§ 66. Mr. Stonehouseasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what demands he received from the Nyasaland African Congress delegation; and what reply has been given.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies (Mr. John Profumo)The delegation which called on my right hon. Friend on 13th June made a number of requests, which he said he would note, about new constitutional arrangements in Nyasaland, a subject on which the Governor will in due course be submitting proposals to him. I am circulating the agreed record of the meeting in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. StonehouseWill the hon. Gentleman advise his right hon. Friend that a feeling of despair in Nyasaland with regard to the imposing of Federation is likely to grow unless the legitimate demands put forward by the Congress in regard to increasing the very minor African representation in Nyasaland is attended to?
§ Mr. ProfumoThe form of the constitution, of course, remains my right hon. Friend's responsibility. I hope for an agreement on the changes which have been recommended to him, but if there is not any agreement then, as my right hon. Friend told the delegation, it will be for the Governor to submit his recommendations to my right hon. Friend.
Following is the record:On Friday, 13th June, 1958, the Secretary of State for the Colonies received a delegation from the Nyasaland African National Congress which had asked to put before him their views regarding the Nyasaland Constitution. The members of the delegation were Dr. Banda, Mr. Chipembere (Member of Legislative Council), Mr. Chisiza and Chief Ntaja.244In welcoming the delegation, the Secretary of State said that he received them as representing the views of the Nyasaland African National Congress and not of all the African people of Nyasaland. The delegation, in reply, stated that in their view they did represent African opinion, both Chiefs and people.The delegation asked that the African population of Nyasaland, which was in an overwhelming majority, should be given a fair share in the government of the territory, and that in particular the Constitution should be amended as follows:—
- (i) A Legislative Council of 40, made up of 32 African members, 6 European members and 2 official members.
- (ii) An Executive Council of Cabinet status of at least 9 members.
- (iii) All members of Legislative Council and Executive Council, except the two official members of Legislative Council, to be elected by universal adult suffrage on communal rolls until such time as there could be one common roll
The delegation expressed concern that the European settlers had refused to take part in the current discussions. They said that Africans keenly desired that the Legislative Council should be fully representative of African opinion before the review of the Constitution of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland due in 1960.The Secretary of State assured the delegation that he understood these anxieties. He recalled that, when the present Constitution was introduced, he had expressed the hope that the four years during which it would remain in force would be used by all concerned in Nyasaland to try to work out some new form of constitutional arrangements which would assure security and opportunity to all and would, at the same time, be less likely than the present system to foster a purely racial approach to politics. If it was impossible for agreed proposals to be produced it would, of course, be for the Governor to submit his recommendations. He knew that the Governor had had discussions with representatives of various communities in Nyasaland preparatory to formulating proposals. He understood that Sir R. Armitage had not yet reached any conclusions, but he was expecting to receive recommendations from him after his return to the territory from leave in August. In these circumstances he would take note of the delegation's views but he was not in a position to comment on them.