Reports
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/j.1099-162X.1960.tb00184.x |
| Published date | 01 July 1960 |
| Date | 01 July 1960 |
Reports
NYASALAND:
Report
on
the
Economic
Survey
of
Nyasaland,
1958-1959. Published
by
authority
of
the
Federal
and
Nyasaland Governments;
Government
Printer, Salisbury;
pp.
300
and
7
maps;
30S.
THE survey team,
under
the
chairmanship
of
Professor D. T.
Jack,
were
required
to
undertake
an
economic survey
of
Nyasaland
and
to consider
measures which
might
be taken to
promote
the
economic development of the
country.
They
were also required to have
particular
regard
to
the
possibilities
of
industrial development
and
to
the
use which
might
be
made
of the' relatively
unoccupied areas of
the
Lower Shire.
Of
rural
land,
the
team
has remarked as follows:
"We
have
been
informed
that
any
attempt
to associate
land
tenure reform
with
land
reorganization schemes
might
prejudice
the
future of these schemes,
but
we believe
that
the
reorganization of African agriculture
cannot
be
more
than
partially
successful as long as
the
present
tribal
system of
land
tenure
remains in existence. We
think
that
land
reorganization schemes offer the best
opportunity
for
gradual
revision of
the
existing
pattern
of tenure.
If
progress is to be
made
in agriculture, it is desirable to confer individual
land
rights,
and
to
make
it possible for these rights to be passed on according
to
the
'owner's'
wishes.
This
would
mean
a
break
with
the customary system,
and
the
Wills
Ordinance,
now being
prepared,
will
have
the
effect
of
enabling
Africans to
contract
out
of
the
customary
administration
of deceased estates.
From
experience in
other
parts
of Africa it seems essential
that
some aggre-
gation
of holdings should take place before
grant
of individual title, since
consolidation is difficult
and
sometimes impossible, in practice, once title has
been
given in respect of fragmented holdings. We
are
informed
that
the frag-
mentation
of African
agricultural
land
holdings, in
the
sense
that
holdings
are
scattered, is
not
aserious
problem
yet, as it is in
parts
of
East
Africa, the
problem
being mainly one
of
sub-division. Africans frequently have several small parcels
of
land,
but
these
are
often contiguous.
The
consolidation
of
land
should there-
fore be relatively easier
than
in
East
Africa, for instance,
and
there
may
well be
considerable scope for
granting
individual title in
many
cases
if
the
co-operation
of
the
occupiers
can
be obtained.
The
master
farmers, who
have
consolidated
their
holdings
and
have agreed
to
attempt
to practise enlightened
husbandry,
are
looked
upon
with envy by
others
and
tend
to be ostracized within
the
community.
This
gives rise to fears
about
the
future
of
their
holdings,
and
it is possible in time
that
the
desire for
individual title will be expressed by these people
who
are
rapidly
learning
the
benefits of good farming
and
gaining an
appreciation
of
the
exchange value
of
land.
To
give
permanency
to these farmers,
and
to others
who
might
seek it,
some form of individual title becomes necessary.
At
present, very few Africans
hold
land
on lease or in freehold even in
the
urban
areas.
Unfortunately
the
Africans' objection to individual title,
whether
leasehold or freehold,
appears
to be mainly on political grounds.
The
nationalist African politician does
not
like to recognize
that
land
title is available to anyone,
and
although
we do
not
believe
that
this
attitude
is widespread amongst Africans, it
may
quite
possibly
185
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