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NORDIC JOURNAL OF AFRICAN STUDIES Volume 5 Number 1 1996 Editorial Board Arvi Hurskainen, Editor (University of Helsinki), Rolf Theil Endresen NORDIC JOURNAL OF AFRICAN (University of Oslo), Abdulaziz Y. Lodhi, (University of Uppsala), Gisli STUDIES Palsson (University of Iceland) and M.A. Mohammed Salih (Scandinavian Institute of African Studies, Uppsala). Contents Nordic Journal of African Studies is published by the Nordic Association of African Studies (NAAS) biannually. The Editorial Board welcomes scholarly contributions concerning studies on various aspects of African language studies as well as on literary, cultural, anthropological and historical studies. 1t also ARTICLES: publishes news regarding ongoing research, workshops and conferences. Correspondence P. Kishindo Fanner Turn Over on Settlement Schemes: All correspondence concerning editorial matters as well as manuscripts for The Experience of Limphasa Irrigated Rice publication should be sent to the Editor, Department of Asian and African Scheme, Northern Malawi Studies, Box 13 (Meritullinkatu 1 B), SF-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland (fax: 358-0-19122094; e-mail: arvi.hurskainen@helsinki.fi). Please R.O. Lasisi Liquor Traffic in Africa under the League of read the instructions to authors, printed on the inside back cover. Nations 1919-1945: French Togo as an Example 11 Subscriptions in Scandinavia P. K. Agbedor The Structure and Language of Ewe Libation Prayer 25 Members of the NAAS are automatically subscribers of the periodical. The membership fee per calendar year in Scandinavia is SEK (Swedish Crowns) M. Woube Environmental Deterioration in Sub-Saharan l40:- for individuals and SEK 170:- for institutions. Fees should be paid to the Africa (SSA): The Challenge of Sustainable account of the Association: Bank Acc. No. 3867-45-084-56 (Nordbanken Development 51 Uppsala in Sweden), Postgiro Acc. No. 58 94 02-7 (in Sweden), Postgiro Acc. No. 0825 0810394 (in Norway) or Postgiro Acc. No. 800052-1097 096 (in E. Bertoncini-Ziibkova Finland). Please give your full address when submitting the payment. The A Stylistic Analysis of Mohamed Suleiman's orders of institutions and libraries should be sent to the Publications Officer Short Story: Uhuru wa Siku Moja 63 | (A.Y. Lodhi), The Nordic Association of African Studies, Box 513, S-751 40 UPPSALA, Sweden (tel. 018-18 1091). A.A. Amidu Kiswahili, a Continental Language: How Possible Is It? (Part II) continued from NJAS 4:2 s4 Subscriptions outside Scandinavia For remittance to the Bank account in Sweden (Acc. No. 3867-45-084-56, R.E.S. Tanner Some Reflections on a foreigner's use of Swahili 107 Nordbanken Uppsala), please remit the equivalence of SEK 215:- (SEK 140 + charges SEK 75) for individuals and SEK 2451- (SEK 170 + 75) for L. Njinya-Mujinya institutions. Bank Cheques/Drafts should be in the following currencies: US$, lnforrnation Banks in Rural Africa: A Missing UK£ or DMK. Please do NOT send personal cheques or cheques in Swedish Building Block 118 Crowns. K.A. Acheampong © The Nordic Association of African Studies The Democratization Process in South Africa: ISSN 1235-4481 Implications for Human Rights Promotion and Printed in Helsinki by the Helsinki University Press Protection in the Southern African Sub-Region 125 Nordic Journal ofAfrican Studies Nordic Journal 0fAfrican Studies 5(1): [-10 (1996) Editor's note FARMER TURN OVER 0N SETTLEMENT SCHEMES: Nordic Journal 0d African Studies has been appearing twice a year since 1992. THE EXPERIENCE 0F LIMPHASA IRRIGATED RICE SCHEME, Despite grave financial difficulties during the first years, it has appeared NORTHERN MALAWI regularly. The Editorial Board is grateful to the Nordic Publications Committee PAUL KISHINDO for Humanist Periodicals for its continued subsidy. Since beginning the periodical University 0fMalawi, Malawi has been published by using modern labour-saving techniques. Consequently its subscription rate has been exceptionally low. For all these years the subscription rate has been the same, while printing costs have increased considerably. Therefore, it has been necessary to rethink the subscription rates. For individual ABSTRACT subscribers the rise is very moderate, from SEK 120:- to SEK 140:- annually. So far institutions have received the periodical with the same low price. Since we Between 1968 and I979 the Malawi Government established a number of settlement have been advised by our sponsors t0 make different prices for individuals and schemes as one way of improving the socioeconomic status of the rural population. Most institutions, the subscription of institutions has been raised to SEK 170:-. This is of the settlement schemes were irrigated schemes for the production of rice. It was still a very moderate price compared