§ Mr. C. Daviesasked the Undersecretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what progress has been made towards the setting up of tribal and area advisory councils in the Bamangwato Reserve.
§ Mr. AlportIn 1954 it was agreed that the Government should initiate and encourage the development of more representative institutions in tribal territories in the Bechuanaland Protectorate. In 1955 proposals for the formation of councils in the Bamangwato tribal area were discussed in Serowe, and about a year ago a Committee of nine Africans, including Seretse Khama and Tshekedi Khama, and two European officials, was set up to make recommendations for the constitution of Bamangwato tribal and area councils, with advisory functions. The Committee's recommendations were accepted by the African Advisory Council. The African Authority of the Bamangwato, Rasebolai Kgamane, with Seretse Khama and Tshekedi Khama, accompanied by an administrative officer, then toured the main centres in the Bamangwato Reserve, explaining the Committee's proposals, and the tribe accepted them. The High Commissioner has promulgated Regulations putting into effect the Committee's recommendations for Bamangwato councils. Meetings are now being held in the Reserve to choose councillors.
The chairman of the Bamangwato tribal council is to be the African 73W Authority; the chairman of each area council is to be the Subordinate African Authority of that area. One quarter of the members of the tribal council are to be nominated by the chairman and the remainder are to be elected by the area councils. One quarter of the members of each area council are to be nominated by that council's chairman and the remainder will be chosen by the people, in the traditional way, in kgotla.
The tribal council and the area councils will advise the African Authority and the Subordinate African Authorities, respectively.
The High Commissioner has made a Bechuanaland Protectorate African Local Councils Proclamation, an enabling proclamation to place on a statutory basis tribal and area councils throughout the Protectorate.