Route to independence

Rhodesia: Zambia and Zimbabwe

 

While both countries were colonized by the British beginning in the late 1800s with Cecil Rhodes of the British South Africa Company, both Zambia and Zimbabwe experienced vastly different routes to independence and freedom from colonial rule. Zambia, as a country with vast resources and mines, struggled with economic barriers to independence. Zimbabwe had a separate class of white settlers from Cecil Rhodes' "Pioneer Column" in 1890, which sent hundreds of white soldiers, doctors, farmers, artisans, and miners into Zimbabwe to establish a smaller colony as a Southern African offshoot. As a result, Zimbabwe's path to independence was marked by political discourse between the British colonial powers, the white settler class, and the African people. 

 

Zambia acheived independence in the 1964 elections, which decided that the United National Independence Party (UNIP) would be the legislative majority. UNIP was led by Kenneth Kaunda, who led civil disobedience and government sabotage movements to gain independence, and eventually won Zambia's first presidential office. 

 

Zimbabwe became independent on April 18th, 1980 after the Rhodesian government agreed to negotiate with the rebel Patriotic Front through British interference and control. Robert Mugabe, leader of the Patriotic Front, became the first prime minister, breaking the wall of an all-white settler government that had previously barred any African involvement in Parliament. 

 

Main Theme - British Economic Dominance

 

 

One of the most recurrent themes of colonialism was the complete economic domination that lasted throughout the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial perod, As the slow descent into colonialism began, the European influences encroached further and further upon the rights and autonony of the African poeple, eventually taking total control over the land, resources, and welath of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The exploitation of African resources was a main reason for Europe's "Scramble for Africa," as each country wanted to propel its international standing in wealth and industry. 

 

• Major economic influence - corporations and big business

  • After World War II, the Anglo-American Corporation formed a cartel controllng their mining interests, which included implementing trade regulations and restrictions that only helped larged corporations. In limiting the actions and opportunities of local entrepreneurs, African middle-men, small companies, and especially the workers and laboreres of the mines, the Anglo-American Corporation solidified the total economic domination of Zambia and Zimbabwe. 
     

• Urbanization - the Hut Tax

  • ​In the 1900s, the British imposed a "hut tax," which was similar to an income tax in that the Zambian and Zimbabwean people ahd to pay money to the British government to live in their homes in their villages. As a consequence, tens of thousands of men left their villages to work in the mines, as they now needed a source of income beside their methods of living off of subsistence farming and trade. Leaving behind a huge deficit of adult men in large swaths of the countryside, these villagers flocked to the mines of Zimbabwe and Zambia.  
     

  • The hut tax and resulting flight to the mines represents the all-encompassing grasp of economic dominance. African men flocked to the mines to be able to gain a source of income for their families to pay the hut tax, which wen to the British government.  The mines, in turn, were owned by the British government and corporations, which would extract the raw material on the back of African laborers, refine and process them in their own factories, and sell the far more valuable finished product on the international market. These African men were paid very little in wages, which would flow directly back into British pockets through the hut tax and other internationally-controlled markets.
     

• Mineral Rights - How can you steal the economic rights of another country? 

  • In 1889, Cecil Rhodes manipulated agreements with chiefs and leaders of various ethnic groups living on land rich with natrual resources to surrender their claim to the mineral rights in exchange for arms. He also received the british South Africa Compancy (BSAC) mandate, which gave him permission to take possession of the region, exploit it economically, and expand British influence. 

    • Questions to consider: From whom did Rhodes gain thsi permission? On what authority did Britain grant this mandate? 
       

  • There are serious ethical implications to such an action that robs an entire group of people of any claim to their homeland. The land - and the minerals and riches that come with it - no longer belong to the people who live there, and instead a foreign entity that can now control the resources of the people who live on and work that very land. 

 

• Post-Independence - Problems to Today

  • ​African countries are overwhlemed with oppressive models of development led by international organizations like the World Bank and the plethora of non-governmental organizations, all aimed towards increasing the national GDP and industry of these countries. Frequently referred to as the "Third World," the lack of insfrastructure and economic industry is seen as the fault of the current governments, instead of as a result of the legacy of corruption and colonialism. Zambia's current economic state is one of disrepair, bankrupcy, and austerity measures due to its poor soil and agriculture crash. The budding economy in Zimbabwe is not as efficient as its resources allow for, but the political turmoil of the past has led to redundant policies and restrictions that limit its growth. 

 

Supplementary Theme

 

Armed Resistance: A theme in the struggle for independence across both Zambia and Zimbabwe is the occurence of armed resistance and outright rebellion. Although the colonial period is often associated with legal control and economic domination, its times of resistance tell just as much of a story. 

• Zambia:

  • ​In 1989, the Ngoni ethnic group led one of the first resistence movements against British rule in the Rhodesian area. Although the rebellion was not successful, it posed a significant barrier to a seemingly easy conquest. 

  • The United National Independence Party in the 1960s posed a serious issue to the colonial government, due to its civil disobedience movements and small acts of violence to disrupt government communication and economic effotrts. Led by Kenneth Kaunda, UNIP was a major factor in achieving Zambian independence. 

• Zimbabwe:

  • ​In the initial colonial conquest, King Lobengula of Matabeleland led one of the largest armed rebellions that Britain had seen at the outset of its colonial conquest. It set the tone for the civil war that wouldn't come until 70 years later.

  • The Chimurenga Civil war of the 1960s and 70s was the driving force of Zimbabwe's independence. The Zimbabwe African People's Union led by Joshua Nkomo and the Zimbabwe African National Union led by Ndabaningi Sithole led two different armed rebellions with various tactics and approaches, both targeting white settlers and colonial rule. They joined together in the middle of the war to form the Patriotic Front led by Robert Mugabe, which eventually won negotiations with the British and Rhodesian government, leading to independence.  

 

Sources:

 

Appiah, Kwame Anthony, and Henry Louis Gates. "Zambezi River." Encyclopedia of Africa. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. N. pag. Print.

 

Appiah, Kwame Anthony, and Henry Louis Gates. "Zambia." Encyclopedia of Africa. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. N. pag. Print.

 

Appiah, Kwame Anthony, and Henry Louis Gates. "Zimbabwe." Encyclopedia of Africa. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. N. pag. Print.

 

South African History Online, ‘Kenneth Kaunda becomes the Prime Minister of Northern Rhodesia (Zambia)’, [online], available at www.sahistory.org.za

 

“Zambia Gains Independence.” The Encyclopedia Britannica, Fifteenth Edition. Copyright 1996 Encyclopedia Britannica Inc.ISBN 0-85229-633-0