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Cattle: A custodial heritage of Zimbabwe – Part Five …colonisation and the politics of cattle

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AS a boy, I recall my great-grandfather Chikambi-Zvimba, recounting how he had managed to save his cattle from the ravages of imported colonial diseases through his knowledge and application of traditional methods and deliberate quarantine of suspected infected livestock.
Some of his vast herd of cattle in the Darwendale area were later impounded by the colonial settlers.
One of the diseases he managed to contain were cattle tick diseases.
Ticks are efficient vectors of diseases.
Virulent tick-borne diseases continue to be a major constraint to livestock and livestock production in many parts of the developing countries of eastern, central and southern Africa where the current control methods are proving inadequate.
These ecto-parasites are responsible for transmitting diseases that cause the highest cattle mortalities compared to other diseases.
Carried by rhipicephalus appendiculatus (brown tick), and rhipicephalus sinus (black pitted tick), cattle tick infections also wreaked havoc on the settlers’ newly imported ‘exotic’ cattle breeds.
Tick infestations cause irritation and inflict severe bite wounds on animals, giving rise to myiasis (screw worm) attack in the wounds left by tick bites; ticks cause damage to hides and predispose animals to a number of other bacterial and fungal infections, as well as screw-worm.
Tests show an estimated loss of 1-3 ml of blood through ticks feeding on an animal during its life cycle that result in severe economic damage in affected areas.
Currently in southern Africa, intensive research is underway into tick and tick-borne diseases, their history, current standing and approach regarding the control of these diseases on cattle.
Studies which take into account their complexity are being conducted by Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA)-sponsored veterinary school in Zambia and are currently assisting in research on parasites and vector recombinant vaccines that proffer hope for the future of animal husbandry in southern Africa.
In colonial Zimbabwe, the rapid spread of East Coast Fever in the country caused consternation among white farmers in the colonial era.
By January 1902, the disease had spread from Umtali (Mutare), to all the major districts, namely Salisbury (Harare), Gwelo (Gweru), and Bulawayo.
As an estimate, over 19 000 herd of cattle died following its outbreak. Its eradication in southern Africa took almost half a century.
Interestingly, during this period, the disease was confined almost entirely to cattle owned by the white colonial settlers.
Several accounts confirmed the effectiveness of traditional curative methods.
During the 1893 First Ndebele Uprising/Umvukela, any colonial settlers and members of the Pioneer Column willing to take up arms in ‘defence of the colony’ against the uprising, were promised 3 150 acres of land each by the British South Africa Company (BSAC), with an option to purchase more land at very low prices; including unlawfully acquired cattle from indigenous people as ‘spoils of war’ after the defeat of King Lobengula.
Over half the cattle succumbed to the disease.
Appropriated African cattle from the skirmishes were thus claimed, registered and branded by the BSAC.
Half the loot – the captured cattle, were rewarded to those settlers who took part in the uprising against the Ndebele, that amounted to over 30 000 head of cattle.
On the recommendations of the Land Commission set up by the Matabeleland Order in Council, in 1894: “The ownership of all cattle in the possession of natives in Matabeleland on or before December 31 1893, as well as its offspring, was vested in the Company.”
Additionally, the BSAC in accordance to Government Notice No. 104 of December 10 1895, disposed of cattle to ‘bonafide’ settlers on condition that: “The purchase price fixed at 50/- (50 shillings), per head, irrespective of class, payable in instalments.
The first instalment payable at the time of sale; thereafter three instalments at intervals of six, 12 and 18 months from the date of sale.”
History repeated itself during the Second Uprisings in 1895-96, with further mass-confiscations of indigenous cattle.
In one incident, during a five-month campaign waged against Chief Makoni and his people by the imperial troops in Mashonaland — a force led by Captain A. Tulloch and 37 volunteers, well-armed with rifles and a 7-pounder machine gun — attacked and bombarded ‘Gwindingwi’ Chief Makoni’s dunhu, at 2am on August 3 1896 and captured one of his sons, together with 70 women, 11 men and one of his advisors.
“500 cattle, countless sheep and goats were rounded up and driven away, together with the captors.”
Paramount Chief Makoni was considered a military threat to the settlers.
He escaped, but was captured when his stronghold was dynamited during a second attack at 1:30 am on August 30 1896.
Chief Makoni was subsequently captured, court marshalled (on the words of a brigand) and sentenced to death.
Indigenous African cattle, that again included those of my predecessors in Zvimba and Chinhoyi environs, this time amounting to 6 000 herd of cattle, excluding horses, sheep, goats, wild and domestic fowls, were conceded into the hands of the settlers; the looted cattle provided the foundation for the colonial cattle industry.
Despite their cattle looting of our best herds, the settlers publicly exhibited a dislike of indigenous cattle.
They believed that: “Only rigid enclosures would stop the vacuous and idle poor from allowing their inferior stock to mingle and mate with the white gentleman’s pedigreed animals.”
As a result, land appropriation was further intensified as the white-settler community tried to isolate their exotic imported cattle from what they perceived to be inferior ‘native scrub stock’ – the maligned indigenous cattle.
By April 1904, the total number of white-owned cattle stood at 30 369 head, the vast number of which had nonetheless, been looted from the people.
As a result of the various imported cattle diseases, the Animal Diseases Consolidation Ordinance was promulgated.
By which time, as a result of colonisation, 13 different livestock diseases had been imported by colonial settlers and contracted by our indigenous breeds.
The unregulated movement of beasts and wars thus escalated the death rate among both man and beasts.
Dr Tony Monda holds a PhD in Art Theory and Philosophy and a DBA (Doctorate in Business Administration) and Post-Colonial Heritage Studies. He is a writer, lecturer, musician, art critic, practising artist and corporate image consultant. He is also a specialist art consultant, post-colonial scholar, Zimbabwean socio-economic analyst and researcher.
For views and comments, email: tonym.MONDA@gmail.com

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