African Reporter Barred From Royal Tour Hotel

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28329, 15 July 1957, Page 11

African Reporter Barred From Royal Tour Hotel

(Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, July 13. The only African in the official press party covering the Queen Mother’s tour of Nyasaland was barred last night from a leading hotel at Blantyre, according to the “News Chronicle” today. Accommodation had been booked for the white journalists, one of them asked for a room for Mr Stanlake Samkange he was told “We do not have Africans here. We never have.” Mr Samkange said that he would go and sleep in the railway station waiting room in protest Today, thousands of Africans trekked into Blantyre to see the Queen Mother. But instead of cheering they •tood eerily silent The was an «nibarrassed moment until an official explained that Nyasaland Africans reserved the silent greetto welcome their most important chiefs. A chief wearing a complete ißcpard skin suit with a matching was one of the thousands of

Nyasaland leaders and tribesmen who welcomed the Queen Mother at Zoma.

The Queen Mother met the chiefs wearing a flowing white dress, diamond tiara and ribbon of the Order of the Garter. The crowd included more than 100 tribal chiefs, decked out. in spectacular costumes of red, purple, scarlet, blue and white with turbans, leopard skin caps and other headgear. Each chief presented the Queen Mothe/ with an illuminated address of welcome, in addition to symbolic gifts of loyalty and affection.