§ 56 and 57. Sir W. Teelingasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) if Her Majesty's Government will recognise the Ngwanyama as King of the Protectorate of Swaziland;
(2) if he will grant an interview to the Swazi delegation representing the ruler, the Ngwanyama, within the next 10 days to discuss the proposed constitutional changes in Swaziland;
(3) whether he will modify the constitutional proposals for Swaziland contained in the White Paper by providing that the ultimate decision as to mineral concessions shall be with the Swazi nation;
(4) If he will modify the constitutional proposals for Swaziland contained in the White Paper by providing that the High Commissioner shall not have the power of unlimited nomination of members to the elected legislative council, but that his powers shall be restricted to the nomination of such members only if there is a breakdown in the constitution.
§ Mr. SandysThese members of the Swaziland National Council were received yesterday by my noble friend the Minister of State. He reminded them that my decisions, set out in the White Paper, had resulted from most exhaustive consultation with all shades of opinion in Swaziland over a period of three years and told them that I was not prepared to reopen negotiations on them. He undertook, however, to arrange for a statement to be made by the Resident Commissioner clarifying the circumstances in which the power of nomination to the Legislative Council might be used.
He also reminded them that the Constitution was devised as a first step forward towards self-government and urged them to do everything in their power to 47W ensure that it was applied in a manner which would serve the best interests of all the people of Swaziland.
My hon. Friend will be aware from the White Paper that special recognition will be given in the Constitution to the position of the Ngwanyama.