Smuts.
Expelled from parliament in 1952 upon suspicion of operating with illegal Communist organizations (the CPSA being outlawed in 1950), he left South Africa permanently in 1960 and settled down in the United Kingdom.