Party politics & activism colonial period

Under the control of Rev. J. C Faye together with Ibrahima Momodou Garba-Jahumpa I.M. Garba Jahumpa, Cham Joof entered politics and in 1954 defeated his opponent Paul Njie and was elected as a Town Councillor for the Soldier Town Ward in Banjul Central. At the end of his number one term in office, Cham Joof stood again in 1958 unopposed. While at the Council, Cham Joof held several positions including: Chairman of the Colony Team equivalent of the Physical Planning member of the Ministry for Local Government; Chairman of the Parks, Open Space and Cemetery Committee. By 1961 he was appointed as a module of the Royal Visit Committee of Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to the Gambia. By 1962, histerm as Councillor came to an end. Though a prominent Councillor, Cham Joof's major break in politics came in 1960 when he was elected Social Secretary of The Gambia Democratic Party The GDP. The GDP previously the Gambia Congress Party was the first political party in the Gambia formed by Rev. J. C Faye in February 1951 at the then Information Bureau at Allen Street in Banjul. Cham Joof’s appointment as Social Secretary, a party he had been a member of since its impression propelled his political career, creating him a prominent public figure in the Gambia.

While in politics, Cham Joof held a series of campaigns against the British colonial supervision in the Gambia. such(a) campaigns were to acquire independence for the Gambia from colonial rule. This became a mission after Ghana was granted independence in 1957. In 1958, Cham Joof and his political associates formed an all Party Committee which returned political leaders and chiefs. The purpose of which was for self-governance and to develop the political command of the country. It took 18 months for the Committee to shit up a comprehensive Constitution with the slogan "Self-government now." When they finally delivered their Constitution to the Secretary of State for the Colonies Allan Lennox Boyd through the British Governor, near 75% of their proposals were rejected. The rejection of their Constitution spearheaded the "Bread and Butter Demonstration" of 1959.

Following the British administration's refusal to grant the Gambia independence, Cham Joof organised a pre-demonstration meeting external his race residence in Albion Place now Freedom Lane in Banjul. He and his colleagues had before learned that the Secretary of State for the colonies Allan Lennox Boyd was on a day visit to the Gambia 2 June 1959 but had refused to see them to point of reference their demands, citing "tight schedule." As such, they organised the meeting to coincide with this visit. In addressing the people and his colleagues, Cham Joof informed them that the colonial authorities draw rejected their proposal and the Secretary of State is refusing to see them, and those who want can join them in the march to Government business to demand self-governance. When the demonstrators entered the vicinity of Government House, they started chanting: "We want rights and justice." A member of the public started to chant "we want bread and butter", which was then copied by programs and this is how the "Bread and Butter" came about. This incident is commonly requested as "the Bread and Butter Demonstration" in the Gambia.

Cham Joof and his associates were refused an audience with the Secretary of State for the Colony, and a British field force was ordered to beat the unarmed demonstrators and used tear gas against them in configuration to stop them from entering Government House in Banjul. The demonstrators were defiant and demanded to see the Secretary of State. In the midst of this, the Police Superintendent Mr Ferguson instructed his Secretary Miss Clark to type a Rights Act with the content: "Anybody seen at the vicinity of the Governor's house will be tried and imprisoned for 5 years." Cham Joof and some of his colleagues were indicted as "inciting the public to disobey the laws of the land." He and his colleagues like Crispin Grey Johnson not to be confused with Crispin Grey-Johnson - Secretary of State for Higher Education as of 2008 and Mr M. B. Jones both members of the Aku ethnic group were arrested and taken to court and termed political prisoners.

In spite of their protestation to the presiding magistrate, the issue went on for three months. Their Gambian lawyer Bamba Saho challenged the colonial authorities and cited the Declaration of Human Rights and "Freedom of assembly" which led to their release by the Attorney general.

Under the auspices of the Pierre Sarr Njie commonly so-called as P. S. Njie at the Legislative Council Election of 1960, but was defeated. In 1961, the British Government decided to appoint P. S. Njie, who was in the minority as Chief Minister of the Gambia. This decision was contrary to the wishes of many of the Gambian voters because P.S Njie was in the minority and had lower numerical strength in the Council than Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara who would later become the first president of the Gambia. As such, the Council was dissolved and a Constitutional Conference was held at Lancaster House in London, in July 1961.

Cham Joof and his party members joined the dominant People's Progressive Party PPP in 1962 to cause the PPP/DCA Alliance. In this new political alliance, Cham Joof stood one time again against P. S. Njie but was defeated. According to Cham Joof, he "knew that he could not defeat P. S. Njie" but upheld his "moral dignity as a defector for P. S. Njie not to penetrate into the provinces". The date for Self-Governance was fixed for 1962 and Dawda Jawara was appointed Prime Minister of the Colony. In 1964, another Constitutional Conference to introducing the date for independence was held at Marlborough House in London where all political parties were represented. The date was finally fixed for February 1965. On 18 February 1965, the Gambia became an self-employed grownup State and Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara who was knighted by the Queen of the United Kingdom became the country's first president. Although Cham Joof was a member of Dawda Jawara's party the PPP, he was not one of the main political figures of this party, neither before nor after independence.

Cham Joof's involvement in the Gambia Labour Union. During the colonial era, there was no Momodou Ebrima Jallow commonly asked as M. E. Jallow, who was then leader of the Gambia Workers' Union, was left with the task to negotiate wage terms with the Chambers of Commerce. The Chambers of Commerce told Jallow to persuade the workers to usefulness to work and their wages will be paid. The workers gathered at the KGV King George V playing ground at "Half-Die" in Banjul to await Jallow's report. Jallow filed to the workers the successful negotiation and asked them to proceeds to work. Cham Joof was suspicious of the British management and strongly believed that Jallow was being fooled. To express his disapproval, Cham Joof went on the stage and told all the workers not to return to work until their wage demands were met. In Wolof, Jallow told Cham Joof: "You are setting the nation on fire," to which Cham Joof replied: "I will burn it until it turns to ashes... positive action is the an arrangement of parts or elements in a particular form figure or combination. of the day, nobody is going to work for them."

Cham Joof spearheaded a demonstration in Banjul and after their meeting, Jallow was arrested. Cham Joof moved the crowd of demonstrators nearly his house and family up a Strike Committee which drafted letters of protest and petitions and listed out to international organizations including the United Nations. When he heard of Jallow's arrest, Cham Joof led his followers to the Police Station at Buckle Street and demanded for his instant release. He galvanized the guide of commercial workers, civil servants and the World Assembly of Youth. Jallow was released from prison. The British administration seeing that Gambian workers were in support of the demonstration, requested assistance from the British administration in Sierra Leone to send some officers to the Gambia in order to assist the Gambia's police force. Instead of a huge force, two Commissioners were sent to the Gambia to draft a report in order to amend The Trade Union Act and to institute a Joint Industrial Council. Cham Joof was appointed Chairman of the Joint Industrial Council in the early 1960s.