dom - university of the witwatersrand...8547. le rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel...

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8547. le rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel gcvind wat werklik ras bewuesyn het, ek hat min van die opgewoede n&tu- relle gskry wet die geToelens geopenbear het det hul "een ran one sense le”. Dit is ale die felt dat by ’n ewart rel het nie, maer det hy nie *n wit brein het nie — sells nie :aet aX my oproedlng* Hy reageer enders as ons. Sy uitsig op die lewe is andere?— Jit* Xaa TJ deer voorbeelde van gee?— Ja. lea keer hit ek sit preet net *n dorps naturel en ek wou Hee« Ek bet die gasoonte die nies te stop* Daardie m a se rir v rtwat meek Jy nou" en ek ee "ek stop die nies”. By se "bee kom", en ek antwoord ‘'ek wil nie Tir Jou ay verkouendheid gee aie”. Hy se ’maar ken U Alt dan Terhinder", en ek se "ja" en le dit Tir bom uit. Hy ee *M«e, dit is more Gd set ons die Terkouendneid gee" en dit bet glsd nie vir my 9 help am. dit Tir hem uit te le. Hy se "die feit det U nies of nie niee nie het niks dearmee te doen ora my die verkoum d- beid te gee”. el, dit ie die eoort Ten argument wat *n witman in daardie omstandighade nie sou gebrulk nie • Met betrekking tot die sprinkhane— ons weet daer le IMe wet se dit is *n plaag Ten God en dearcra moet dit nie teengegaen word nie?— Nee, ek het nog nie daardie dom argument gehoor. /aar daardie wan se Tir my ek moet dit nie tee gaan nie, went dit sal mle help nie* Dan in verband met my ele werk. i£k het hier in -retoria een deg *n Tergadering gehad wat byna uitslultend deur naturslle onderwyeere was bygewoon waar ek my etrewe in Terband met met die medium kwessle in naturelle ekole Terdedig het. Ek wee dear t- ngunsts Tan on die naturelle teal aa median *s groot rol te last speel in naturelle skole. • Sear wee mease gaweea wat ga*e*& het ek wou die j&gelee taal daarult skop en det dit my bedoeling wee

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Page 1: dom - University of the Witwatersrand...8547. le rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel gcvind wat werklik ras bewuesyn het, ek hat min van die opgewoede n&tu- relle gskry wet

8547.le

rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel gcvind wat werklik ras bewuesyn het, ek hat min van die opgewoede n&tu- relle gskry wet die geToelens geopenbear het det hul "een ran one sense le”. Dit is ale die felt dat by ’n ewart rel het nie, maer det hy nie *n wit brein het nie — sells nie :aet aX my oproedlng* Hy reageer enders as ons.

Sy uitsig op die lewe is andere?— Jit*Xaa TJ deer voorbeelde van gee?— Ja. lea keer hit ek

sit preet net *n dorps naturel en ek wou Hee« Ek bet die gasoonte die nies te stop* Daardie m a se rir v rtwat meek Jy nou" en ek ee "ek stop die nies”. By se "bee kom", en ek antwoord ‘'ek wil nie Tir Jou ay verkouendheid gee aie”. Hy se ’maar ken U Alt dan Terhinder", en ek se "ja" en le dit Tir bom uit. Hy ee *M«e, dit is more Gd set ons die Terkouendneid gee" en dit bet glsd nie vir my 9 help am. dit Tir hem uit te le. Hy se "die feit det U nies of nie niee nie het niks dearmee te doen ora my die verkoum d- beid te gee”. el, dit ie die eoort Ten argument wat *n witman in daardie omstandighade nie sou gebrulk nie •

Met betrekking tot die sprinkhane— ons weet daer le ■IMe wet se dit is *n plaag Ten God en dearcra moet dit nie teengegaen word nie?— Nee, ek het nog nie daardie dom argument gehoor. /aar daardie wan se Tir my ek moet dit nie tee gaan

nie, went dit sal mle help nie* Dan in verband met my ele werk. i£k het hier in -retoria een deg *n Tergadering gehad wat byna uitslultend deur naturslle onderwyeere was bygewoon waar ek my etrewe in Terband met met die medium kwessle in naturelle ekole Terdedig het. Ek wee dear t- ngunsts Tan on die naturelle teal aa median *s groot rol te last speel in naturelle skole. • Sear wee mease gaweea wat ga*e*& het ek

