HC Deb 08 May 1957 vol 569 cc962-3
22. Mr. J. Johnson

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will rescind the Order in Council of 1924 which prohibits Africans from holding title deeds for land, houses and shops in Northern Rhodesia and thus allow the Protectorate Government to introduce forthwith a Bill on these lines.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I presume that the hon. Member is referring to the Clauses which make it difficult for an African to be removed from the land he has been assigned. These provisions, which were designed to protect Africans, are unfortunately working to their disadvantage in that Government is unable to issue leases to Africans for residential and trading plots in municipal and African township areas because the normal conditions and covenants of the ordinary form of lease could not in practice be enforced. The Governor has been in consultation with me about the difficulty and I am awaiting proposals for an amendment to the Order-in-Council to surmount it.

Mr. Johnson

While thanking the Minister for his Answer, may I ask whether he would agree that this is one of the best steps forward we can take to build a stable African urban society? I beg that he will place no bar in the way of finally quashing this Order-in-Council so that they can get this Bill, which they have on the stocks in Lusaka, into working order?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

As I said when I was out there recently, I will do all I can to accelerate it.

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