THE NATAL TROUBLE. CASE FOR THE NATIVES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 48, 26 February 1908, Page 11

THE NATAL TROUBLE. CASE FOR THE NATIVES.

A COMMISSION'S FINDINGS. EXTRAORDINARY DISCLOSURES. (By R. W. Reid.) The Moor Government, like the Smytho r&gime that preceded it, has had much to say of a generally condemnatory character concerning tho native population of Natal as of Zulnland. A singular reticence has, however, been displayed with respect to what the natives hava to say on their own behall, and to what they hava already said and sworn to. A casual reader, not greatly interested in that particular corner ot the Empire, might conclude from "'recent official utterances that the Zulus were but evillydisposed, recalcitrant savages ; to tha whites inarticulate, yet secret and sinister plotters; their presence a menace to the safety of every British resident within Austral Africa, a veritable danger to the Empire itself. Impressions such as these seem to have been sedulously fostered, for political purposes alone, by tho present and by the pr6vious Ministry. But by 6trange iron? the Smythe Government was compelled by force of circiunBtanees to appoint a Commission of Engniry into Native Affairs, and now the Moot Government has beer compelled to publish, the report and the findings of that commission. The present writer has already alluded to the surprising candour with which the Natal Government from time to time has issued State documents •whose contents provide the amplest proofs of iio own incapacity, and of its own harsh r^»» illegal methods. Therb was, for exam^^ the "Rebellion' Blue Book, which described how troopers had been in the Jiabifc oi thrashing with their Btirrup-leatheTS natives who declined or were unable to provide the prociso kind . of information whereof the troopeTs were in quest. Now we havo the Report of the Commission into Nctive Affairs. A. Durban newspaper to hand this week states truly that the Natal Government at the present time is just as much on its trial as is Chief Dinizulu. The two volumes mentioned should prove invaluable to tho prosecution. THE CASE STATED. The Native Affairs Report opens as follows: — "'As nothing is to dc gained' by reticence, the opinion is here expre&sed that the chasm oetween the races has beon broadening for years, and that the attitude of the natives is now one or distance and distrust. Id their inexact and nnrefleefcixe way they attribute all their troubles to the Government, which they believe either originates, or permits, or sanctions all that has changed their life from the simplicity of the past to tho uncertain conditions of the present. Reason as they do. they see the hand or Government in the high rents and labour •demanded by landlords ; the various taxes they havo to pay; the numerous passes or permits they have to be provided with ; tho restrictive, unfamiliar, and unknown laws they have to submit to; the compulsory service they have to render upon public works ; and the disintegration of their tribal and family sys terns. Notwithstanding that the obligations, both public and private, haye = to Borne extent been increased during the recent past, their present ability to meet them has considerably lessened by the loss of their cattle by disease, the loss of their crops by locusts, by a growing neglect of cultivation, especially by the women and by a genera] reduction in vapes and openings for employment." The condition and temper of the nafaves m Zulaland, the commission found, were in marked contrast to what exists generally throughout Natal. This was attributed tololy to tho fact that they have been left more to themselves, and hava not been suffering from the exactions of landlords. The Zululand natives were, however, apprehensive- in several districts about the alienation of their lands for European occupation, a policy of the late and the present Government which undoubtedly contains the germs of unrest. The vital necessity of reserving . more of Zululand for the overflow from Natal, as well as for the natural increase of the resident population, the members state, is one of the most pressing aspects of the question, and mus.t receive immediate attention. The report continues "'lt may as fittingly be stated now as Jater that the struggle for land, which is present in their minds, is simply tho struggle for life, and a lack of administrative forethought has to be noticed with respect to the wasteful use of land reserved for natives, particularly in Natal, where the full and economical occupation of the locations has been glaringly neglected. The closer settlement and more beneficial use of the native reserves both m Natal and Zululand form an important ingredient of tho scheme, which will be referred to later on, and cannot longer be delayed by the Government with either credit or safety." GOVERNMENT "WEIGHED AND WANTING. The commission sums up the position of the Natal Government relative to th« native population tersely and conchelv. •The Government, it declares, has not satisfied any of ths various classes which go to form th« jriire section of tho community. The exempted native— that is, oae exempt from native Jaw, and sunposed t« possess all th« rights and privileges of a whit 3 person--bcliev<s that, whilo asking for brend, he bus been given a stone, by being denied tho full privileges of the Emopean ; tho Christian, or . educated, native wants more education, fixity of Isnd tenure on mission reserves, and .suitable avenues for the employment of his children; the half-caste frets becaure his cry to ba free from native law, aad be logilly classified .yith his ancestor, has been perslstentlv ignored, and as a contrast to these strivings for improvement there is the kraal native, representing the creat mnjs of the yopulatiou, who simply desires to be left alone prefrrsbly iijider the sway of his chiof, to live his own life of stagnation. , Unwelcome feelings of disappointment at the cokt jrative barrenness of. results would b? qucHod if p-rsistent attempt* had been nnrie by the Government to improve th<» calibre of the chiefr., to r>ecuro the more economical occupation of the locations to induce tho natives to become better cultivators, to improve- tho uuaatiafac■torr and strained relations arisin" from hij:t' irnts between landlord; and tenant?, to protect the natives against the spoliation of the white usurer, or in any othor v.,iy to raif>s> them in the scale of civilisation, and to hind them to us hv tbe tits of sentiment and self-interest. Weighed and wanting, declares the report, must be the reluctant verdict upon the past efforts of th« Government to reconcile the natives tc clwi.gcd condition.* of rule snd policy, and to convert iliem into an cloment of stability and Gtrongth. ARROGANT MAGISTRATES AND POLICEMEN Tie evidence, n^ctlv of chiefs and headmen, on v. hi f h tiie commission founds its conclusion is lengthy and, as reading, illuminating but unpleasant. Thi» «pitoTn ; s;xl find/ 53 jriven above refer, in tne main, to tlm result -ol the Gojeinmenfs apathy and indifference. On otc.;fiion Governments h.i-r rr>3.-]<* 3 a'-iov of interest in the welfare r\ t'r >vti' r?. but no ameliorative Act has j>!iov. cd. And the natives are aware of this. For

