§ 75. Mr. Brockwayasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, what action is being taken to provide employment in 41W the High Commission Territories, particularly Basutoland, in view of the acceptance of the recommendation of the Froneman Commission that all foreign labourers, except those supplied by Mozambique, should be expelled from the Republic of South Africa during the next five years.
§ Mr. FisherIn recommending the replacement of foreign Bantu, the Froneman Committee proposed that labour from the High Commission Territories should be accorded preferential treatment over labour from other territories. The South African Government is still studying the recommendations and on 29th April the Minister of Foreign Affairs said in the Assembly "it was the South African Government's desire to disturb the existing friendly and mutually beneficial relationships as little as possible".
The aim of successive development plans supported by Colonial Development and Welfare Funds has been to improve employment within the territories by the better utilisation of natural resources and the creation of new industry. This policy has achieved considerable success in Swaziland, which would not be seriously affected by a shrinkage in employment opportunities in the Republic. The outlook for Basutoland and Bechuanaland Protectorate would be less promising. In Basutoland efforts are being made to attract industry by means of a factory estate at Maseru which is being set up with the aid of Colonial Development and Welfare funds, and investigations are being made into the mineral and irrigation possibilities.