Click to download PDF version: 3.87MB - Global Grey

34 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett
The right of usufruct is granted to the Kongo Zovo by the Prince, or to the individual by
the Kongo Zovo, on demand, and this may be for him and his descendants so long as
they exist as a family, but no use or habitation gives a man the right to ownership. This
usufruct may have been granted in the first place by right of birth, as a reward for
service rendered, or on payment by a rich man on the extinction of the family on whose
land he has been living. And just as the king of the country may depose the prince of the
province, so the prince may take away this usufruct from a rebellious Kongo Zovo. The
Kongo Zovo in his turn may revoke the usufruct of land or goods enjoyed by the
individual.
Usufruct may be established by inheritance, gift, loan, and permission, on land, water,
cloths, goods, fruit of the soil.
The Kongo Zovo has the use of the land and water for his family; in return for this (1) he
must help the prince in his wars with armed men; (2) all leopards killed on the land
must be sent to the prince; (3) the head and a leg of the antelope, the wild ox, and the
pig killed must also be sent to him; (4) the backbone of any whale washed ashore, the
heads of the sea fishes called Bafu, Ntala, Nqueci, Mbili, Mbuta, Muenji, Tobo; the water
pig Ngulu Maci, and a small basket of fish from each net, must also be sent to the prince;
(5) his women also must send him one-fifth of the palm nuts, and a basket of pea nuts
and Indian corn harvested; (6) the rich man or Esina living upon the property is
expected to give the prince a feast and presents every year.
In return for a gift of cloths or the loan of goods the recipient is expected to be at the
beck and call of the one who gives, although he has no right to claim service. The
receiver calls this man "my friend who gives me cloths to wear every day." U yukana
yami u kalila u mpuika nlele kada xilumbu.
Those who are permitted to cut down the palm nuts or reap any of the unplanted fruits
of the soil are rewarded by a certain share in the profits of their sale.
The usufruct comes to an end by the will of the prince, the Kongo Zovo, or the
individual, although it is granted generally to the recipient and his successors so long as
they exist and behave themselves.
I have explained the duty of the individual to the Kongo Zovo, and of the Kongo Zovo to
the Prince; there remains that of the Prince to the King. Maluango, as prince of the
province of Buali, enjoys the same revenue as the princes of the other provinces, but as
King he sends his messages to the princes to demand their aid in any emergency. He
demands men in case of war, goods in case of need when one of the " powers " or Bakici
baci have to be appealed to. The Prince must send him the skins of all animals killed,
three pieces of chalk, 100 longs (or 50 francs goods), three saga ngo, and three mbongo
lu tumbu or native money mats.
Roads running from the villages through the lands granted to the Kongo Zovo to the
main roads are called Nzila Zi Nyawna, and are of a private nature, that is to say a
www.globalgrey.co.uk