Natal

The Anglo-Boer War.

Natal watched with anxiety the in creasing tension between the Transvaal and the Cape Colony, and its citizens suffered, equally with other Uitlanders, the disabilities imposed by the Pretoria government. As early as May 1899 the Natal ministry officially intimated its belief that the Transvaal would go to war, and while promising every support possible to the imperial Government, expressed anxiety for the defence of the frontier. On Oct. 1 1, 1899 war broke out, and Natal was invaded by the Boers. The story of the war is told elsewhere (see SOUTH AFRICAN WAR; SOUTH AFRICA, UNION OF). A small number of the Dutch colonists joined the enemy but there was no general rebellion among them and the promise that Natal would assist the imperial Government was amply redeemed.

One result of the war was an addition to the territory of Natal of a small part of the Transvaal, namely the district of Vryheid, the district of Utrecht and a portion of the district of Wakker stroom. As to Vryheid, "in handing over this district to the ad ministration which controls the rest of Zululand, his majesty's Government," wrote Joseph Chamberlain (then Secretary of State for the Colonies), under date March 1902, "feel that they are re uniting what ought never to have been separated." A claim by Natal to annex portions of the Harrismith and Vrede districts of the Free State was, however, disallowed. The districts which were added to Natal contained about 6,000 white inhabitants (mostly Dutch), and some 92,000 natives, and had an area of nearly 7,000 sq.m., so that this annexation meant an addition to the white population of Natal of about one-tenth, to her native population of about one-tenth also, and to her territory of about one-fourth. The territories were formally transferred to Natal in Jan. 1903.

Native Affairs:

The 1906 Revolt—The period following the war was succeeded by commercial depression. The Government met the crisis by renewed energy in harbour works, railway con structions and the development of the natural resources of the country. A railway to the Zululand coalfields was completed in 1903, and in the same year a line was opened to Vryheid in the newly annexed territories. In Aug. 1903 Sir Alfred Hime, who had been premier since June 1899 resigned and was succeeded by Mr. (afterwards Sir) George Sutton, the founder of the wattle industry in Natal and one of the pioneers in the coal-mining industry. In May 1905 Sir George Sutton was replaced by a coalition ministry under C. J. Smythe, while in 1906 Sir F. R. Moor became premier. These changes of ministry reflected, chiefly, differences concerning the treatment of commercial questions and the policy to be adopted towards the natives. Towards those Dutch colonists who had joined the enemy during the war leniency was shown, all rebels being pardoned. The attitude of the natives both in Natal proper and in Zululand caused much disquiet. The chief concern of the Natal government was to remodel their native policy where it proved inadequate. During 1903-04 a Native Affairs' commission, representative of all the South African states, had obtained much evidence on the status and conditions of the natives. Among its recommendations was the direct politi

cal representation of natives in the colonial legislatures on the New Zealand model, and the imposition of direct taxation upon natives. Carrying out this last recommendation Natal passed in 1905 an act imposing a poll-tax of LI on all males over 18 in the colony, except indentured Indians and natives paying hut-tax (which was 14s. a year). Every European was bound to pay the tax. In 1906 a serious rebellion broke out in the colony, attrib utable ostensibly to the poll-tax, and spread to Zululand. An incident which marked the beginning of this rebellion brought the Natal ministry into sharp conflict with the imperial Government (the Campbell-Bannerman administration). Twelve natives were to be shot by order of a court martial for killing, at Byrnetown, two Europeans, who had been sent to enforce the collection of the poll-tax. On the day before that fixed for the execution Lord Elgin, then Secretary of State for the colonies, intervened and directed the governor to postpone the execution of the sentence. Thereupon the Natal ministry resigned, giving as their reason the importance of maintaining the authority of the colonial adminis tration at a critical period, and the constitutional question involved in the interference by the imperial authorities in the domestic affairs of a self-governing colony. After a day's delay, during which the governor of Natal, Sir Henry McCallum, reiterated his concurrence, already made known in London, in the justice of the sentence passed on the natives, Lord Elgin gave way (March 3o). The Natal ministry thereupon remained in office. The guilty natives were shot on April 2. It was at this time that Bambaata, a chief in the Greytown district who had been deposed for mis conduct, kidnapped the regent appointed in his stead. He was pursued and escaped to Zululand, where he received considerable help. He was killed in battle in June, and by the close of July 1906 the rebellion was at an end. As has been stated, it was ostensibly attributable to the poll-tax, but the causes were more deep-seated. Though somewhat obscure they may be found in the growing sense of power and solidarity among all the Bantu tribes of South Africa. There were moreover special local causes such as undoubted de fects in the Natal administration. (See Governor's despatch, June 21, 1906, printed in the Blue Book, Cd. 3247.) Many Natalians re garded Dinizulu, the son of Cetewayo, as the inciter of the rebellion and after a series of murders of whites in Zululand in 1907, and evidences of continued unrest among the natives the Natal Government itself became convinced that Dinizulu was implicated in a rebellious movement. A force under Sir Duncan McKenzie (who had suppressed the 1906 revolt) entered Zulu land. Thereupon Dinizulu surrendered (Dec. 1907) without op position, and was removed to Maritzburg. He was eventually (1909) found guilty only on the minor charge of harbouring rebels.