5 - The Business of Government

Summary

In the last chapter an account was given of the different offices and their incumbents in a chiefdom. These offices may be considered as a framework through the medium of which various functions are performed. These functions, which are the subject of the present chapter, may be classified under the following headings:

1. (i) Collection of revenue.

2. (ii) The maintenance of law and order.

3. (iii) Regulative functions.

4. (iv) Co-ordinative functions.

5. (v) Distributive functions.

6. (vi) Ritual functions.

I shall consider each of these in turn.

COLLECTION OF REVENUE

It has always been a part of the chiefdom system in Unyamwezi for the chief and his headmen to collect revenue from their subjects. Traditionally this was in the form of tribute which was paid in kind, but in modern times it takes the form of various monetary taxes. In the past payment was made directly to the rulers but today the taxes are organized on the District and national level although they are still collected by the chief and headmen and are partly redistributed to them in the form of salaries and other grants. Various sorts of taxes are paid. First, there are taxes which are paid annually. The most general of these are the Personal Tax which goes to Central Government and the Native Authority Tax which goes to the District Treasury. These are taxes upon individuals based upon their national and chiefdom citizenship.