wou die j&gelee taal daarult skop en det dit my bedoeling wee

Page 2: dom - University of the Witwatersrand...8547. le rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel gcvind wat werklik ras bewuesyn het, ek hat min van die opgewoede n&tu- relle gskry wet

jSOt hat aadarhalf uur laag gepraat waarln /ak 'n half uur ga*y hat aan *a pynllka uitaanaetting dat ak 41a Angela* taal nie you uitskop nia. Aaa dla einfie was daar galaenthaid rlr rru« , ea dla aaa ua dla aadar hat g*M *’S1»# wa atlll do not understand why yott want to tuan nglish out of our achoola*.Sk sag aa dat ak daardla boudlag toeakryf aaa dla gadagtagang ran dla aatwralla vat ao la dat »n parsoon la werkllkheld

I ala aat ay gadagtaa ultkoa ala, ea aa 'a peraooa aa "dlt la ala ay ldaa aa dlt of dat ta doaa' daa la dlt la varklikheld wal ay ldaa*

la dlt dla algeaaae gadagtagaag raa dla aaturella cm hul g agta; ta varbarg ?— Kk wil ala aa algeasaea*maar d* dlkirala ao*

012 JDOMSSXX BBt KVABTIE8 U N O TSRDAAJlQ.V- •• -V '''' • • . . .

BLISS. M O O TOlg*

Page 3: dom - University of the Witwatersrand...8547. le rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel gcvind wat werklik ras bewuesyn het, ek hat min van die opgewoede n&tu- relle gskry wet
Page 4: dom - University of the Witwatersrand...8547. le rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel gcvind wat werklik ras bewuesyn het, ek hat min van die opgewoede n&tu- relle gskry wet

MR LUCAS: You were referring this morning to certain

"taboos" of tne native: I was reading yesterday that tnese

"taboos" are generally associated with a particular area, and

that if the native goes away from that area, he frees himself

from those "taboos"; is that correct? -- - On the whole I think

that is so* But tnere are certain "taboos” that seem to per­

sist even altnough the natives leave the areas. For example,

there is the general "taboo" about eating flfih. As far as I can

make out, that is a general "taboo", and there are quite a number

of natives who refuse to eat fish even though they are quite away

from their tribes.But the general rule, I take it, is that they would feel

free? - - -Yes, I tnink that is the general rule. At any rate,

they would feel free from local "taboos". There are local and

non-local taboos. For instance, one finds often a native who is not

prepared to give you information about a certain subject, but he

is quite prepared to give that information when he is away from

his trice.

Ihe reason why I asked that question was beoause it seemed

to me that it has a big bearing on the removal of people from one

area to another: whether permanently or temporarily. Do you agree?

-- - Yes, I should imagine so.

And I was wondering if it would have any bearing on the

point referred to in your memorandum. I think you spoke about

tne growing laxity of morals in the towns: would it have any

effect on a development of that sort? ---- I do not think tfte

actual "taboos" enter into tne question of sexual morality so

muoh. I think tne laxity in the towns is due more to lack of

controls, such as tribal, parental, governmental, and so on.

Generally epeaking, the native in his own areas Is a

Page 5: dom - University of the Witwatersrand...8547. le rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel gcvind wat werklik ras bewuesyn het, ek hat min van die opgewoede n&tu- relle gskry wet

- 8601-

very law-abiding person? ---- I taink so. la fact, I think

he is even outside his own area s.But outside those areas, for various reasons a number of

criminals do arise?-- -That is so.

Would that be in any way oonnscted with this question

of "taboos" that you refer to? ---- I would not say that it is

specifically oonnrsctod with "taboos*. I t&ink it is concocted

{with the whole faot tnat the man la away from tribal control,

wnich is a powerful tning, and something whioh he knows, under­

stands, and respecta. He is put under anotn-r control which is

certainly stringent enough in one »ay but whicn does not have

quite that hold upon him which tribal control has. ■it is norae-

tning whicn he does not know very nuch; &oee not understand very

well, and does not usually respect. Therefore, I think there la

oertainly a tendency towards lawlessness on the part of tne na­

tive wren awa.y froa* hia tribe ana from tribal influence. But as

| I say, i do not taluk tmt is due so much to the removal of

trloal "taboos'1: I think it is merely tribal control that is

removed.

