IsiXhosa Intellectual Traditions (IsiXIT) Digital Archive

REPORT having been circulated in Cape Town that Mr. Frost was employing compulsion in removing the Natives from Glen Grey the Government have commu¬nicated the following denial to the Cape Times'.—'There is no foundation fbr the statement which has been published in Cape Town that the Government were moving the Natives of Glen Grey by force, or at all events by pressure. What has occurred has been that Mr. Frost has explained the resolution of the House of Assembly to the Natives of Glen Grey at a public meeting, and invited, those wil¬ling to move to intimate their intention to him, and many families, after in¬specting the land offered them in ex¬change at Tsolo, have requested him to remove. There is no disturbance or dis¬content amongst the Natives arising out of this policy, though white men of different classes have endeavoured to political capital out of this Glen matter.' WE are glad to assure our Native fr ??? at Glen Grey, therefore, that Gov ??? ment is not forcing them, and that if ??? choose to remain in their locations ??? can do so. There is, however, an ??? sion among the people that they, are ??? obliged to go. The Government explana¬tion should remove all misapprehension and unrest. But the impression lively to be left on the mind of the reader, by the perusal of our 'Notes from Glen Grey,' by our Native correspondent shows that Mr. Frost has gone a step further than what he is professing. We shall, how-ever, be curious to hear what our people have to say to the assurance of the Gov¬ernment that ' there is no disturbance or discontent amongst the Natives arising , out of this policy.' We venture to say ??? this is only the official view of the ques ??? tion. In this connection we might dir ??? the attention of the reader to our G1e ??? Grey notes which give the Native view the policy. IN our Kafir columns appears a lett??? from a Native correspondent at Mhlanga near Dordrecht, giving vent to what ??? consider harsh treatment. These peo ??? are asked to pay two years' arrear ta ??? and collection expenses to the amoi ??? £2 8s each man. They do not deny tha ??? these taxes have not been paid, but say thefr were prevented from paying when they wished to do so by the officers of the Government, who said that they had not been authorized from Cape Town to J receive any taxes of the kind. At this period (1883-4) some of the people were living in caves, and beside stones, th ??? homes having been ta/am by Gove??? ment tor Europeans tn the same way ??? it is doing at present in the ??? certain farms in Glen Grey. Our pondent says that no notice had ??? been given them to pay and the first ??? they heard of it was from demands a ??? heavy collection expenses. The ??? have represented the matter to the Wo ??? house magistrate, who merely told them ??? that Government had handed the matter over to Mr. W. R. Lloyd. In these, straitened times this is too much for the people and we trust immediate investig ??? tion will ta&e place into the circumstanc ??? of the case. These things are doing gret ??? damage to the Government among th ??? Natives. THE members of the Transkeian Teachers' Association desire us to be the medium of conveying their thanks to Mr. P. H. Pottor, of Fountain Head, Toleni, for a donation of 5s. They hope that this donation is, as it were, a first swallow, in¬dicating the coming summer of donations which must lead to their prosperity. ' THE Situation ' is the tittle of a paper read by Mr. Meshach Pelem at a native concert held a fortnight ago in the Town Hall of Kimberley and presided over by His Hon. Mr. Justice Buchanan, Judge President of the High Court of Griqualand West. It is now published in pamphlet form and a few copies can be had at the office of this paper. Mr. Pelem is a native of the Tembu tribes, was educated at Heald Town, near Fort Beaufort, and is now engaged as teacher in Kimberley. We propose shortly to deal with the essay and the eloquent remarks of the learned Judge, who used to be the Demosthenes the Cape Parliament before taking to what he very facetiously characterizes ' the 'Greefc slaveism ' of the Bench.' The essay is a clever production, it shows con- siderable reading on the part ot the writer and would more than repay perusal. As in our old school days, Mr. Pelem smites his opponents hip and thigh. Judge Buchanan's address is well worthy of the consideration of those primarily concerned with the administration of native affair. IT is not possible to add to the expres- sion of universal regret that has found vent in the Press at the news of the death of Mr. Jonathan Ayliff, but on behalf of our people we may say that the news will be received with profound sorrow, for by them the late ex-Colonial Secretary was held in great esteem—the very name Ayliff being associated with one of the most importance epochs in the history of the natives. UNDER date 22 October our native cor¬respondent in Basutoland sends us the following news item' A messenger from Masupha has just arrived conveying a message for chief Letsie to the effect that Masupha has proceeded with armed men to Ramanella's where there is already one man billed, and another bearing assegai wounds. This we consider the culminating point of the disturbances I wrote you about in my last. Lerotholi has given expression to an opinion that Government is powerless in Basutoland, it is unbecoming that sporadic warefare should go under it. PERHAPS there is nothing more calcu- lated to emphasize the difference between the Imperial and the Colonial Govern- ment than the attitude Assumed by both in respect of this distress. While the former has acted in the commendable manner alluded to above the condition of the people under the latter may be stated in the words of a Transkei correspondent of the Border News who says:—' The— Fingoes are really starving, and it is time the Government commenced to help them —otherwise it will be too late. We have had some nice rains lately, and the country every where looks nice and green. Trade is played out here unless there is a succession of good crops for some years. The natives only buy food now, and a 6a or Is worth at a time. It is really heartrend, ing to see the poor people—with no money, ~- most of their cattle dead, and their only hope—wool—being practically worthless. Many of them go two and three days at a stretch without food. The few cattle they have left are too poor to use in the plough, being perfect skeletons, so the weak, half¬starved creatures have to make shift and 'pick' their lands with hoes. You would hardly credit the number of cattle that have died. It is said that one trader ??? done £1,500 a month in hides, and I km ??? some traders who have bought 100 to hides per diem. Formerly our people used to ride transport; now it is all Europeans who bring up loads—so all the money goes out of the country.'