UNREST IN NATAL

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28981, 24 August 1959, Page 11

UNREST IN NATAL

300 Women Arrested

PORT SHEPSTONE (Natal). August 23.

Southern Natal was reported quiet but tense yesterday after almost a fortnight of unrest and sporadic violence among Africans. The only visible sign of the uneasiness in the province was a quiet and orderly gathering of about 200 unarmed African women at a cattle-dipping tank at Mehlonmyana. 15 miles from Port Shepstone. This has been a trouble spot all week. About 2000 women gathered there on Tuesday and 300 were arrested there yesterday when cattle-dipping operations were interrupted. But yesterday’s crowd dispersed quietly after appointing a deputation to see the African Affairs Commissioner in Port Shepstone. The deputation complained about' cattle-dipping, labour control, and wages.

Police have organised a round-the-clock lookout after a spate of fires started by firebugs in canefields in southern Natal. One African was detained yesterday after 10 acres of cane had been burned in the Umzumbi area, about 18 miles from Port Shepstone.

Fifty singing, shouting African women marched through the Natal town of Colenso on Friday night, and stormed a municipal beerhall with stones, smashing all its windows.

Police backed by an armoured car arrested 10 women who rejected a “leave-or-we-fire” ultimatum.

On Friday 160 African women were taken to Port Shepstone, after being arrested at Franklin Store, a post in the nearby Madhal Reserve.

Police had been sent to the reserve after reports that hundreds of women armed with knives and battle axes were obstructing cattle dipping operations.