Uould you point to any specific results in the towns, for

instance, of the removal of taboos? I mean results upon indiv­

iduals through tneir moving from 'j.reas wnsxe the taooon a-plied

to areas where tney did not? - - - I presume nou understand how

I *ould deline tne term. I am nov uslnjr it strlftly in a

scientific sense; not anmetning which is forbiuiien, or sometning

which is proscribed. There ie a posltiv* and a negative taboo.

For instance, among tribes that I know beat, there is a pos­

itive "taboo” that under normal ciraawstaao*#, a man should marry

as hie first wife, or at least as hie great wife, his cross-

cousin — that is to say, the daughter of his maternal uncle.

Sow/

Page 6: dom - University of the Witwatersrand...8547. le rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel gcvind wat werklik ras bewuesyn het, ek hat min van die opgewoede n&tu- relle gskry wet

— 8603-Now that positive '•tkboo'* whioh is very strong in the tribal

surroundings gets considerably weaker in towns, and you find natives marrying all sorts of women who are not related to them in that particular way. Then you also find the® doing other

things whioh under normal circumstances they would not do. For instance, natives do eat fish when away, which they would not

do in their own areas and under tribal influences. And you find them arranging their marriage affairs in a way which they

would not otherwise do. That applies to ce; tain ritual connec­

ted with marriage, and so forth, which is prescribed in the

tribal state. They omit thiB when away from the tribe. For instance, there is the custom of paying a formal visit before marriage to the people of the bride or bride-to-be: that ie

often omitted. It is usually the positive "taboo* whioh is

omitted rather than the negative ‘•taboo1’ which is broken.I was rather trying to find out - using the word "taboo"

as you use it - whether in respect to the lapse of any of them

there was a direct sooial or economio effect upon the nativewho is away from hornet - -- There would, for instance, be a

very marked effect if the native were to marry a stranger in­

stead of marrying his cross-cousin, because in the latter oase

he makes a link with other members of his family, *?hereae in

the other case, he draws away from his family, and the sol­

idarity of the family is broken. You notice that effeot most

markedly, though I cannot say that I know of any very definite

eoonomio effects due to breaking of "taboos'*.To go on to the next point, you were saying this morn­

ing, in regard to the chiefs, that the natives had a democratic

form of government, and that the native chief was not the

tyrant he was sometimes supposed to be? - - - Not norm&lly.

Ho 4/

Page 7: dom - University of the Witwatersrand...8547. le rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel gcvind wat werklik ras bewuesyn het, ek hat min van die opgewoede n&tu- relle gskry wet

— 8603—

Ho? would the chief get to the position that you des­

cribed then, of being able to squander the money or the wealth

of the tribe, if he had to be governed by the advice of hie Coun­cil? - -- It is difficult for me to say that. I do not know

the definite meohanism in any of these cases. It is only what

X c*n surmise. would you care to hare surmises?

Veil your surmises are probably based on a good deal of

knowledge? ---- Shat I mean is, if I were to tell you aoout

such a thing, I would be saying something which would not be

based on anything 1 definitely kno« of, but only on things which

I have pieced together from *hat I have heard. 1 think that if

a chief managed to squander a tribe’s money it would be usually

because he had a oliquy following which depends on him - that

is, people who flatter him and who expect something in return,

and who allow him to squander the tribe's money, .‘.hat sometimes

happens is that there is a oand of people who purport to keep

the books of the tribe, and so on, and the money disappears in

that way. Again, there may be those who try to rule the tribal

council, *ho influence decisions by loud-mouthed protests, speeches,

and the like, and who,so to speak, sweep the majority off their

feet.

Although it is a travesty then, it is nevertheless a form

of government by consent? - - -Yes, it is; and I do not think it

would be possible for a Chief to do a thing like that openly or

frequently, in the teeth of the tribe1sopposition. I think it is

done in seoret, or if there is deliberate embexaling of money It

ii done with the help of uome clique or oth*»y ahich stands by

him, and which, while flattering him and asuisting him in his

designs, knows what it will get afterwards.

You/

Page 8: dom - University of the Witwatersrand...8547. le rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel gcvind wat werklik ras bewuesyn het, ek hat min van die opgewoede n&tu- relle gskry wet

-8604-You referred to the crltioiam of certain Transvaal na­

tives of the 34nga system. would that criticism have been made

if the Bunga were given tne power to carry into effect its res­

olutions, instead of tbe® bein*r subject to the control of the

Government? ---- I oertainly think some of the criticism would

not have been made, but I think the oriticism of the Sunga being

largely Commoners would stand.