instance, several witnesses spoke as did one, Maduboko by name. "If the commission," he enid, "wished to make enquiry, they would soon have to makp it of tho grass, for the country was *lyiny. Tho commission had come to ask them what their gmvaupes woro. From time to time they had reported their grievances. The" Government was always inviting them to state wbut" their grievances w<>re. They went time after time to do this, but tne Government, did nothing. At Alabisa a chief said the commission had asked them to state thrvir troubles. Thoso troubles had boon poured upon them by the white race. Before there wore no troubles. When the country was taken over by the Europeans they snatched ftom them thoir young cbier Dinizulu. Now tho Government wished, the natives to belong to it, not to their chief." The evidence goes to show that ono great cause of discontent is the arrogance of the magistrates and of thfe policemen. What deference the unfortunate natives are compelled to pay to those self-import-ant officials is fully set forth. In r New Zealand this portioD of the evidenc* will be read with astonishment and incredulity. Thus, Stephen Mini, a, chief oi the Umgeni Division, in speaking on this subject, said that even though a native were a great distance from tho magistracy lift" was obliged to tako off his hat and approach in a stooping attitude. The same deference had even to be shown to the magistrate's privato residence. At tho magistrate's office no one knew who was tho chief official there. Everybody seemed to b» of equal rank, and all had to bo saluted by the word "Bayeie !"' He thought this practice should be prohibited, because among native people only such persons as were ablo *o inflict tilts punishment of death wore entitled to such a high salutation. He thought it would be sufficient if only the Governor and the judges were given the salute of "Bayete '." But not only tho magistrate, but tho magistrate's clerks, and all the white policemen as well, demanded tho honour which the natives wore wont to give only to their very highest chiefs and to their kings. J. J. Africa, an exempted native, living noai Ladysmith, related an experience of hta own as illustrating tha same hardship. On ono occasion h» hoard that the police had come to his district, and were troubling the people there. Ho went to whero they were, and found natives soing n\. to the police on their knees with hub and doga x receipts. The natives had been obliged to throw their hats auay Tho n/tjvts crawled because the police gavo out that they were the authorities, and that tho natives had to behavo towards them as they did to the magistrate. When they failed to do this the police beat them. The day following, while passing some natives sitting at ;i kraal, a police sergeant dcmaiiSed to know why they did not oa t > "Bayete!" to him. Tho natives replied that they were not aware that the police were- entitled to this salute, whereupon the sergeant commenced to sjambok them. Tho natives would have retaliated, and a big row was imminent, a - hen witness's wife and another interfered and stopped the fight. The chairman asked if it was customary to mako the natives crawl up to the police in, this way, and the witness replied that it al l depended on the magistrate The policu fouowed the magistrate's practice. \way in country districts the magistrates and the police were doing what they liked, and he foresaw that this would 1 lead to trouble. The police, when they cams into the country, were a law unto themselves, and took upoD themselves powers which were even greater than those of tho Government The grievances of the Natal and Zululand natives, it will bo gathered, are not new. Their existence has been recognised for a considerable time. Year by year they have been becoming more intense, until now, combined with the intolerable arrogance of country magis- j trates and their insolent policemen, they call aloud for immediate redress. Never before has tho native discontent been exploited for political purposea. It is satisfactory that the period of official exaggeration and misrepresentation is now as good as ended. With the Report of tho Native Affairs Commission made public, neither Mr. Moor nor Mr. Smytho will scarcely have tho hardihood to declare that the- natives have no genuine grievances, and that, on the contrary, they are too kindly dealt with by an indulgent and paternal Government.