IIDA

Evening Star, Issue 19328, 14 August 1926, Page 22

IIDA

A ZULU FARM LABORER [By “ Ninth Foot,” in the ‘ Spectator.’] lida is possibly forty years of ago—be does not know this with any cer-tainty-hut at the time of the outbreak of the Boer War ho was just emerging from the native adolescent stage, and would be about thirteen or fourteen. At this time he was urged to “do his bit ” for the Queen and Empire. He had no high ideals of patriotism. He was black, and suffered the indignity of having to clothe himself from the neck to the knee, and was forbidden to walk on the pavement when visiting the larger towns. His place wits the road, with other beasts of burden, such as horses, mules, exon, asses, and ricksha-pullers. The promise of untold wealth urged him to “do his hit.” Ho Would receive £1 per month as a leader of sixteen transport oxen yoked to a heavy wagon. This laid the foundation of his fortune, and, incidentally, first introduced him to such tilings as bread, biscuits, jam, tea, coffee, tinned moats, trousers, shirts, coats, boots, and other delicacies peculiar to the white man. One pound per month and high living! it was good to ho a patriot. His previous earnings had never exceeded 2s Gd per month, and his rations of two and a-half pounds of maize meal daily. Subsequently he “did his hit” for King Edward and King George. On each occasion ho _ was highly paid for his services, and lived on the fat of the Empire and the United States of America packed in tins and bags. Unfortunately wars are the exception and not the rule. In the meantime ono had to live somewhere, work for very little, and live almost exclusively on maize. Over twenty years ago he chose, as we call it, to “ squat ” ou my Natal farm. He has wonderful ideas of high finance, and the moneys obtained from the disturbances within and without the Great Empire, of which is an efficient though black member, have been well invested. His first year’s saving amounted to no less than £ll 15s. It could have boon £l3 had he not spent Is of it on a month organ and 4s on tobacco. From the money saved he purchased two in-calf heifers. When ho was “demobbed ” in 1902 his herd of cattle had increased to six. He was then a man of sixteen or seventeen, so he exchanged his cattle for a wife. Wives are expensive, the market value being no less than eleven head of stock. Fortunately they may be obtained, like other embellishments of a homo, on the hire-purchase system. The balance was duly delivered, and he became a registered married man, a kraal-head, and paid Ms per annum to the Government by way of hut tax. He then came and resided on my farm, and possessed, besides the wife and child, fourteen game fowls, a goat with twin kids at foot, a few blankets, and other oddments. Marriage had impoverished him. Wo entered into the usual written contract. I, on my part, would supply two to four acres of land for cultivating crops, grazing for ten head of cattle, and payment at the rate of fourpence per day for male adults, twopence for female adults, and from one halfpenny to threepence _to other members of the kraal, according to their ability, age, and sex. He and other members of- his family would labor for ISO days per annum, and would receive the agreed wages, plus 751 b of maize, 101 b of salt, and 3lb of whenten bran per thirty working days. We go 6 on very well; our unwritten contract has never been discussed or violated since we agreed upon it._ The only time he has failed to work his 180 days was when he “joined np ” with my permission, and he has never ceased to express his gratitude. He'does not go as a fighting man; he joins the army of ox, mule, or horse drivers or leaders, or even as a herd of loot or captured stock. He has never received any sort of decoration or meda! ; but the wealth amassed has brought him no fewer than four wives, and, at the time of twenty-three living children. He is o;ie of the few people who thoroughly approve of war. He has never heard of the League of Nations C=—" —-I Real protection, against bronchitis, influenza, and asthma afforded by “NAZOL.” Don’t neglect that cold. Is 6d for GO doses.—£Advt.j[

or the Locarno Agreements. If I oxplained the idea to him ho would politely listen to all I had to say and thoroughly disbelieve me. Throughout his life there has been a war every six nr eight years, bonietimes white fought black, or white fou rbt while; never black against black. To him the cause o) war is the overstocking of the land with cattle or sheep, and the consccpicnt shortage ot The herds of the white man multiply, pastures become inadeqat?, war is waged, and thus is obtained tiic additional grazing. , . “Father,” he said lo mo (it being the Zulu custom to call every superior “father”), “the land is becoming overstocked with cattle and sheep. It is time for another war. Lot us go together, you and I.” “ lida,” I replied, “you have four wives. Is it a filth you desire? “ Father,”' ho answered, “every girl wants a husband, children, and a home of her own.” There is little that Tida cannot do on a farm He can plough, plant, cultivate, use a mower or reaper, erect fences, lay bricks and stone foundations for buildings, milk a cow, prepare cattle for shows, “doll them up as well as any white stockman, break in horses or draught bullocks, plant trees, pick, grade, and pack deciduous or citrus fruits, tend an oil engine, and drive a car or tractor. He works from sunrise to sunset for a little over Jd per hour, plus food, valued at 2d per day. For 180 consecutive days ho does this. Tim other 185 I imagine he spends in sleep, drinking the native beer brewed by his wives, endeavoring to commit the names of his children to memory, and wondering when the next war will begin. We shall have to part soon. Ten or Ids daughters are rapidly becoming eligible for the marriage market. This means he will eventually exchange them for about 100 head of cattle. I have but grazing for 250 head of my own. I dread the day when I shall bo forced to give him notice to quit. To have him converted from heathen to Christian would be useless. Ho would be willingly accented, waves and all, but would” still receive the eleven head of cattle for each daughter. The only difference in law between tb.s heathen and Christian is that the latter lays himself open to prosecution for bigamy after ho is converted.

“ Tida,” T said to him recently, “I want you to make and erect some gates, obtain some oak logs, cart them to the pit, and saw them into three by two, by sixteen feet. Impi can help you. “Father,” he replied, “I am hut a louse in our blanket. lam but a dog. I am your black son. You are the slayer of my enemies, and the air I breathe. It shall he done, father.” I know it would be so. Yet when his daughters marry I shall have to give him the sack. Fo European will allow him fo squat with his 100 head of cattle The native reserves are already overstocked and all the arable land” “worn out.” What will happen to Tida? There are but two ways out of it; another war, from which Tida fails to return, or a cattle plamo to wine out all the homed stock of the country. Both have happened vem often in South Africa, and may do so again.