SOUTH AFRICAN NATIVES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19235, 26 January 1926, Page 9

SOUTH AFRICAN NATIVES

NEW POLICY OUTLINED,

CURTAILMENT OF RIGHTS. MUCH CRITICISM AROUSED. [FROM OT'P. OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CAPETOWN, Dec. 11. The new native policy upon which South Africa is about to embark has caused considerable disquietude among tinnatives of the country. Although the proposals made bv the Prime Minister, General Mertzog, are still indefinite, enough has been seized upon by the natives to arouse a good deal of criticism. Even the Europeans in South Africa are considerably concerned «l this new policy, and General Smuts, as leader of the Opposition, has suggested that the Prime Minister should call a national convention of all parties to consider the native problem of South Africa. " The South African Party is most anxious to keep the native question out side party politics and is prepared to make its contribution to the solution of this question." he said in a speech this week. "It would be desirable that after the bills embodying the Prime Ministers policy have been laid before Parliament, a national convention be constituted to

which not only those bills but the whole native question be referred with the mandate to find a solution which would, if possible, be generally acceptable to the people of South Africa. It the convention succeeds in finding a workable and acceptable scheme,, it will report it to Parliament. If this scheme appears to be a serious departure from the basis of Parliamentary franchise and repre-.ent-ation as entrenched in the Act of Union, it. should not be passed through Parliament until there has been a suitable opportunity of consulting the people thereon." Loss of Existing Franchise,

But if the Europeans in the Union are perturbed at this new policy, the natives are even more so. Soma fifty members of the Native Advisory Committeo met the Prime Minister at Pre toria this week and listened to an address made by him on his native policy. .Interviewed afterwards these native leaders showed a tendency to criticise the land proposals of this new native policy. "The Prime Minister's policy is being put before us in -its details as a settled matter with which we are supposed to be in agreement," remarked the Rev. J. Dube, a principal spokesman and longrecognised leader of the Natal natives. "In reality," he continued, "we are very far from being so. The Cape natives am to lose their existing franchise, and in v , place thereof are to share with the. rest of us a very inadequate, representation in the Union Parliament, one that is to be exercised for us by seven Europeans who, if we understand the matter aright, will have no vote on questions of confidence, 1 "Wo are all greatly, disappointed by the Prime Minister's intended territorial and administrative provisions," ho said, "it had been supposed that some new reserves would be created for natives, but we. arc now definitely told that, no land will lie given us. We are merely to get a chance of buying or hiring in specified areas. "Thrown Back Into Barbarism." '-'Then as to the. administration of the territories, we were led to understand that in theso wo could govern ourselves and follow-our own lina of But how can we do so under a native code such as that in Natal, which was ' fixed fivo years ago? Instead of getting freedom to advance wc aro to bo thrown back to barbarism. ' -

"It seems,"- continued Mr. Dube, "that no native in tlio reserves is to possess any rights. All government is by proclamation of the Governor-General. Any native may at any time bo deported to any part of the Union, and that not necessarily for any crime, but because the local authority thinks the general good may thereby be promoted."' Mr. Sol l'laatjo welcomed the Prime Minister's land proposals. These, lie thought, would help thousands of natives who, while vainly looking for reserves, had no practical means of acquiring land; This they would now bo able to do, especially with the help of _ the advances which the Prime Minister proposed. He felt no sentiment against the exclusion of the Cape coloured franchise. It would help to take the political stigma from colour, and thus bo a stepping stone to the ultimate general enfranchisement of the non-European. Inadequate Representation. The idea that the Cape natives should surrender their present franchise to obtain seven European representatives in the Union Parliament was, Mr. Sol Plaatje thought, absolutely unacceptable. Experience had shown the value of the Capo franchise in making friends for natives in the House of Assembly. It was very observable how faithfully those members whom their votes had helped to ..place there had supported native, interests—notably on the question of the colour bar. The Rev. r L Mahabano, presently of Vrede, in the Free State, another outstanding member of the conference, deeply rofcretted that no land was to be given to the natives, because very few are able to bU The seven European members offered m the Union Parliament would constitute no ' fair offset to the existing franchise of the. ] Cape natives. Such members v;m»'ld J ! despised by the others by reuso of h u j inferior voting powers and Urnci «ta is. ! Their number was too ridiculousy sni, i one man to a million constituent J hen might have been : the Capo franchise for I tion bv natives, but tor - ; *», uI natives I, objected to' being cut off from all | contact with Parliament,