AFRICANS REVOLT AGAINST LAND RESETTLEMENT

S Africa's racialist policy of Bantustan 'homelands' is coming under attack from the stooge African 'leaders' who helped the apartheid regime set it up.

The policy, which involves segregating the black majority onto the worst land under conditions of semi-starvation, leaving the fertile areas for white farmers, is an integral part of the apartheid system.

It gives the African majority a semblance of phoney independence without a shadow power. Their 'chiefs'-appointed by Pretoria-are supposedly responsible for such matters as roads, education, health and agriculture. Hand-outs But in practice, since they have no sources of funds to do anything about these ressing problems, the homeland' administrations are completely dependent on hand-outs from the central government.

Among the governmentappointed stooges is Paramount Chief Kaiser Matanzime, chief minister of the oldest and largest Bantustan in the Transkei. He has proved himself in the past to be a willing pawn of the S African government.

Yet he has recently become critical of the government's policy recent years. He began by claiming more land for the Transkei, including those white enclaves which still exist within it, plus land taken by the British at the end of the 19th He told the annual congress of his ruling Transkei National Independence Party that political relations between the two sides had reached a 'stagnant point' because of the white government's refusal to return 'that portion of land which was taken from us without consultation'.

The S African government, he said, had been 'negative in the face of conclusive documentary evidence produced in support of our admissions'.

Just one day later, told Transkei legislative assembly that a motion would be debated on the advisability of asking Africa for full independence.

Soon afterwards the chief executive of the Ciskei legislative assembly, Chiet Justice Mabandla, announced that he also wanted independence for his homeland soon. Ciskei, also populated by Xhosa people, adjoins the Transkei. lands was said to be eventual independence. But whenever the topic has arisen in the S African parliament, evernment ministers that full independence will never materialize.

The nationalist Government currently maintains complete control over the homelands' foreign affairs, defence and communications, and has shown great reluctance to lessen its grip.

Criticism of the whole foundation of the present system has come from professor H. W. Ntsanwisi, chief councillor. of the legislative assembly for the Shangaan, whose homeland is split into four main groups in the NE part of S Africa.

Insecurity He maintains that the government's policy has resulted in insecurity, uncertainty, and rustration' among black people.

It is sad but true to say that the black man is considered a sojourner not only in urban Above line : People lI Bantu administrati apply for security areas, but in the well' he said.

"The homelands still belong to the central government. They allocate the land and people at will without ever looking at the energy and money used by people to establish themselves', he added.

'In comparison with other homelands, we took over mighty little from the previous regime. This we feel gives us the right —like [Charles] Dickens' Oliver Twist-to ask for more?

Other homeland leaders have joined in the protest, invariably linking independence with more land.

The S African government has not the slightest intention of giving independence. It values the Bantustans as sources of docile cheap labour and intends to keep them under rigid control. But its blatant land-grabbing policy now threatens to alienate even its stooges in the 'homeland' administrations. ne up at in bullding passes.

homelands as