8 - Colonial Economic Disempowerment and the Responses of the Hlengwe Peasantry of the South East Lowveld of Zimbabwe: 1890-1965
Corresponding Author(s) : Taderera Hebert Chisi
Afrika Zamani,
No. 18-19 (2011): Afrika Zamani: An Annual Journal of African History
Abstract
Much has been written on how colonialists economically incapacitated Africans through wrestling control of the means of production from them. Some studies have also looked at how various Africans responded to the new order. In the British territory of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) the economic disempowerment of the Africans was through land alienation. However, the areas which have received much of the coverage on the subject in the country are Matabeleland and Mashonaland on the highveld. Given the economic attractiveness of these two areas to the colonialists and the resistance that the Ndebele and Shona in these areas offered, the overshadowing of peripheral areas such as the S.E. Lowveld, home to the Hlengwe is understandable. However, though the Hlengwe have attracted little more than an occasional passing reference in many studies, they were not spared from the colonial experience, especially the oppression, exploitation and economic disempowerment which other African groups experienced. Therefore, this paper is primarily concerned with filling the gap created by the seeming lack of interest in the history of the Hlengwe. Information on Hlengwe colonial history was collected and compiled through oral interviews and a thorough study of archival materials and written sources,. The paper thus establishes that the loss of land led to the loss of economic independence by the Hlengwe peasantry whose main economic activities were land-based and that this same loss resulted in the Hlengwe people responding in diverse ways to the new colonial order. It goes on to explore the dynamics and variations of the Hlengwe response to colonial rule and exploitation. Most importantly, it establishes that contrary to what the Native Commissioners said, the Hlengwe were a warlike people. The paper reveals that as they were integrated more into the orbit of colonial rule and felt its squeeze, they became more aggressive.
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- ‘Agricultural Development in Southern Rhodesia; Irrigation Scheme for Giant Citrus and Sugar Estates’, African World, March 1959, p. 21.
- Arrighi, G., 1977, The Political Economy of Rhodesia, London: Heinemann, pp. 24, 32, 38.
- Arrighi, G., 1975, ‘Labour Supplies in Historical Perspective: A Study of the Proletarianisation of the African Peasantry in Rhodesia’ Essays on the Political Economy of Africa, G. Arrighi and J.S. Saul (eds.), New York: Monthly Review Press, p. 221.
- Bannerman, J.H., 1981, ‘Hlengweni: The History of the Hlengweni of the Lower Save and Lundi Rivers, From the Late Eighteenth to the Mid-Twentieth Century’, Zimbabwean History, Vol. 12, pp. 9, 14-23, 32-33, 37.
- Bannerman, J.H., 1978, ‘Towards a History of the Hlengwe People of South Rhodesia,’ NADA, Vol. XI, No .5, pp. 42, 492.
- Bennet, L., 1969, ‘The Legacy of Tom MacDougall,’ Illustrated Life Rhodesia, Vol. 2, No. 19, 18 December, p. 31.
- Boast, J. T., 1961, ‘Sugar Growing on the Hippo-Valley Estates in Southern Rhodesia’, Salisbury: Wright Rain Ltd., p. 236.
- Chiredzi District Development Plan, 1985-1990, March 1985, p. 3.
- Cliffe, L., 1986, ‘Policy Options for Agrarian Reform in Zimbabwe: ATechnical Appraisal’, paper submitted by FAO for the Consideration of the Government of Zimbabwe, February, p. 18.
- Gann, L.H., 1981, ‘The Southern Rhodesia Land Apportionment Act 1930: An Essay in Trusteeship’, The National Archives of Rhodesia and Nyasaland Occasional Papers, No. 1, June, p. 73.
- Martin, D. and P. Johnson, 1981, The Struggle for Zimbabwe, London: Faber and Faber, p. 22.
- Mason, P., 1964, ‘Comments on the Division of Land Resources in Southern Rhodesia by W. Roder’, Annals of the Association of Geographers, Vol. 54, No. 1, March, p. 54.
- Michie, W.D. and E.D. Kadzombe, 1981, The Lands and Peoples of Central Africa, Longman, Burnt Mill, p. 90.
- Moyana, A.V., 1984, The Political Economy of Land in Zimbabwe, Mambo Press, Gweru, p. 42.
- Mtetwa, R.G.M., 1976, ‘The Political and Economic History of the Duma People of South Eastern Rhodesia from the Early Eighteenth Century to 1945,’ unpublished PhD thesis, University of Rhodesia, August, p. 263-264.
- Palmer, R., 1977, Land and Racial Domination in Rhodesia, London: Heinemann, p. 254.
- Palmer, R., 1968, Aspects of Rhodesian Land Policy, 1890-1936.
- Palmer, R., 1974, ‘Land and Racial Domination in Rhodesia, 1937-1974’, History Seminar Series, 1974-75, University of Zimbabwe, October, p. 2.
- Phimister, I., 1988, An Economic and Social History of Zimbabwe, 1890-1948: Capital Accumulation and Class Struggle, London: Longman, pp. 61, 81.
