§ 44. Mr. Stonehouseasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of Africans in Northern Rhodesia who have moved voluntarily to make way for the Kariba scheme, and the number who have objected to the scheme; and what compensation or other means of persuasion has been used to effect their removal.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydApproximately 7,750 Africans have already moved voluntarily to resettlement areas and a further 3,700 are in process of doing so. Although the Native Authority is fully behind the resettlement, a very small number from four villages with a total population of 400 have refused to move. However, they are now showing signs of reconsidering the matter.
As regards compensation, there has been no change since the reply given to the hon. Member for Govan (Mr. Rankin) on 31st October, 1956, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. The means of persuasion are explanation, discussion, visits to the new site, and patience on the part of Government officers and members of the Native Authority concerned.
§ Mr. StonehouseWhilst thanking the Secretary of State for that information, may I ask how many more have still to be removed, whether the land to which they are going is good land and is not tsetse-infected and whether he will not again consider the question of opening up good unused land for new European farming when so many Africans have to be moved?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydIn reply to the first part of that question, I am awaiting a progress report from the Governor at any minute and I will place it in the Library of the House. In reply to the second part, 22,000 acres of suitable land have been found and tested for the use of people resettled this year. This land will meet their need for several years. Thirdly, the distribution of the tsetse fly has been worked out and discriminative clearing is in hand with the object of eradicating the fly.