2i6 AFRICAN POLITICAL SYSTEMS
which needs to be undone. The fact that a claim has becor overdue does not involve the notion that the creditor is entitl to compensation for the delay suffered in materializing his claii The dispute merely has to be decided in favour of one of t disputing parties. When amagoso or amatava have been cor mitted, the offence has to be undone by inducing or forcing t accused person to compensate the damage he has caused to tl accuser. If the offence was unintentional (elitava), he merely h to restore the damage or pay cattle equivalent in value, while the case of an intentional offence (eJigoso) the double amount h to be replaced or a fine in cattle is levied that is considered amp compensation. This double compensation was interpreted by n informants as aiming to restore the goodwill of the wronged perse towards the offender and not as a fine in the sense of a pen sanction. This interpretation is corroborated by the fact that aft the settlement of an eligoso or eJitava the plaintiff, if he has we the case, is expected to make a counter-payment, or rather gii to the defendant as a sign of his satisfaction and reconciliatic with him. Breaches of taboo (emigilu), finally, are restored I performing the appropriate sacrifice or purification ceremon; after which social relations are resumed with the offender by h fellow beings, who have avoided him in the meantime. If tl broken taboo involves another person—as in the case of a violatic of the mother-in-law taboo—the purification rite is usual! followed by the participation of both persons in a common mea It appears from this brief survey of the types of breacht recognized and the methods employed in dealing with therti thj the restoration of law and order aims at the settlement of claiir and the reparation of damages rather than at the punishment c the offender. This fact has two important consequences. Th one is that jurisdiction takes place only when solicited by th victim or victims of the offence, as all offences are conceived $ being injurious to the interests of a particular person or group c persons, but not to the tribal society as a whole. It is a logic* implication of this conception that, not only every material objeci but also every human being has its 'owner' or 'owners'.1 Atypics
lrThe Logoli term avwene refers both to 'ownership' of objects and < persons. It differs, of course, from our concept of ownership in several respect Thus the ormoene (owner) of a person is the one who has not only the foremot rights over him but also the foremost obligations towards him.