Of course, you have Chiefs as Members of the Council in the

Transkei?---- lea. ilut there again some of my informants feel

that it is not good enough to put the Chief on exaotly the same

footing as these CoramonerB.

You have dealt at some length in your Memorandum with what

we should do with the Chiefs. You propose, I gather, to take the

sons of Chiefs and train them, as you use the phrase, in teohnical

education in Chieftainship?---- Yes.

Hould you apply that to all the sons of the Chief, so as

to be able to have a ohoice of appointment later? Or how would

you deal with the case which can happen quite easily of the

natural successor being an imbecile or of weak character? ---- I

think you would have to take each case separately. It is usually

well~kno»n who the successor is &oing to be, and you could take

that person, iiut if that person shows signs of imbecility, then

naturally you would not take him: you would then taice the person

who under ordinary circumstances woulu oe regent. If there were

a diupute, then of course you would be in a hole about appointing

a man whom you had not trained. But I think that most cases can

be provided for by taking normally the actual or natural heir

while he is still & Ooy, and training him.

IRS ChAJHMAS: dut you think it might be advisable to

have a few others in view? ---- You could have a few.For/

Page 9: dom - University of the Witwatersrand...8547. le rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel gcvind wat werklik ras bewuesyn het, ek hat min van die opgewoede n&tu- relle gskry wet

- 8605-

Fo t instance, the Chief might bo killed in a motor car

accident in these days? - -- Yea, and therefore the more people

you can train in that way the better. I do not mean that the

Chief should be the only trained person in the Council. I think

it would be advisable to have a number of such.

MAJOR AjSDERSON: Trained Councillors? - — Yes.

MR LUCAS: Is it not essential then that the Councillors

should also be well—educated? - - —X think it is very desirable that

everybody should be as well-educated as possible, but looking at

the thing from tbe point of view of what is practicable in the

perhaps slightly remote future, I think that for tbe present we

might be content if the Chief and a small number of his immediate

entourage were definitely educated men: educated for this purpose.

Vie had in Natal a number of Chiefs who were opposed to

Education for instance, and generally opposed to any change in

this direction that we might consider desirable- ftould you sug­

gest interfering with them or not, until the next appointment

had to be nsade? - - It is rather difficult to say whloh case

you should interfere with and tthioh you should not interfere with.

But if the Chief is ruling his tribe as far as can be ascertained, well, and if the people are happy under him, and ao on, I do not

think we should interfere too much. But I do think we should take

the next generation in hand.

MAJOR A5DERSQH: But you would interfere In flagrant oases

of misgovernaient? ---- Yes.

We were told, ior instance, that the tribes would rosrvpr

stand their Chief oeing deposed for any cause, and another put

in his place. But you would face tbat. You woul depose him if

necessary, and faoe the consequences? - - - i would be pr epared

Page 10: dom - University of the Witwatersrand...8547. le rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel gcvind wat werklik ras bewuesyn het, ek hat min van die opgewoede n&tu- relle gskry wet

- 8606-

to face a large amount of discontent. And I would ask my a elf how much I would hare to face, oecauee certain oaaee have been known where the tribes have deposed Ohlefs for certain reasons. I mean to say it is not altogether foreign to the tribe to do away with a Chief who has behaved himself eo badly ae to warrant thie. And of course the question also arises as to the degree of flagranoy - as to what limit you would fix. It might be that a tribe could stand more than was ooneldered healthy.

It (mist, be then at the discretion of the govexxnfting body of the country?-----There is that discretion, as it is.

THE GHAIRMAB: for example, in the case of Moyalodl, the son of Sekwati, one great branch was passed through in favour of another branch for oertaln definite reasons, which the tribe considered fit and proper: and that is not an Isolated oaee?

lo. I mean to say, such oases do not occur in dozens, but they do occur. I know of two oasss at any rate. In faot I know of a numberof cases where the Ohlefs wsre deposed, and if they did not go willingly, they were finished off. Amongst ths ^eohuanas, for instanoe.

MR LUOASi In your Memorandum, you say it is very necessary to dlstibgulsh dearly between two types of disintegration, and 1 gather that you regard that from within the tribe as the more important of the twot - - - Yes, as really the more significant.

