SLAVES UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG
ERE• in the vast, silent wastes of the Kalahari Desert is a tantalising problem for the British Government and people—one that touches our honour at a sensitive spot. It is yet another illustration of the truth that Slavery dies hard, and in this case, unfortunately, the more the problem is probed, the deeper is the disease disclosed, and at the same time the more difficult is it to find the way to an early solution.
At the moment, nobody can answer with certainty any one of half a dozen simple questions. The story, so far as modern official knowledge goes, dates back to 1932, when Mr. J. H. Thomas sent Sir Alan Pim and his colleagues out to Bechuanaland to enquire into the financial and economic position of the Protectorate. It is probably true that it never occurred to the Dominion Secretary or any other supposedly well-informed person that such a financial enquiry would lead to a demand for the " abolition of slavery under the British flag."
Sir Alan Pim was not in a position to say much, but what he did say was enough to alarm certain students of his report. The Masarwa slaves, as they were called, were declared by Sir Alan Pim to possess " a status which could hardly be distinguished from slavery " . . ." they have no recognised legal rights " . . . " and are considered to be the property of individual members of the Bamangwato."
At that time it was believed that these Masarwa slaves numbered a mere handful of Bechuanas living on a lower plane of Society. It is probable that nobody was more surprised than Mr. Malcolm MacDonald when a few months ago he learned that there were certainly io,000 of these slaves in one single area. It is now known that in the whole of this territory, which is nearly as large as Abyssinia, there must be at least another io,000 Masarwa slaves, making together, in all probability, a total of nearly 20,000.
The British Government took action in two directions. They first placed the whole of the facts then available to them before the International Committee of Slavery Experts in Geneva. They issued certain local instructions and appointed a special Officer, Mr. J. W. Joyce, to study the problem and report upon progress of reforms.
The enquiries by Mr. Joyce and others have led to some interesting disclosures. The Masarwa originate from none of the Bechuanaland tribes, nor, apparently, from any Bantu tribes. They appear to be the original Bushmen of South and South-West Africa, and were secured by the Bantu races to assist in hunting expeditions and in cattle rearing, in which they are adepts. But an even more interesting fact seems to have been established that in the remoter regions of the Kalahari, where white men have never reached, and where, incredible as it may seem, even the Bechuana tribes have never penetrated, there are today Masarwa tribes of Bushmen living their own primitive life untouched by, European. civilisation, and remote from impact with African races which " trekked " South hundreds of years before the landing of the white man.
The origin of this system of Slavery is lost in the past, but seems to be based upon the conception that if men own cattle, then obviously they must own men and women to look after the cattle ; thus a large purchase or an inheritance of cattle carries with it as an integral part of the bargain the right to a fair proportion of Masarwa slaves, just as a man buying half a dozen shirts at a certain store now expects an equal number of collars thrown into the bargain. The Masarwa, then, are owned primarily as adjuncts to cattle rearing.
Like every system of slavery, it develops the worst features of human nature. After long years of " ownership " with petty and even grosser forms of tyranny, the Masarwa slaves in the mass have too often retaliated with crime, but on the whole they are faithful to their masters and upon occasion make successful attempts to rise above their degraded level.
A large part of their work is that of watering the cattle. In Bechuanaland the mind of the native seldom wanders far from the water problem. His welcome or farewell to a visitor is : " Pula," " Pula," " Pula "—" Bless you with rain." The watering of cattle by hand from wells absorbs the major part of the day's work for the Masarwa, because cattle in the Kalahari Desert require about ten gallons each day. What this means for the slaves is illustrated by Mr. Joyce, where at Lotlhakane he found the Masarwa slaves raising by hand for their masters' 50o cattle a total of 5,000 gallons of water a day. Then they have to till the lands, cut the wood and grass, herd the cattle, protect the crops and cattle from the dangers of elephant, giraffe and rhinoceros. At the same time there is the liability of the Masarwa families for domestic work of all kinds.
The slaves are not entitled to and do not receive any cash wages, but they get the right to build themselves a hut. The main form which actual payment takes is that of a measure of free milk from the herd. In addition, a good Masarwa can rely upon the gift of a calf or cow about every eighteen months, worth generally a little more than 5os., or the equiva- lent of about one penny a day.
The way of emancipation is not easy to see. The first line of attack would seem to be that of insisting upon all children being born free. Tshekedi Khania is really troubled at the situation, and says that without education, the Masarwa themselves will have no desire to rise from their present degradation. But this is not enough ; the Chiefs will need to be made to realise that certain abuses must stop, such as flogging without trial, masters taking wages from Masarwa who occasionally go out to work for white employers, and finally, interference as a " property right " by their owners with the domestic relationships of the Masarwa slave families. But the liberation of 20,000—possibly 25,000—Masarwa slaves will be no light task for the Dominions Office.
Previous page
