Douglas Wolton

Born in Doncaster in England, Wolton moved to South Africa in 1921, and he joined the CPSA in 1925. He met a fellow party member named Molly, who had been born in Lithuania, and were married by the end of the year.

From about 1928, the Comintern proposed a policy in which the CPSA would first campaign for a "native republic", in which black South Africans would assume leading roles, with this being a stepping stone to socialism. Party leader Sydney Bunting strongly opposed the approach, but the Woltons supported it. By the start of 1929, they had won the debate in the party, which adopted the policy, and Douglas was elected as general secretary of the CPSA and editor of its newspaper, the South African Worker. He also stood in the 1929 South African general election in Cape Flats as an independent. Although he held some large meetings, he was heavily defeated.

In July 1929, the couple went on a trip to England, and Douglas stood down from his positions.

Douglas arrived back in South Africa in November 1930, and immediately began circulating the Comintern's directives. He was soon elected as chair of the party, effectively its leader.

By 1933, Molly was suffering with a heart condition and her mental and physical health collapsed.