The Cameroon Condition

Chapter Four. Where The Coastal/Graffi Divide Began

61 Chapter Four Where The Coastal/Graffi Divide Began Land Policy The land policy has been a factor that has influenced the population influx of the stranger element especially of the Grass Lander (graffi) to the coastal area. It all began with the coming of the Germans to the coast between 1884 and 1961. By 1892, the Germans had proclaimed the Bakweri country (Victoria division) a German territory. There was no treaty or agreement signed between the natives and the Germans as was the case with the Dualas who signed a treaty with the Germans in 1884. Over 250.000 acres of what was then Victoria and Kumba divisions were alienated to European individuals and companies. The Germans deprived the natives of their lands and established the plantations which later became incorporated into the Commonwealth Development Cooperation – C.D.C. After acquiring land and establishing plantations, the Germans now went in search of labour. The Bakwerians who lost nearly all of their fertile land used passive resistance to challenge the colonialists. They refused to be recruited as semi-slave labourers in the plantations. This made the Germans call them names and the most popular was “the laziest beings under the Kaiser’s rule”. In fact they rejected such acts of social injustice whereby their land was seized, and they were expected by the imperialists, to work on it as slaves or semi-slaves. They could not accept double exploitation. Not even their resistance under the 62 command of Kuva Likenye could stem the tide of injustice and human exploitation propagated by the Germans. The Imperialists therefore turned their eyes towards the Bamenda plateau where there was enormous man power and where the land was relatively less fertile. All the imperialists had to do, was, offer a bale of tobacco to the Chief and a truck load of Graffi labourers would be carted down to the coast. Each labourer was paid 47 marks upon discharge and 3 marks for subsistence. They were not allowed to take along their wives and families. In spite of the bad treatment (no palm oil or dry fish) and violation of contract (no full pay) meted out to the labourers, the people of Bamenda plateau found a haven in the fertile Coastal land. With their inherent ingenuity and industry, they worked doubly hard not only for the money but for the acquisition of land in return. They gradually sneaked in their wives from the highlands to join them in the plantations and in this way started their family expansion. When the Germans left after the First World Ward, the British imperialist expanded the plantations and introduced people from West of the Manyu River as supervisors of their massive exploitation. The British not only sold out most of the land which the already inflated Bamenda population (by 1916 about 2265 labourers were recruited in the coast) was buying; they declared some part of the Bakweri land as belonging to the crown (King of England). With the Graffi population fully present in the Coast soil, their polygamous nature bred more children and when British schools were opened exclusively for plantation families, the Graffi children naturally took the toll. The drama of the North West population influx the South West was already set. On the threshold of Independence, the colonial masters had to 63 “leave”. The baton of land ownership virtually changed from the exploitative slave-owner to the enterprising land-labourer. Even when the Bakweri inhabitants petitioned under David M. L. Endeley (Secretary to the Bakweri land committee) and later by Chief Philip Ewusi (custodian title) for the crown lands to be returned to the natives, the Government policy of laying out native land (especially land in Great Soppo) favoured the North Westerners – that explains why the Bamettas are de facto custodians of Great Soppo area. Meanwhile other strangers like the Bamilekes were attached to the Coast because of its fertility and the Maquisard crisis. Some Bassas for example resisted being used as labourers on the own land by Germans and rather fled to the Victoria regions where they are now settling as Anglo-Bassas or Anglo-Bamis. The plantation system had retarding effects on the political mind and social structure of the Bakweris in particular and the coastal in general. Having been relegated to reserves, they lost interest in life and selfrespect . Even with their education the coastal hardly climbed the rungs of administrative ladders...