Annual report on Basutoland / Colonial Office.

  • Great Britain. Office of Commonwealth Relations.
Date:
[1958]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on Basutoland / Colonial Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    129/134 (page 109)
    The Executive Council will be advisory to both the High Com¬ missioner and the Paramount Chief. But the powers of the High Commissioner and of the Paramount Chief in regard to the advice of this body are to be different, the Paramount Chief’s powers being limited to those of delay and reference to the Basutoland National Council. The Franchise Both delegations at the Conference held in London during November and December to discuss the Report of the Constitutional Reform and Chieftainship Committee accepted a franchise qualification which in no way discriminated on the score of race, colour or creed. A single roll for Basuto and non-Basuto persons will be established. Qualifications for the franchise will be: (i) British subject or British protected person; (ii) the payment of tax. (The present system of direct taxation in Basutoland will be reviewed to ensure that, in future, there should be no distinction between classes of persons because of race in levying tax); (iii) the attainment of 21 years of age or over; and has lawfully maintained a home or been present in Basutoland for a con¬ tinuous period of six months before registration as a voter, absences for work or labour under a service contract or for short temporary visits elsewhere being disregarded. Local Government District Councils will be the primary organs of local government. Later it might be useful to delegate some of their functions to Councils at the ward and village level. Members of District Councils will be elected by secret ballot, each Council consisting of at least 15 elected members, and each member representing approximately 2,000 electors. All Principal and Ward Chiefs will be members ex officio. Each Council will have a titular president and a working chairman. District Councils will be responsible for many activities, among which will be the collection and imposition of local rates and taxes, public health, transport, communications, certain licences, and markets. Councils will be free to make use of the committee system. Each Council will have its own paid executive staff and treasury, the senior employees forming part of a territorial local government service with common conditions of service, and subject to transfer from one authority to another. Chieftainship Affairs A College of Chiefs will be established which will consist of all the Principal and Ward Chiefs, the Paramount Chief being the titular