1 should like a little more explanation from you as to

i*y it is necessary to distinguish in that way. What ICIadvantagee do we get by keeping our views dear as to which of the two are

operating? - - - Because I take it that the influences operating

from within are a natural growth or development, -no ahoula be

therefore treated in a different way from the Influences operating

fro*/

Page 11: dom - University of the Witwatersrand...8547. le rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel gcvind wat werklik ras bewuesyn het, ek hat min van die opgewoede n&tu- relle gskry wet

- 8607 -.‘*1. **? .̂'X" $T-: ... , -from without, which, although they are a natural growth, taken from the world point of view, are not so as far as the partic­ular tribe is oonoerned. Therefore, our attitude towards them should, 1 think, be different from our attitude towarde the things growing up In the tribe.

What advantages do we get from that? 9e want as mu oh assistance in this direction as we can get? - - - I think the advantage we get from that is simply this: because it points the

way to what we should do and should not do In various areas, say. vI might just for a moment touch briefly on the whole issue. I do not think there is & solution of the native problem, or of any particular subsection of that problem. I think there must be solutions for various types of natives, and epeaklng generally,I would not attempt to treat the tribal natives in the same way as the detrlballsed natives in the to*ns, nor would I attempt to treat the latter in the same way as say those living in the foutpansberg area, and I think that a close scrutiny of the fac­tors operating in the tribal areas on the one hand and In the non-tribal areas on the other will point the way to various things you can and should do In the tribal areas, and whloh you could not do and should not do la the non-trlbal areas.

Both factors thsn would justify a very considerable amount of work being done in reeearch continually? - - -Yes, and

1 do not tcink we are doing anything like enough in this direction. The Anthropologists are too much oonoerned with the past, or at

j

least with the static present; and on the other hand, there is a large body of men too much oonoerned with the municipalised or detrlbsilised section of the natives, and do not pay enough atten-'tlon to what is happening among the natives who are etlll to a

large/

Page 12: dom - University of the Witwatersrand...8547. le rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel gcvind wat werklik ras bewuesyn het, ek hat min van die opgewoede n&tu- relle gskry wet

large extent tribal, bat who are taxing on a considerable amount oi European culture, Jty particular branch of work brings me largely into contact with the anthropological question - the more pic­turesque aepeot possibly: iu other «ordB, I think the tendency,

as fax as I a<a concerned, is to study the living present rather

than the dead t>ar,t.

The living and developing present!,- - - Exaotly.

Now dealing first with the outward influences towards

disintegration, you lay most emphasis on eoonomic pressure, I

understand? ---- Yes, I think so.

get a numoer of problems that arise from thut: there

I ia, first of all, the retrogression of tribal natives economically

in their own areas. Ana there is also the very ssiious problemr

that arises from the influx of natives into tne towns. And within

the towns there are the varying stages from the very reoently

and completely tribal to the completely detribalised native. 9houlc

there be any difference in treatment in towns of the tribal and

I detribalised native? ---- X taink, Yes: but it depends to some

j extent on the kind of #eSI«£taSS that the tribal native take* up ia the town#. »e have in the towns. I thke it, a fairly static

population of more or less detribalised natives, fe have also

a floating population of more or less detribalised natives, and a

floating population too of more or less tribal natives. I am now

thinking of the reef areas particularly, as well as the Premier1 H ...... ...| Mine, and so forth. «e have a small influx of tribal natives■

*ho are steadily ooming into the tow^e, and getting permanently

1 settled there, and getting detrioalised there. Now for the

floating population of tne tribal kind I think we should as far

as possible teep to the treatment that we suggest for the tribal

natives of the reserves, Jind for the others, whether they aretribal/

Page 13: dom - University of the Witwatersrand...8547. le rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel gcvind wat werklik ras bewuesyn het, ek hat min van die opgewoede n&tu- relle gskry wet

tribal, and come to settle, or detribaliaed and come to settle,

or whether they are detribaliaed and already settled, I think

one method would suffice.

But I am not at all clear in my mind at present as to

what you mean by the treatment In the to?ns of the tribal natives

being li*e the treatment of the tribal natives In these reaerveaf

- - - what I mean is that we should extend and develop the kind

of thin* that is going on that I described thl* morning; of na­

tives who live in the towns and who yet keep up their tribal

practices as it were. -hat 1 had in mind was sending him to a

oextain district to arrange his marriage affairs, for instance,

say through some agent at Home, and so on. Of course we cannot

as a Government Interfere in these things beyond a arortain point,

but I think we should definitely reoognise and maintain the na--•* * ■’ f ■ - ‘ t?,'

tive’s ties, as far aa possible. For instance, as regards his

relation to his Chief in the Location, and so on.