- Rodney, W., 1985, ‘The Colonial Economy’, UNESCO, General History Of Africa, Vol. VII, 1880-1935, A. Boahen (ed.), California: Heinemann, p. 332.
- Rodney, W., 1989, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, Harare: ZPH, p. 11.
- Saunders, C.S., 1989, Murray McDougall and the Story of Triangle, Bulawayo: Belmont Printers, pp. 7, 45, 66.
- Van Onselen, C., 1975, ‘Black Worker in Central African Industry; A Critical Essay on the Historiography and Sociology of Rhodesia’, Journal of Southern African Studies, Vol. 1, pp. 228-246.
- Woddis, J., 1960, Africa: The Roots of Revolt, , London: Lawrence and Wishart, p. 8.
- Wright, A., 1972, Valley of Ironwoods, Cape Town Cape and Transvaal Printers, pp. 26, 40, 47, 50, 54, 137, 143, 202, 243, 265, 300, 326, 328, 376, 378.
References
‘Agricultural Development in Southern Rhodesia; Irrigation Scheme for Giant Citrus and Sugar Estates’, African World, March 1959, p. 21.
Arrighi, G., 1977, The Political Economy of Rhodesia, London: Heinemann, pp. 24, 32, 38.
Arrighi, G., 1975, ‘Labour Supplies in Historical Perspective: A Study of the Proletarianisation of the African Peasantry in Rhodesia’ Essays on the Political Economy of Africa, G. Arrighi and J.S. Saul (eds.), New York: Monthly Review Press, p. 221.
Bannerman, J.H., 1981, ‘Hlengweni: The History of the Hlengweni of the Lower Save and Lundi Rivers, From the Late Eighteenth to the Mid-Twentieth Century’, Zimbabwean History, Vol. 12, pp. 9, 14-23, 32-33, 37.
Bannerman, J.H., 1978, ‘Towards a History of the Hlengwe People of South Rhodesia,’ NADA, Vol. XI, No .5, pp. 42, 492.
Bennet, L., 1969, ‘The Legacy of Tom MacDougall,’ Illustrated Life Rhodesia, Vol. 2, No. 19, 18 December, p. 31.
Boast, J. T., 1961, ‘Sugar Growing on the Hippo-Valley Estates in Southern Rhodesia’, Salisbury: Wright Rain Ltd., p. 236.
Chiredzi District Development Plan, 1985-1990, March 1985, p. 3.
Cliffe, L., 1986, ‘Policy Options for Agrarian Reform in Zimbabwe: ATechnical Appraisal’, paper submitted by FAO for the Consideration of the Government of Zimbabwe, February, p. 18.
Gann, L.H., 1981, ‘The Southern Rhodesia Land Apportionment Act 1930: An Essay in Trusteeship’, The National Archives of Rhodesia and Nyasaland Occasional Papers, No. 1, June, p. 73.
Martin, D. and P. Johnson, 1981, The Struggle for Zimbabwe, London: Faber and Faber, p. 22.
Mason, P., 1964, ‘Comments on the Division of Land Resources in Southern Rhodesia by W. Roder’, Annals of the Association of Geographers, Vol. 54, No. 1, March, p. 54.
Michie, W.D. and E.D. Kadzombe, 1981, The Lands and Peoples of Central Africa, Longman, Burnt Mill, p. 90.
Moyana, A.V., 1984, The Political Economy of Land in Zimbabwe, Mambo Press, Gweru, p. 42.
Mtetwa, R.G.M., 1976, ‘The Political and Economic History of the Duma People of South Eastern Rhodesia from the Early Eighteenth Century to 1945,’ unpublished PhD thesis, University of Rhodesia, August, p. 263-264.
Palmer, R., 1977, Land and Racial Domination in Rhodesia, London: Heinemann, p. 254.
Palmer, R., 1968, Aspects of Rhodesian Land Policy, 1890-1936.
Palmer, R., 1974, ‘Land and Racial Domination in Rhodesia, 1937-1974’, History Seminar Series, 1974-75, University of Zimbabwe, October, p. 2.
Phimister, I., 1988, An Economic and Social History of Zimbabwe, 1890-1948: Capital Accumulation and Class Struggle, London: Longman, pp. 61, 81.
Rodney, W., 1985, ‘The Colonial Economy’, UNESCO, General History Of Africa, Vol. VII, 1880-1935, A. Boahen (ed.), California: Heinemann, p. 332.
Rodney, W., 1989, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, Harare: ZPH, p. 11.
Saunders, C.S., 1989, Murray McDougall and the Story of Triangle, Bulawayo: Belmont Printers, pp. 7, 45, 66.
Van Onselen, C., 1975, ‘Black Worker in Central African Industry; A Critical Essay on the Historiography and Sociology of Rhodesia’, Journal of Southern African Studies, Vol. 1, pp. 228-246.
Woddis, J., 1960, Africa: The Roots of Revolt, , London: Lawrence and Wishart, p. 8.
Wright, A., 1972, Valley of Ironwoods, Cape Town Cape and Transvaal Printers, pp. 26, 40, 47, 50, 54, 137, 143, 202, 243, 265, 300, 326, 328, 376, 378.