THE RISING IN NATAL

Otago Witness, Issue 2813, 12 February 1908, Page 27

THE RISING IN NATAL

ZULU REBELS PARDONED TRIAL OF DINIZULU. RETIREMENT OF MR JELLICOE. DURBAN, February 5. Sir Matthew Nathan (Governor of Natal) announced at an indaba of from 200 to 250 chiefs at Ngutu that the Government intended to pursue a policy of " Forgive and forget," and therefore pardoned all the rank and file concerned in the rebellion of 1906. The natives were impressed and Jehghted with the leniency shown them. l February 8. Mr E. G. Jellicoe is relinquishing his brief for Dinizulu, and is returning to England. He complains of the dilatori- , ness of legal procedure, and accuses the Ministry of interfering with justice. | He declares that he intends to do his utmost to persuade Lord Elgin to disallow the Indemnity Act sanctioning martial law proceedings. February 10. Mt Winston Churchill, in replying to , Sir Henry Cotton in the House of Com- , mons, quoted Sir Matthew Nathan's dei spatch. Colonel M'Kenzie reports that during the recent military operations in Zululand five natives weie tried and sentenced to be flogged. In the course of an interview at Johannesburg, Mr E. G. Jellicoe stated that Dinizulu's trial would be delayed for some months. Martial law in Zululand was not likely to be withdrawn until the royal assent to the Indemnity Act had I been secured ; otherwise the Government must fear piosecutions for killing and flogging natives. Mr Jellicoe added that Natal had broken faith with the Imperial Government. Mr Jellicoe, in a letter to Sir Matthew Nathan, charges the prose1 cution with persistently preventing Dini- , zulu fiom obtaining evidence for the ' defence. He describes the proceedings as a judicial outrage, and says that Dinizulu's tribe is a patriotic one. " Are you aware," asks Mr Jellicoe, " that with I j...ord Elgin's concurrence I came to defend Dinizulu ! Owing to the mendacity of the local press, engendered by the influence of political and other adventurers who are seeking to exploit 4.000,000 acres of land reserved to the natives, and who find Dinizulu an obstacle to their schemes, a strong opinion is growing in Natal that Dinizulu is disloyal." The letter proceeds to allege that witnesses were forced under martial law to incriminate Dinizulu and were not allowed an opportunity to I withdraw their statements. I Mr Jellicoe claims to possess evidence ! that unresisting natives were shot under ' maitial law. The Daily Telegraph's Maritzburg correspondent states that the Minister of Defence declares that the statement that gj*tiiyt£ werf flogged in order to obtain

evidence is ridiculous. He says that they were flogged for insolence, and that the punishment was mild. The correspondent adds that great indignation is expressed at Mr Jellicoe's not remaining to substantiate his accusation, also that he quarrelled with all the law officers In Maritzburg. Hundreds of Dinizulu's witnesses have arrived, but they have hidden.