SOUTH AFRICA'S PROBLEM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19780, 29 October 1927, Page 8

SOUTH AFRICA'S PROBLEM

the native element. ATTITUDE OF EUROPEAN* maintaining superiority. CONTRAST TO THE MAORI. B? A SOtJTH AFRICAN. « There is one thing I have never be»n able to understand," says the man in tibe street, " and that is, the Sooth Africans" prejudice against natives. Why on earth they should feel, and show, any antipathy tc» Maoris, for instance, is a mystery to me. Allowing for the fact that in South Africa the natives are counted by the million, when our Maoris are only a few thousand strong, why can't they treat them as equals, which the Maoris undoubtedly are!" As a matter of fact, the native question in South Africa is very complex and far-reaching. To understand it, is probably a question of psychology and personal experience. But an understanding of the difficulties which South Africans have to contend with, may perhaps create a more sympathetic attitude. To the superficial observer the only difference is one of colour. Only personal contact enables one to appreciate the great gulf dividing the two races. New Zealand, with its 40,000 picturesque Maoris forming only a small fraction of its population, may consider itself exceedingly fortunate in their advanced intelligence and civilisation. The natives of South Africa are not only five time 3 more numerous than the Europeans, but are of very low intelligence. This numerical weakness and mental superiority are the dominating thoughts of the white South African in his treatment of the coloured racefi. CWMiifce and Elementary. In many ways the native is very childlike and elemental. For instance, as all primitive races, they do not habitually connect cause and effect. An uncultured native mind also cannot form or understand abstract ideas, such as u fatherhood." for example. They have words signifying "my lather," "your father," " his father." but not fathers in general. This should give one an idea of their average mentality. A native learns very slowly and every step must be pointed out again s.nd again. You cannot tell the average native to dig a bole, put in a carcase, cover it with lime and fill it in again. You must first give frlm the spade, point out the site, and then tell him to dig. When he has dug the hole he will ask—no he will not—hv» will sit down and wait "to be told what to do next. South African natives are not different from any other uncivilised races in their insanitary mode of living. Personal hygiene is foreign to them, although washing and rubbing with clay is not unknown to some. After a native is properly civilr ised. or rather Europeanised, he may even become accustomed to a daily bath, but his distinctive odour remains with him. This strong natural barrier prevents too close a contact, no matter how much you endeavour to love them.. In his natural state a loincloth and a cotton blanket suffice to cover him from the extremes of the weather. Confined to '{locations. When he comes to the tofwn he naturally dons European attire. This usually consists of a cotton singlet, trousers, coat I and boots (which he prefers to carry), ! ar.d, if at all possible, an old military I overcoat. Sometimes, of course, a native will dress up in a discarded dress-suit and top hat. The natives of the Tiansvaal, Natal and the Orange Free State are, on the whole, very well-behaved. They are not allowed to live in the towns, but must return to their locations outside the town after finishing their day's work. A location usually consists of well-built iron huts with drainage and water-supply. They are owned and controlled by municipalities, the natives paying rent for their huts. When living in the locations the natives are subject to the same laws as the Europeans. A native is not allowed to walk on the pavement in Transvaal amd Orange Free State towns, and is prohibited to be in a town after sunset. There are very good and adequate reasons for these restrictions. Only one possibility, and not the least, is the overrunning of a town by a few hundred thousand natives. The natives acknowledge the superiority of the white man without question, but the only outward semblance of it is the disability of a native to walk on a pavement. It is well known that a display of power or a visible mark of superiority is far more impressive on primitive races than any other form. A white man is, therefore, allowed cjp a and so is the black, but he must make way fcr the white if they should happen to meet. The average native does not resent this in the least, and never gives it a thought. All his life he has been treated as an inferior by his chief. In spite of the native's lack of initiative and application, he is of considerable economic value to the State as a "hewer of wood and carrier of water/* Nearly I all menial work is performed by them. ! Digging the roads, street sweeping, refuse i removal, and the hundred and one other " dirty jobs" are carried out by the natives under European supervision. Inter-marriage Forbidden. It is only in the Cape Province that natives have the vote, and then only to a limited extent. As qualification for the right to vote a native must be able to read and write and earn not less than £SO a year, With his political emancipation goes the right to buy liquor (and get drunk as only registered voters are allowed to purchase intoxicating liquor. Originally the native vote was infinitesimal" but it is growing rapidly—more rapidly than the white voting power. Inter-marriage between black and white is a most exceptional occurrence. In the Transvaal and the Orange Free State it is most strictly forbidden. Cohabitation is punishable by years of hard labour and lashes. The result of cohabitation in the Cape Province is a race of half-breeds. Europeans look down npon them and treat them as natives—while the natives treat them worse. In order to maintain his superiority the European has raised strict social barriers. In law the native is absolutely equaJ, and undoubtedly gets equal justice with the white man. Outside of his legal equality there is a vast chasm. So strictly is the "colour bar 1 ' applied that anyone with the slightest admixture of colour will not be served in hotel or cafe. The doors of picture shows and other entertainments are also closed to him. No exception is made even in regard to high-caste Japanese, Chinese or Indians. Cultured Maoris would come under the same ban. To such extremes is the "colour prejudice" brought that mm to b« seen talking to a coloured per* .to* cftan kadi to I'xsat cstracwa* -