BATTLE BY ORDER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 May 1938, Page 9

BATTLE BY ORDER

POLICE ACT AS REFEREES.

PIETERSBURG RESIDENTS ENTERTAINED.

Police looked on on a recent afternoon while several hundred Amalaitas struggled and fought with bare fists at the native sports ground at Pietersburg. Only when the sun set did the police intervene and call a halt. The warriors collected what remained of their tattered and blood-stained clothing and went their different ways, weary but well satisfied with the afternoon’s sport. Probably for the first time on record, the fight was suggested by a magistrate. When ’3O Amalaitas appeared before Mr E. D. Beale, Chief Magistrate of Pietersburg, charged with creating a disturbance on the golf course, he said to one of the ringleaders: “If you must spend your spare time in fighting, why not arrange a fight among yourselves at the sports ground, where the police can watch to see that no serious damage is done?”

The Amalaitas were delighted with the Chief Magistrate’s suggestion, and at once arranged a combat on a big scale.

No one was seriously hurt in the fighting, although a great deal of blood was lost and clothing was torn to shreds.

The rest of Pietersburg enjoyed the quietest Sunday in memory. There were no assault cases and no fighting. News of the proposed battle brought 500 natives to the sports ground yesterday afternoon. Many Europeans also turned out to watch the fun.. Sergeant Ryan, of the Pietersburg Police, called the warriors round him and warned them: “You may fight as hard and as long as you like, but you must fight only with your fists. When a man is knocked down he must be considered beaten and may not be struck or kicked again.” The natives cheered and yelled with joy. The police then searched those who intended to fight. A ring was cleared and dozens of young Amalaitas, stripped to the waist, sprang into the centre and began to roar out their challenges. Within five minutes ten fierce individual conflicts were in progress. More and more fights broke out. Still the police looked on, interested but undisturbed.

Before long half the combatants were covered with blood and in tatters. Now and then a policeman ran forward to relieve a fighter of a stone or a stick. One by one the losers dropped out while the elated victors went on to tackle new opponents who always obligingly came forward. Several of the natives battled in as many as ten individual fights during the afternoon —in addition to occasionally getting in a hearty crack at some inoffensive passer-by. Captain H. Eksteen, the District Commandant, told me afterwards that the experiment in “amalaita control” had turned out excellently.

“Young natives feel that they must work off their excess energy when they arc not working,” said Captain Eksteen. “The result is that they fight with sticks and knives and any other weapons to be had, and sometimes they get into serious trouble. The opinion of Europeans was that although the fighting was fierce and gory no more harm was done than in any boxing ring in Johannesburg.