Local Government Reorganization in the Isoka District, Zambia
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/j.1099-162X.1965.tb00645.x |
| Date | 01 January 1965 |
| Author | W. J. S. Hudson |
| Published date | 01 January 1965 |
Local
Government
Reorganization
in
the
Isoka
District,
Zambia
by W. J. S.
HUDSON
Mr. Hudson is an Administrative Officer in Zambia.
Introduction
Isoka district is situated in
the
north-east corner of
Zambia's
Northern
Province.
It
borders on
Tanganyika
to
the
north,
and
on
Malawi
to
the
east.
The
district's
area
is 5,800 square miles
and
its population is approximately
80,000.
This
paper
describes how unity in a district local authority eventually
emerged
out
of serious disunity caused by tribal
and
political antagonisms.
In
almost all
parts
of Zambia, administrative district boundaries were fixed
in the early years of this century so as to follow tribal boundaries,
and
wherever
Possible, to include
not
more
than
two or three tribal groups at the most in
each district. This was quite impossible in
the
case
of
Isoka district.
In
the
19thcentury this mountainous watershed
area
had
been to a
great
extent aplace
of refuge for
many
small tribes driven there by stronger neighbours,
and
acomplex situation was further complicated by the fact
that
the Malawi
and
Tanganyika boundaries followed watersheds, taking no account of tribal
distribution. Several
of
the Isoka tribes therefore found themselves divided
between different territories.
The
early administrators were thus confronted with abewildering variety
of no fewer
than
eight distinct tribes, some incomplete, within acomparatively
Stnall district. Several of these tribes
numbered
only a few
hundred
people,
but
although there has always been
much
inter-tribal marriage, they retained
atouchy tribal consciousness which still exists
beneath
the surface even today.
The
Native
Authority
system
in
Isoka
Nowadays tribalism is rightly considered to be a disruptive
and
reactionary
force,
but
in the
1920'S
districts were still regarded by
the
mass of
the
people
as artificial units imposed by
their
European rulers.
The
only group loyalties
Were
to chiefs
and
tribes,
and
these were
at
that
time the only possible basis for
ｾｨ･
beginnings of local government in the form
of
the native authorities set
up
In 1929. But the complex of different tribes in Isoka would
not
fit neatly into
ｾｨ･
general
pattern
of one or two, or at the most three tribal native authorities
In each district.
The
history of native authorities in Isoka is largely astory of
fruitless attempts to make the exception fit the rule by placing the smaller tribes
Under the political control of larger ones to which they owed no traditional
allegiance whatsoever
and
with which they
had
nothing in common,
until
in
the
end
unity
under
one native authority was seen to be the only possible
solution. Finally, therefore, the very disunity of
the
people of Isoka led to
abroader district
unity
before this was achieved in most other districts
of
the
territory.
At first two superior native authorities
and
two treasuries were
created-
Chief Kafwimbi
and
Council for the Wiwa area,
and
Chieftainess Wayitwika
and
Council for the Winamwanga area. These two tribes were admittedly the
largest in
the
district,
but
their own areas covered only
the
western
plateau
and
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47
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