HC Deb 02 May 1956 vol 552 cc389-90
33. Sir L. Plummer

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the result of the appeals of the 18-year-old Brown Kapena who was sentenced to nine years' hard labour for riotously damaging mine property and for rioting at Nchanga. Northern Rhodesia, of the two other Africans also sentenced with him to nine years, of the seventeen other Africans sentenced to five years' hard labour, and of the other thirteen sentenced to two years' hard labour; and if the recommendations by the magistrate that all these sentenced men should be deported at the expiry of their sentences is to be carried out.

Mr. Hare

All these sentences were reduced on appeal. As the details are rather lengthy, I will, with permission, circulate them in the OFFICIAL REPORT. One Nyasaland African will be deported on the expiration of his sentence; the deportation of four other Nyasaland Africans is still under consideration.

Sir L. Plummer

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that these chaps were between 18 and 20 years of age, that the riots started as a result of an African being killed by a white crane driver, and that the row that then followed illustrates the tension that exists between Africans and white men in Northern Rhodesia? Will he not now ask his right hon. Friend to exercise his clemency in the direction of trying to pacify the Africans, who are feeling that they are being run over far too often by white drivers who, to put it mildly, are a little careless?

Mr. Hare

The hon. Gentleman will see from my reply that, in fact, there have been substantial reductions in sentence. But I would not like the House to get the idea that this was not a really serious riot. It was a riot which lasted about five hours, and a number of people were injured, some seriously, in the attacks. I would also point out that among the injured was an official of the African Mine Workers Union, Mr. Ben Chilongo, who was injured while asking the crowd to disperse.

Following are the details:

On appeal to the High Court Brown Kapena's sentence was reduced from nine to five years' hard labour, and the other two Africans who were also originally sentenced to nine years' hard labour had their sentences reduced to four years' hard labour.

Of the 17 Africans sentenced to five years' hard labour, two were acquitted, five had their sentences reduced to three years and ten reduced to two years.

Of the twelve Africans sentenced to two years' hard labour, five were acquitted, two had their sentences reduced to fourteen months and five were reduced to twelve months.