Testimony of Meshach Pelem, President, Bantu Union, before the Select Committee on Native
Affairs, June 11, 1920 [Extract] (Published in Minutes of Evidence, Select Committee on Native Affairs)

1. Chairman. ] The House of Assembly has appointed this Select Committee to take evidence on the Native
Affairs Bill, which is before the House. I do not know whether you have read the Bill? -- I have read the
Bill.

2. The Committee is very anxious to know whether you have any views, any opinions, which you would like to express to the Committee on the provisions of this Bill. Have you any
remarks to make or any criticisms, which might help us to frame a good Bill? -- Yes, I have prepared a
memo of my views on the Bill, which I will read. It is as follows:

-- With regard to the name "Native Affairs
Commission," we would suggest the adoption of the name "The Supreme Council of Native Affairs."

Membership and composition of Councils under section 1.

-- We would suggest that if there are five
members two shall be qualified educated natives, who shall be freely elected by the native people
themselves through their recognised organisation for the approval of the Prime Minister.

Functions and duties under section 2.

-- We would suggest that the Government consider seriously the
creation of a separate portfolio of Native Affairs to take charge of:

(a) Native industries and the promotion of handicrafts;

(b) agriculture in all its general phases;

(c)
education; (d) social problems with supervision of local and general councils, including the Glen Grey Council as applied at present to the Native Territories, and all administrative matters related to
Municipalities, Village Management Boards and native urban areas. The native question is a growing one,
and is becoming too unwieldy to be dealt with by the Prime Minister's Department alone, of which it is
merely an annexe. This is not meant to affect the Prime Minister's control over the civil administration of
Native Affairs. The Supreme Council would be the connecting link between the Prime Minister's
Department and the new Minister suggested, coordinating the work of both Departments. What about the
question of direct representation of natives in Parliament, as those local Council Bills do not dispose of that
question?

My further suggestions are: -

(1) Establishment of a Native Affairs Board or Commission for the Union;

(2) Local Councils in Native
areas;

(3) convening of native conferences;

(4) Bill evidently modelled on the schedule of the South Africa Act, the Glen Grey Act, and the Moffat Commission (report);

(4a) composition of Board to consist of Prime
Minister and not less than three and not more than five other members;

(5) duties of the Board, to
consider all matters relating -- to Native administration or legislation specifically affecting the native, and
to make recommendations thereon, with an appeal (a) to the Governor-General-in-Council (b) to
Parliament in event of diversity of views;

(6) period of office and salaries not yet fixed, to be dealt with by
regulation, the body to be elastic; possible. It will, however, be a permanent Advisory Board on Native
matters generally

(7) Powers of local or district Councils provide for all Divisional Council matters: - (a) sanitation; (b)
establishment of hospitals; (c) improvement of farming methods and educational facilities, etc., they can
also make bye-laws and prescribe fines for contravention of the Act not exceeding £2. They can also levy a
rate not exceeding £l on each adult native male. The revenue accruing from these will constitute the
revenues of the Councils

(8) Election of members of District Councils appointment of officers, salaries and method of rate collection
are left to be dealt with by; regulation;

(9) Native conferences to be composed of chiefs, members of District Council prominent natives and
native delegates from associations purporting to represent an native political or economic interest, the
idea being to remove the complaint that legislation is passed over the heads of the native Districts for
conferences in the Cape Province might be grouped as follows:-- (a) Upper Tembuland or the districts of Umtata an Engobo ; (b) Willowvale, Kentani, Butterworth, Idutywa, Nqamakwe and Tsomo; (c) Lower Tembuland, including the following districts:?Queenstown, Glen Grey, Cofimvaba and Cala (d) King Williamstown , Victoria East and Pedi.

The principle of the Bill has been accepted and is not in any danger. From this point then we would
move along with less speed. I would suggest if it was possible that after the Bill ha been thrashed out in
Committee of the whole House, that the Government should proceed to elect the Supreme Council, and
that these officers get to work to frame the constitution and details of Departments of administration and
call conferences after which, if a special session of Parliament would be too much trouble, perhaps the
Prime Minister might suggest some other way, all this could be done within six months. My object being to
save circumlocution and needless correspondence.

(10) Education. -- There was an influential Commission appointed on Native Education recently, but their
report is still awaited. We have long felt that a radical reform of native education is necessary in various
directions. A Director of native education in each province is, I think, necessary, which should work with a
council of education composed of nominees of the various churches. District Councils, Ratepayers and the
Government. This council should sit periodically and would form a link between the Provincial
Administrators Department, which governs education, and local educational boards, or committees, which
should be created to control education in the districts under the Director and Council of Education for the
Province. According to my previous memo, I suggested that a new Portfolio should be created under a new
Minister and if this plan is adopted, native education might be turned over to his department in toto. The
great complaint is that mission schools have no responsible authority to control education and to enforce
regulations and proper attendance.

(11.) Constitution of Native Conferences. In order to facilitate representation it might be advisable to
group areas as I have already shown, and allocate to each area a number of delegates proportioned by the
population of ratepayers or taxpayers. These delegates should be freely elected by the people and not
nominated. The Government reserving its right to nominate its own representatives. A clause providing for
election of representative delegates should be embodied in the Act itself and not left to regulation.

Source:

Karis, T & Carter G. M. (1972). From Protest to Challenge: A Documentary History of African Politics in South Africa, 1882-1964, Volume 1: Protest and Hope, 1882-1934. Stanford University: Hanover Press.

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