Are we interfering with it today, consciously? - -- I do

not know that we are really.

9o that really there is nothing that we are doing now

that we could alter In tnat connection'.'- - - I am not sure about

that.

I should be glad if you oould tall me of anything. 1 should

perhaps ask rather - Is there anything? - - - Well, for example,

I thin* we oould do a good deal in the direction of reviewing our

educational system as applied in the tovne particularly. The

system of education so far as the native is concerned, at present

takes no account of the Bantu's own culture: practically none.• • • - ».?. ' *. • : J -i ' & * ■* ' . $

For one thing, their language, whioh is for the# as for ua one

of/

Page 14: dom - University of the Witwatersrand...8547. le rnaar ek bet minder van die opgevoede n&turel gcvind wat werklik ras bewuesyn het, ek hat min van die opgewoede n&tu- relle gskry wet

of the mainstays of their culture, is very such neglected at pre­sent. It i« true the languages are taught in the schoole In a

such a subject, for example, as Arithmetic, and certainly less time Is given to It than to English. And apart fro* the language, the culture of the native people generally, as sxpresssd la theirown written literature, and the indication of tribal morality asfound in thslr own literature and other things, is not attended to asIt alght be. tribal history also Is uot taught. As 1 alludedto this morning, I have been truing in the last few Months to get through special sources some sort of onangs of policy* thsre. 1 certainly think we should taaoh the natives much more of their own language and oulture, also of their own history and so or than

ws do today. I feel that there is a cultural break between the native and his own environment. This half-absorption of our own culture is not a good thing altogether. Indeed, it is doubtful ho* fat the natives are absorbing our culture at all. Borne people no dou t think they are. But for myeelf I do not feel that way. I feel too that we eaauot spare the time to teach them too much in that way. Therefore I think ws dhould regulate the time devoted to these things. Instead of trying to thrust these things on him, and producing a result which is only a veneer when all is said and dons, ws should givs more attention to tbs main thing, and we should not neglect the building up of their own individuality whloh ws

are doing under our present system.

the education of the tribal native in the towns and ths detri- balised native.' - - - Keeping in mind of course the two classes of tribed natives there may be in the towns, Yes, I would. Seeauae

eay. But lest time, I think, is given to the language than to

In that respeot, would you draw any distinction betseen

the/

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/the tribal native is auch more in coataot with the Bantu culture than the sen-tribal native. Therefore I think he would perhaps understand more the presentation of it, so on. The tribalised native has more aoquaintanoe with our methods andx . •• 4* V ■ ’ ■' . •• • '

oulture than the other. I would give to eaoh in proportion to | kls needs.

MAJOR AfDIRBGM: Row would you get over the practical dif­ficulty in the towns, of maintaining widely differing cultures-

Take, for instance, ths hsohuaaas, the Zulus, the Transksi na- tives - the Pondos, and so on. in ths towns it would bs diffi­cult, would it not? In ths ressrvss you could do it?- - - Yes, in the towns it is of course difficult, I agree. But still I think that sons sort of asthod could be evolved whereby, for in-stanos, ws could have sohoole for the Sarious tribes, or at all svsnts, schools for groups of tribes, and so forth. As a Batter of fact, thsir cultursa do dlffsr, but not ss widely as is thought, and not as widsly as their oulture differs from ours. Still you havs differences. Tor instance, the language question is a difficulty: you would havs to have different schools for diffsrsnt languagss. And in the bigger towns I suppose the difficulty is greater tnan la the saaller onss. But without wishing to be dogaatio, or go to the extrsmss, I think ws should try to kssp up as auoh cuiturs as possible.

\ MR LUCAR: There is also the question of native law. Vehave eet up native courts, and thsy havs, in the towns, brought la complications in connection with the conflict of laws. I was going to ask you how you would deal with that: would you re­strict the application of native law to the ressrvss? Or how would you deal with the oases of disputss bwtwsen tribal natives

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- 8612-

and detrlbalised natives in the town*I-— As regard* the tribal*

native who oomss into the towns, and who is going to settle there and become detribalieed, I think the European law should prevail in M s case as it would normally, I take it, uongst detribalieed natives only.

