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The 1930s an era characterised by idealism, a time when Black South Africans of Mbeki's class discarded the identity of black Englishman for New African; Luthuli wrote of the New Africa, it did not signify a return to the primitive but rather an intense wish to preserve what is valuable in our heritage while discarding the inappropriate and outmoded; Govan and Epainette came of age and politically conscious in this moment, they met in Durban where they both taught at a secondary school; Epainette became a CP member in 1938, ran the Party's night school, introduced to the CPSA by Afrikaner unionist, Bettie du Toit; Govan too teaches by day and is involved in political organisation in the evening; the ANC Youth League formed in 1943, its prime mover is Anton Lembede; believes aggressive nationalism would restore to Africans their sense of self-worth and dignity; Govan not part of Youth League; despite internecine war over race, the CPSA was the only forum where blacks and whites could work together as equals; Epainette explains the difference between her and Govan's views as follows: He says, politics first! I say, economics first!, Epainette attracted to the practical work of the CP, the CP also offered an egalitarian conception of gender; Govan joined CP in 1953; Govan and Epainette got married on 8 January 1940, although highly educated and employable Govan chose to return to the country, Govan involved with Transkei group of intellectuals exploring possibility of co-op societies as means to rural development, start co-op store, the first black owned in Transkei, the first black-owned enterprise in the district.
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