with most periodicals. envisaged that as farmer incomes improved, diversification into off-farm economic Wishing all the best to the year 1996, activities would occur, and this would create employment for family and non-family members. Sufficiently high farmer incomes would also stimulate the purchase ofa wide Arvi Hurskainen range of locally available goods and services thus improving local incomes. However, the rate of farmer turnover on the schemes is very high and their impact on the local Editor community has been minimal. Using Limphasa Irrigated Rice Scheme as a case study this paper examines the factors that militate against permanent settlement in local development. INTRODUCTION Throughout history enterprising individuals, families and communities have sought new land for agricultural settlement. This population movement has been spontaneous. 1n modern times governments in developing countries sponsor settlement schemes as one of a variety of mechanisms to achieve economic, social and political goals (Scudder 1985: 122; Chambers 1969: 18). During the period between 1967 and 1979 the Malawi Government with foreign financial and technical assistance established a number of rained and irrigation settlement schemes. The rained schemes were mainly for cotton, while the irrigation This publication has received subsidy from schemes, which constitute more than 90% of settlement schemes, were for rice. the Nordic Publications Committee for Humanist Periodicals (NOP-H). The ultimate goal of the settlement scheme programme is t0 stabilize on the land a population of highly motivated, smallholder farmers, who would serve as Layout: Raija Hurskainen models of modern agricultural production and agriculture based socioeconomic advancement. However, the expected stabilization 0f settler populations on the [SSN 1235-4481 schemes has not been achieved (Kandawire 1985: 10). Using Limphasa Irrigated Helsinki 1996 Helsinki University Press Nordic Jouma/ 0fAfi'ican Studies Foam-‘r Tum Over rm Settlement Scheme-r Rice Settlement Scheme‘ in Nkhata Bay district, northern Malawi, as a case the Malawi nation where ethnic tolerance prevailed that the Malawi Congress study, this paper examines the factors that impede the process of settlement on the Party (MCP) had sought to build since independence in 1964.4 Thus while schemes. pursuing socioeconomic objectives the schemes were also expected to contribute to the achievement of political objectives. There are two types of farmers: Malawi Young Pioneer (MYP) trained and 1. IRRIGATED RICE SETTLEMENT SCHEMES non-MYP. The MYP, disbanded in December 1993, was the youth wing ofthe then ruling MCP. It provided basic training in agriculture at various training bases There are 16 irrigated rice schemes in various parts of country with a net irrigable in the country to out of school youths. At the end ofa 10 month training period area of 3200 hectares (Makato 1984: 287). Technical experts from Taiwan played they were expected to return to their villages where they were expected to serve a role in the establishment 0f most of these schemes. The establishment of the as models of good farming practices. A few of the more enterprising ones opted irrigated rice schemes had the following objectives: (a) to utilize empty or to go to settlement schemes in the hope of improving their socioeconomic status. undeveloped land; (b) to demonstrate to the local populace methods and benefits The non-MYPs are ordinary smallholders who seek an opportunity to grow a cash of intensive cash cropping; (c) to increase the volume of rice exports and hence crop. This category of farmers tends to be older than the MYPs and to have improve the socioeconomic status of rural households; (d) to form nuclei of rural longer practical experience as own-holding agricultural producers, albeit of towns; (e) to promote inter-ethnic cooperation and nationhood.2 subsistence crops. The settlement schemes were created out of customary land under the Farmers on the settlement scheme undertake to obey rules pertaining to Customary Land (Development) Act of 1967. This Act empowers the minister proper use of land, water, inputs and advice on rice production technology responsible for lands to declare a specified area a ‘development area‘. When (Makato 1984: 289). Persistent failure to observe scheme rules and technical customary land is declared a ‘development area‘ it becomes public land. The advice is punishable by eviction. The use of sanctions is perceived by agriculture authority of chiefs over such land ceases forthwith, and the responsibility for officials as an effective way of ensuring the adoption of innovations in traditional demarcation and allocation transfers to government officials. Land holders societies (c.f. Carney 1988: 63; Tiffen

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