Disturbances (Hansard, 5 February 1959)

§ Mr. J. Amery

I am circulating Press statements published by the Government of Nyasaland about these disturbances.

The following is a brief account of the disturbances. There was a disturbance at Zomba on the 20th January when a crowd of Africans demonstrated outside 107W the police station. They refused to disperse, stones were thrown, police and civilians were injured and tear gas had to be used. On 25th January stones were thrown and an Asian was assaulted and 35 Africans were arrested.

The following are the Press statements:

1. Zomba, 20th January, 1959. The Nyasaland Government is making a full investigation into the disorders which occurred in Zomba and its environs last night during the course of which a number of Africans marched on the police station from a political meeting and stoned ten cars and several buildings. The police were forced to use tear smoke to drive back the demonstrators outside the police station. The incidents occurred shortly after Dr. Hastings Banda, President General of the Nyasaland African Congress, had addressed a political meeting of about 2,000 Africans at the African Welfare Centre. As the meeting dispersed, a group of about 150 Africans, shouting and throwing mangoes, moved in the direction of the police station demanding the release of 36 women arrested earlier in the day. The District Commissioner then read the riot proclamation but the crowd refused to move from the precincts of the station. The police ignited two tear smoke containers and the crowd withdrew to a safe distance, then reformed. Riot guns were used to drop tear smoke containers at the rear of the shouting crowd. The crowd dispersed rapidly on the advance of a police mobile platoon armed with batons and riot shields. Over the period of these disorders the Standard Bank of South Africa and a number of Asian stores were stoned but undamaged. The Government Agricultural Offices were also stoned and five windows broken. The windscreens of two cars were broken, the rear window of another stoned, and several other damaged by flying stones and missiles. An Asian in one of the cars received an abrasion on the hand from a stone and an Italian in another car sustained several minor cuts from broken glass. Six members of the police force also received minor injuries from flying stones during these disturbances. Four men were arrested and charged with rioting after the riot proclamation had been read and one of them was further charged with throwing a stone at a vehicle. After the mob had been dispersed the police continued mobile patrols in the township area. No further incident was reported and after a final sweep outside the township boundaries in the direction of the airfield, the police reported the situation back to normal. Earlier in the day, at 2 p.m., Dr. Banda had a two-and-a-half hour interview with the Governor of Nyasaland, Sir Robert Armitage. 108W at Government House, followed by talks with the Commissioner for Co-operative Development at the Secretariat. On the 42 mile drive from his Limbe home to Zomba, Dr. Banda was greeted by parties of Africans at the Chiradzulu Loop Road Junction and again at Namadzi, a village of the main road. There were no incidents. It was shortly after his arrival in Zomba that the 36 women refused to obey a police order to disperse, formed a procession, and marched about 400 yards down the main street. They ignored a further order, were arrested, taken to Zomba police station and charged with offences arising from unlawful assembly and procession. The following statement on the talks betweeen the Governor and Dr. Banda was issued today: Begins: His Excellency the Governor held meeting with Hon. Mr. A C. W. Dixon, C.B.E., M.L.C., and Dr. H. K. Banda, President General of the Nyasaland African Congress, at Government House on Tuesday the 20th January. The discussion ranged over a wide field of subjects and included an examination of the Congress proposals for territorial constitutional reform.

2. Blantyre/Limbe, 25th January, 1959. There were disorders last night in Blantyre/Limbe when a crowd of hooligans jeered Europeans and Asians, stoned a car and assaulted an Asian. Police dispersed a shouting crowd at the Limbe market place arresting 21. Five more were arrested in Blantyre, two for stoning cars and three for disobeying a lawful order to disperse. Special Constables European Officers and African Police acted with considerable restraint in face of open insults and provocation. On the previous day six arrests were made in Blantyre/Limbe during similar incidents.