IsiXhosa Intellectual Traditions (IsiXIT) Digital Archive

THE heroic efforts of the local Board of Health to put down small-pox among the Natives de¬serve special mention. We trust our people will recognise them and, above all, do all in their power to assist the Board in stamping out the disease. If, however, half of what was written in last Thursday's Cape Mercury by Mr. MALCOMESS is true —that MBOVANE, ' ever since the small-pox broke out in his loca- ' tion, has used his utmost energy ' and his authority as headman to ' thwart the efforts of the Board of ' Health and the Medical Officer,' that ' his location offered armed ' resistance to Dr. CLARK and his ' staff,' and that the doctor ' dis- ' tinctly traces the spread of this ' fell epidemic, the widespread ' misery it causes to the Kafirs, and ' the enormous expense the same ' causes to the rate-payers,' to MBOVANE MABANDHLA—if half of this, we say, is true, then we are face to face with a strange pheno¬menon. And why this heart-rend¬ing story has been delayed publi¬cation until this, the eleventh hour, only serves to complicate the situa¬tion. This is, of course, one side of the case. MABANDHLA'S version is quite the reverse of this, and it places him in the position of one more sinned against than sinning. He bitterly complains that when the disease broke out his efforts at isolating affected individuals were not supported, and that he had been actually thwarted. He indignantly denies that the spread of the dis¬ease and the inevitable expense of putting it out is due to him, and states that he has actively assisted and is assisting now, by car¬rying out the orders of the Board. It is a pity that the public are compelled to arrive at conclu¬sions upon one-sided statements. But fair-minded men will suspend their judgments until these facts are established. When we heard MBOVANE'S story we were simply astonished at the perversity of the Government, and it must be remem-bered that Government was not very willing to assist at the begin¬ning: as reasonable men we felt that injustice might be done to Government in running a muck at it on the strength of MABANDLA'S independent statement, and surely enough the other side is presented in Mr. MALCOMESS' letter. The best course to adopt now is to have an inquiry instituted which would give the public ascertained facts. We have been too much at the mercy of hearsay evidence and ex parte statements on this matter. Let the authorities sift the matter to the bottom, so that the public indignation may find an outlet. We are sorry to hear that there are still cases in locations reported to officials which have not been re¬moved to the lazarettos. This is the case at Keiskama Hoek. No doubt when these are discovered by indirect means they will be put down to Natives harbouring the sick. We are assured that not many natives are anxious to hide their sick, as they have a wholesome dread for the disease. So far the sickness is among the Natives of the red-clay persuasion, and it was recorded the other day that the unvaccinated suffered from it. This shows that cleanliness alone can do a great deal in saving life ; and we advise all our people to keep their dwellings and their persons scrupulously clean. The constant moving about of people from areas affected is to be depre¬cated. Perhaps it is in the power of the authorities to stop this. MISREPRESENTATIONS. THE side issues that have been raised in connection with MBOVANE MABANDHLA'S deposition have thrown us into a mood of re¬flection. First we have the letter of Mr. MALCOMESS on MABANDHLA'S attitude on the small-pox question which we have dealt with elsewhere ; then there is Mr. DE WET'S statement that he has been dismissed because ' he bad attended meetings, the object ' of which was to set the people ' against the hut tax.' It has been well said that ' if MABANDHLA incited ' people not to pay their taxes he de- ' served dismissal.' We are in a position to state that this, as are all the charges against this unfortunate chief, is nothing more nor less than a fabri¬cation, and an inquiry would prove it. All the facts in our possession on this subject lead us to the conclusion that Mr. DE WET ought either to re-instate MABANDHLA or institute the fullest possible inquiry without delay. We gladly testify to 'the moderation and ability with which Mr. DE WET has presided over the Native Department, and we are only surprised that it has only come out in the present case that he has not shown the characteristics of fairness and justice that have hitherto marked his administration. Of course he will plead that he has proceeded upon the official representa¬tions from the spot. As these repre¬sentations, however, are proving un¬reliable whenever they come in con-tact with independent testimony, it becomes a question whether Govern-ment is not doing itself and the Natives incalculable injury in placing in positions such as Middle Drift, in- volving delicate questions of diplo¬macy, inexperienced young officials dressed in little brief authority. We are not at all surprised that under these circumstances Mr. DE WET has been placed in the ridiculous and un¬tenable position of having to base his decisions on sensational narratives based on unsifted evidence. Elsewhere we publish matter taken from various papers on MABANDHLA'S case, and call special attention to ''the various alle- gations laid at the Chief's door which are now being set up as pretexts in the place of the one set forth in the letter of dismissal that he ' has been ' holding a meeting for the purpose of ' initiating an agitation for the trans- ' fer of the Natives to the control of 'the Imperial Government.' Resting however upon Mr. DE WET'S sense of justice we still hope MABANDHLA will yet meet with his proper desert, viz., to be restored to his position.