A settler society, as we find it in Southern Rhodesia, is characterized as a country partly settled by European landowner-producers who have a share in the government but remain a minority of the population and remain dependent, at least for labor, on the indigenous population.1 Reorganising land ownership as a basic element in the implementation of state policy, over a period of several decades land was alienated in Southern Rhodesia for the use of white European settlers who then established a dual economy and a so called two pyramid system of society. According to Mosley, the decision to settle a white agricultural population on the land of Southern Rhodesia had set up three separate conflicts concerning how the land market should be managed: 1) between African and European producers over the ultimate ownership of the land, 2) between government seller and incoming buyer over the price of land and 3) between one type of European producer and another over the use of land.2
In this essay, I will have a look at the development of Southern Rhodesia that led to the installation of a settler economy and the different factors that played a role in it, always with special reference to the land rights.
Table of Contents
I Introduction:
II Economic and social background:
III Charter Rule 1890-1923:
1) Cecil Rhodes and the British South African Company:
2) Social and political development:
IV Self- Responsible Government: 1923-1930
1) Political system and legislation:
2) Land Apportionment Act (LAA):
3) The Great Depression:
4) Effect on the country’s economy:
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This essay explores the historical development of Southern Rhodesia, focusing on how land apportionment served as a fundamental mechanism for establishing a settler-dominated economy and managing the resulting socioeconomic structures.
- The role of the British South African Company in land alienation.
- Development of a dual economy and a "two-pyramid" society.
- Legislative strategies for ensuring white economic and political supremacy.
- Impact of the Land Apportionment Act on indigenous African land rights.
- Long-term economic consequences of racialized land and property laws.
Excerpt from the Book
1) Cecil Rhodes and the British South African Company:
As Southern Rhodesia was thought to be rich of gold, prospectors entered Matabeleland at the end of the 19th century to search the land for minerals and were followed by the settlers. King Lobengula of Matabeleland gave several concessions to the European fortune seekers. The most important concession was given to Cecil Rhodes, a Cape Colony politician and mining magnate, and his British South African Company (BSAC). Primarily giving mineral rights, the concessions also opened the way for European conquest and settlement. Rhodes then used the concession to obtain a royal charter from the British government authorizing his company to exploit the mineral wealth of Southern Rhodesia. The Charter was gazelled in 1889. The BSAC was given the right to settle and administer an unspecified area. It was granted wide powers relating to government and commerce such as the authority to preserve law and order, to make ordinances, subject to the approval of a secretary of state for the colonies , and to establish and maintain a police force.
Summary of Chapters
I Introduction: This chapter defines the concept of a settler society and introduces the core conflicts regarding land management and market control in Southern Rhodesia.
II Economic and social background: This section details the geographical and climatic conditions of the country, noting that only a small portion of the land was suitable for intensive cultivation.
III Charter Rule 1890-1923: This chapter covers the early colonization period under the BSAC, detailing the shift from mining interests to the exploitation of land as the primary economic asset.
IV Self- Responsible Government: 1923-1930: This chapter analyzes the transition to colonial self-government and the implementation of the Land Apportionment Act as a means of enforcing institutionalized segregation.
Keywords
Southern Rhodesia, Settler Economy, Land Apportionment, British South African Company, Colonialism, White Supremacy, African Reserves, Two-Pyramid Policy, Economic History, Land Tenure, Indigenous Population, Segregation, Agriculture, Great Depression.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this publication?
The work examines the political economy of Southern Rhodesia, specifically investigating how land apportionment was utilized as a strategic tool to establish and maintain a white settler-led economy.
What are the central thematic fields explored in the text?
The text focuses on colonial governance, the evolution of land rights, racialized economic policies, and the social stratification between European settlers and the indigenous population.
What is the central research question?
The essay explores the factors and historical developments that led to the installation of a settler economy in Southern Rhodesia, with a focus on the role of land rights in this process.
Which methodology is applied in this research?
The author employs a historical-analytical approach, drawing upon economic and historical studies to examine legislative acts, administrative developments, and their socioeconomic impacts.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the era of Charter Rule under the BSAC, the transition to self-responsible government, the impact of the Land Apportionment Act of 1930, and the economic effects of the Great Depression on the colony.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
The core keywords include Southern Rhodesia, Land Apportionment, Settler Economy, Colonialism, and Segregation.
How did the British South African Company justify the removal of Africans from fertile land?
The company established reserves on a tribal basis, which provided a political and administrative legitimation for displacing Africans from fertile regions to remote areas to facilitate European expansion.
What was the significance of the "two-pyramid policy" in Southern Rhodesia?
This policy represented the foundation of the state's segregationist framework, aiming for the separate development of races to protect European economic interests at the expense of African agricultural and economic growth.
- Quote paper
- Christina Schmalz (Author), 2004, Political Economy in Southern Rhodesia: Land apportionment as a method for establishing a settlers’ economy, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/73203