Ae 1 understand at present, the Court in *atal at any rate, has held that it is going to apply native law even be­tween exempted native*. At all events, they have gone a long way in that direction? — - - I think there is a oertain stage at which the native definitely outgrows tribal life, and we oannet put hi* back again, even if it were deelrable to do eo, which may not be the ea**l it would b* Inpossible.

Take, for instanes, a oass whloh came before the Batal Court of a native girl re iding in the town: ehe was **duoed, had a child, and wlehed to get Maintenance for the ohlld fro* the fa­ther; but the Court held that the native law should apply, and that ths only remedy wae between the girl and the kraal head*.How 1* it possible to d*al with a case like that? One has to bear in mind that If the girl doee not want to go back to her hraal she hae the borden of eupportlng the ohlld in the town where living is expensive?---- tere they both tribal native*?

Neither were, I underetand. But assuming that one of the* «**? - - - X think in that onee the European law should apply.

Doss it not then involve our eaylng that tribal law leto apply only in reeervee, or in eegregated areae? ---- Tee, Ithink in the last analysis it would. Although eben there I would be inclined to *ake some effort to bring the floating tribal na­tive of the town into the tribal law. But certainly, for the detribalieed natives of the towns I do not think you could do anything elee but have European lav. You might say - Bow would you deal with the tribal floating population of the towne? I

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I would have them dealt with in their own places. 1 a® not

a lawyer, and 1 do not know if it is possible to do so in law,

but would it not be possible to have some statute of that

kind? 80 that as regards the tribal native of the floating

town population category, if he commits an offence, he should

be tried aooordlng to the law he knows in the place he cones

fr »m?

MAJOR AKDKH30I: And if necessary, sent back there? - -Tea. But as for the native who has thrown in his lot with the town,

or at any rate is in process of doing so, I would have him

dealt with under European law.

fHS OHAIRKAI: That point has been raised by a large

number of detribalised natives, that any sort of building up

from their own system would tend to push them back again to

something which they hare tried very hard to get away from/— Yea.JkR LUCAS: Mow those problems that we have been dis~

ousaing arise from economic pressure on the natives, in

tfceir reserves, largely. 1 r»m not talking about the detri- balised native now, who is permanently In the town. One of

the effects of the pressure is to drive large numbers of na­

tives out and away from their families for considerable per­

iods of time. Could you tell us what you think are the social

results to the native of that system? 3ep*aAtion from their

families? ---- I would like to say here again *hat I havealready indicated in my memorandum, that we must not exaggerate

the social effects in regard to home life:in the sense we have

it ourselves, I do not think the natives have home life. And

therefore 1 think that the absence of their men lolk from them for

comparatively long periods of tins does not cause quite as

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-8614-much havoo, pain and distress as it does with as. But it

does to a certain extent in the case of a native respons­

ible for the ailairs of his family and wives. If such a man goes away from home for any length of tine he has to appoint

somebody to tails his place and look after things for him, and

very often, of course, things go wrong. Eis wives may be-

come unfaithful to him, or his children may run wild, or a

marriage may he contracted which he does not agree with. So

there axe quite a number of effects due to the absence of the family head. Sven if it is not the family head who is absent, one feels that the absence from home of say the sons tends to

lessen their ties «d th the home: for example it may tempt tnem

to contract marriages in the towns or elsewhere whioh are

not within the tribal complex, whioh again breaks up the com­

plex of the family whioh they are accustomed to.

And economically too? - -- Yes; although I am not

so sure that the economic effects are so very great* Of course the men bring bacx a certain amount of their aages, and that assists: on the otner hand, however, 1 do mail think that some­

thing is lost, because the person who t&kea charge in the

man's absence may not look after the cattle as carefully as the man would himself, and some may get lost: again, the wivee may not look after the fields so well, with the result that there is less food, and so on. I do not think in the long

run that the efonomio effects are so very great; what is lost

on the one hand is probably balanced or more than balanoed by money whioh the man brings back)* with him. There is a cer­

tain social efleot too; but at the best of times there does

not exist between husbanc and wife the same intimate rela­

tionship that Is expected to exist in the ideal state with us.

Polygamy/

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Collection Number: AD1438

NATIVE ECONOMIC COMMISSION 1930-1932, Evidence and Memoranda

PUBLISHER: Collection funder:- Atlantic Philanthropies Foundation

Publisher:- Historical Papers Research Archive

Location:- Johannesburg

©2013

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