The Portuguese Colonial Structure

Question 1

Describe the Portuguese structure of Adminstration.

Answer 1

• Council of Ministers in Lisbon; it legislated by decree, approved all concessions in the colonies, and appointed all colonial governors
• Overseas MInister who executed all colonial policy and was assisted by a consultative council
• Governor- General: Header the colony and was the principal authority in each colony;
• Area Administrator; answerable to the Governor-General.
• District Commissioner (Chef de Posto); administered a posto (post)
• Regedor; Administered a sub-posto; He was to act as arbitrator, maintain public order and see that Africans worked either in their own land or accepted labor contracts
• Village Head; subordinate to the regula; received gratuity at the end of the year based on the collection of taxes

Question 2

What administration policy was used in the Portuguese colonies?

Answer 2

• Assimilation

Question 3

What were the general conditions for assimilation?

Answer 3

• Be over eighteen years of age
• Speak the Portuguese language correctly
• Exercise a profession, art or skill form which he can derive sufficient income for his subsistence and that of persons of his family or persons dependent upon him

Question 4

Provide reasons why it was difficult for the natives to achieve full status of the assimilado.

Answer 4

• The Portuguese initiated regulations that could deter many natives from assimilation.
• For instance the Colonial Statue of 1954

Question 5

What were the terms of the 1954 Colonial Statute?

Answer 5

• In order to be considered for assimilado status;
• One needed to have a Catholic baptismal Certificate
• Obtain a civil marriage license
• Secure a Portuguese sponsor
• Be employed in a “civilized” job and live like a Portuguese
• Assimilados also had to carry an identity card proving his citizenship and must endure lower pay for the same work done by a white person.

Question 6

What was the impact of controlled assimilation?

Answer 6

• In 1950, of an estimated African populatio of 4 million in Angola there were fewer than 31, 000 assimilados
• Instead of elevating the status of the Natives, the policy of assimilation maintained them in a degraded status
• the colonial administration required indigenas to carry identification cards, of major importance psychologically to the Africans and politically to the Portuguese, who were thus more easily able to control the African population.