Am I an African?: The Political Memoirs of H.m.basner

Before he died in Britain in 1977, H.M. Basner, lawyer, Communist Party member, politician and, briefly, Native Representative in the South African Senate, had written a substantial part of his autobiography. His writings covered the period from his birth in Latvia to South Africa, the United States, back to South Africa, and on to pre-independence Tanzania and post-independence Ghana. On his death, his widow Miriam used this record as the basis of her account of his life. The result is an eccentric and anecdotal portrayal of one of South Africa's more colourful political characters. The social and political issues of the period between 1927 and 1946 are treated in depth and the book offers insights into the personalities of many of the political figures of the time. In particular it is a source of information relating to the election of the first Native Representatives to the House of Assembly and the Senate.