Reform of Tribal Political Institutions in Tanganyika
| Date | 01 April 1960 |
| Author | H. Cory |
| Published date | 01 April 1960 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/j.1099-162X.1960.tb00164.x |
Reform
of
Tribal
Political
Institutions in
Tanganyika
by H.
CORY,
Government
Sociologist
Introduction
REFORM
of
indigenous tribal institutions
are
necessary to accord
with
the
needs of local
government
and
to co-ordinate economic
and
educational
development
with
the political progress
of
the
community.
Such
reforms
are
undertaken
by
the
central
government,
but
only if
the
demand
comes from
the
people, or
if
situations arise
which
leave no
doubt
that
such reforms
are
needed
to remedy dissatisfaction.
There
are
some tribes in
which
the
creation
of
local
government
systems
can-
not
be
undertaken
at
present, because
the
individuals
or
the
small
inhabited
areas
are
too widely scattered.
It
is too
much
to expect councillors to walk long dis-
tances from
remote
parishes for several hours to
meet
a few
other
men, especially
as
the
scope
of
matters for discussion will be very limited in these very sparsely
populated
areas
where
social services
must
necessarily be few.
On
the
other
hand
there
are
other
tribes in
which
well established councils of several years
standing
have
tried to
bring
about
reforms
through
committees.
These
have
made
valuable
and
practical
proposals,
but
the
guidance
of
European
officers
has still
been
necessary,
not
always because
the
proposals
made
were too radical
but
often because they were too incomplete.
It is
both
in
the
nature
of
his task
and
because of the
particularly
suspicious
nature
of
the
African
mind
at
present
with
regard
to all political issues
that
the
European
officers
must
play
the
part
of a most careful
arbitrator.
He
may
lead
the
discussion,
but
he
must
always accept
the
proposals
of
his committee once
he has succeeded in achieving acompromise
agreement
within
it.
Despite
the
fact
that
African countries in
their
quest for responsible
government
or for self-rule
have
recently
appeared
as consolidated units, a
country
like
Tanganyika
is really divided
into
a
great
number
of
tribal units
the
histories of
which
differ greatly.
Their
different
internal
political structures
include tribes
ruled
by
an
oligarchy
of
clan
elders, tribes
which
not
long
ago
had
chiefs
appointed
for
them,
and
tribes
which
have
been
ruled for
hundreds
of years by powerful
traditional
chiefs.
Though
doubtless
the
great
political ideas in
the
Africa
of
our
time
are
en-
couraged
and
emotionally understood by
the
great
majority
of
all
inhabitants,
the
system
of
local
government
has to be
adapted
to
the
various conditions
present in different tribal units.
The
satisfactory establishment of local govern-
ment
institutions depends, therefore, on a survey
of
local conditions.
The
position
of
the
African as a
member
of his family,
of
his tribe
and
of
his country, is undergoing a
rapid
change.
The
trend
of
our
time has
an
influence on his
home
which is
perhaps
more
important
than
his
awakening
to nationalism
and
Pan-African consciousness.
At
the
moment
his progress in
domestic society
and
his political progress
are
at
different stages.
The
position of
the
African as a
member
of
his society is almost always
bound
by tradition.
This
is
not
to say
that
the
elder generation dominates
public
life.
The
younger generation (excluding a few very
advanced
and
educated
men),
77
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