Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores hunting in the Lower Tchiri Valley as an arena in which African and
white hunting interests as well as conservation policies precipitated insurgence and
accommodation, collaboration and conflict. Precolonial Magololo hunters, having supplanted
Mang’anja hunting as a result of the superiority of their hunting technology by 1861, found
themselves in competition with white sport hunters over game animals. Unequal power
relations between the Magololo hunters and the white hunters, who formed part of the
colonial administration in Nyasaland from the 1890s, saw the introduction of game laws that
led to wild animals and their sanctuaries becoming contested terrains. Colonial officials and
some whites enjoyed privileges in hunting game whose declining populations were blamed
on Africans in general and the Magololo in particular. Some Africans and certain whites
devised hunting strategies that brought them into conflict with the colonial state. In the
Lower Tchiri Valley, the tsetse-game controversy led to game being slaughtered on an
unprecedented scale in the Elephant Marsh region. The Game Ordinance of 1926, intended to
prevent such wanton destruction, was protested by settlers, planters, white hunters and even
missionaries who claimed to represent the interests of the “natives”. The colonial state and
the Colonial Office in London quelled the protests, proclaiming Lengwe and Tangadzi as
game reserves. As the state was consolidating the game preservation economy and
establishing the game reserves from the 1930s to 1960, opposition continued. The
implementation of international conservation trends locally, particularly after 1945, served to
entrench illicit hunting and the position among some white settlers that game should be
exterminated as it was incompatible with agricultural “progress.” The Nyasaland Game
Department increased its efforts to ensure that killing game for crop protection was confined
to Game Guards, one of whom, an African named Biton Balandow, became a local “hero”.
Despite this, by 1960 game populations in the Lower Tchiri Valley reserves were still
declining. Together with oral testimonies collected in the communities neighbouring the
reserves (or former hunting grounds), the fresh perspectives rendered in this thesis derived
from a systematic use of reports, original research papers, colonial administrative
correspondence and autobiographical works of big-game hunters-turned preservationists.
Specific material for the Lower Tchiri Valley hunting economies from these primary sources
allowed this thesis to transcend the often generalised analyses necessitated by macrooverviews
in Malawian historiography, and offer a more nuanced study of local contestations between state and subject, between competing individuals, between groups, races and
generations and, enduringly, between human and animal. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek jagaktiwiteite in die Laer Tchiri-vallei van Malawi as ‘n gebied
waar swart en wit jagtersbelange, asook bewaringsbeleid, teenstand en aanvaarding, sowel as
samewerking en konflik ontketen het. Pre-koloniale Magololo-jagters, wat Mang’anja-jagters
teen 1861 as gevolg van hulle superieure jagtegnologie verdring het, het toe met wit
sportjagters om wild begin kompeteer. Ongelyke magsverhoudinge tussen die Magololo- en
wit jagters, wat sedert die 1890’s deel uitgemaak het van die koloniale administrasie in
Nyassaland, het tot die daarstelling van wildwetgewing gelei. Op sý beurt het die
wildwetgewing en wildbewaringsgebiede betwiste terreine geword. Koloniale amptenare en
sekere blankes het jagvoorregte geniet waarvoor die daarmee gepaardgaande blaam vir
dalende wildpopulasies op swartes in die algemeen en die Magololo in die besonder geplaas
is. Sommige swartes en wittes het jagstrategieë ontwikkel wat hulle in konflik met die
koloniale staat gebring het. In die Laer Tchiri-vallei het die tseste-wild-twispunt daartoe gelei
dat wild op ‘n ongekende skaal in die Olifant-moerasgebied uitgeroei is.
Wit setlaars, boere en jagters, selfs sendelinge wat daarop aanspraak gemaak het dat hulle die
belange van die “naturelle” verteenwoordig het, het egter beswaar gemaak teen die Wild
Ordonnansie van 1926, wat veronderstel was om sulke ongebreidelde vernietiging te
voorkom. Die koloniale staat en die Colonial Office in Londen het die besware onderdruk
deur Lengwe en Tangadzi as wildreservate te proklameer. Van die 1930’s tot 1960, toe die
staat besig was om die wildbewaringsekonomie te konsolideer en wildreservate te vestig, het
teenstand daarteen voortgeduur. Die plaaslike implementering van internasionale
bewaringstendense, veral ná 1945, het egter daartoe bygedra om onwettige jagaktiwiteite te
verskans. Dit het ook die standpuntinname van sommige wit setlaars, dat wild uitgeroei moes
word omdat dit onversoenbaar met landbou “vooruitgang” was, versterk.
Die Nyassaland Departement van Fauna het pogings verskerp om te verseker dat die
doodmaak van wild, ter wille van oesbeskerming, tot wildbewaarders beperk bly. Een van
hulle, ‘n swartman genaamd Biton Bandalow, het ‘n plaaslike “held” geword. Maar ten spyte
van hierdie maatreëls was die wildpopulasies in die Laer Tchiri-vallei wildreservate teen
1960 steeds aan die afneem. Hierdie proefskrif bring nuwe insigte aangaande jagaktiwiteite
en wildbewaring in die Laer Tchiri-vallei na vore. Die bronne daarvoor is mondelinge
getuienis wat in die gemeenskappe aangrensend aan die wildreservate (of voormalige
jaggebiede) versamel is. Daarby is verslae, oorspronklike argivale dokumente, koloniale administratiewe korrespondensie en outo-biografiese werke van grootwildjagters wat
wildbewaarders geword het, ook sistematies nagevors. Deur middel van spesifieke inligting
aangaande die Laer Tchiri-vallei jagtersekonomie wat uit die primêre bronne verkry is, bring
hierdie proefskrif nuwe perspektiewe na vore wat in teenstelling staan tot die dikwels geykte
analises wat in makro-historiese oorsigte van Malawiese historiografie voorkom. Derhalwe is
die proefskrif ‘n meer genuanseerde studie oor plaaslike wedywerings tussen staat en
onderdaan, tussen wedywerende indiwidue, tussen groepe, rasse en generasies en op ‘n
blywende basis ook tussen mens en dier.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/97099 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Jawali, George Berson Diston |
| Contributors | Swart, Sandra, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of History. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 274 pages : illustrations, map |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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