Cry, the Beloved Country: Book II, Chapter 26 Summary & Analysis

John Kumalo is leading a protest in Johannesburg. His voice electrifies the crowd, makes the policemen uneasy. The protest is about the recently discovered gold. John tells the crowd that they, black men, are just asking for their share of the gold, to be paid a fair wage for their labor.

John asks the crowd why the mining industry should be allowed to survive, when it is only their continued low wages and poverty that permits it to survive? Why so little money for their hard work? He suggests that there is a kind of conspiracy, to keep black men poor and the others – the shareholders – rich. The policemen grumble amongst themselves, suggesting that John is a dangerous man, and that he should be silenced, or killed. John continues to address the crowd, saying that they are only asking for a fair wage, nothing more, because the mining industry would not run without their presence in it. He then suggests a mining strike. The meeting stays orderly, even at this suggestion, because John Kumalo knows he would not benefit from being hauled off to jail, where there is no audience, even if his cause would. He repeats that all men should be able to “sell his labour for what it is worth.” He then suggests that a great change is coming to Africa.

In the back, Stephen and Msimangu have been listening to John. Stephen is impressed with his brother’s words, telling Msimangu that he had felt swept up with them right alongside the rest of the crowd. They discuss how unfortunate it is that John is corrupt, and seeks out so much power, because with the right intentions, his oration could be a great tool for good. Meanwhile, James Jarvis is also in the crowd with John Harrison, also having just heard the speech. James says that he didn’t like such talk, but when they get in the car, surprises John by admitting that this is the next logical step. Inside, the police officers discuss John’s speech, impressed how he pushes the crowd to the brink of violence and then pulls back. They admire him, but also think that he’s very dangerous, and insist that they have to keep an eye on him.

There is discussion about the strike, what would happen if it actually began, how it could spread from the mines to other places, or the whole black population could simply stop working, which would be disastrous for them but, the white people realize, for themselves as well. They work themselves into a bit of a panic about it, actually, because they realize how dependent they are upon the black population.

The strike comes and goes, and is confined to the gold mines. Some black men are killed. Church leaders suggest that a union should be organized, to minimize bloodshed. But some say that black miners are too “simple” to be permitted to organize in a meaningful way, that they could be easily mislead as a group, and anyway, the mines would not survive the presence of a union. The question is too complicated, and leads to too many questions, so it’s best to ignore it completely.