ZIMBABWE, a landlocked country in central southern Africa, now officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, was formerly known as Southern Rhodesia from 1911 to 1964; Rhodesia from 1964 to 1979 and Zimbabwe-Rhodesia from 1979 to 1980.
The country is located between the Zambezi River in the north and the Limpopo River in the south, and is bounded by Zambia to the north and Mozambique to the north-east and east; to the south-west and west by Botswana, and shares a 200-km border on the south with the Republic of South Africa.
It lies almost entirely over 300 metres above sea level.
The capital, Harare, was formerly known as Salisbury named after Lord Robert Gascoyne Cecil Salisbury (1830-1903), a conservative statesman, who served three terms as prime minister (1885-1886, 1895-1902).
His greatest interest were foreign and imperial affairs, that promoted the colonial interests of Britain.
Zimbabwe’s landscape is characterised by extensive outcroppings of Precambrian rock.
The most ancient part of this rock formation, known as the Basement Complex, covers the greater part of the country.
Belts of schist in the Basement Complex contain the veins and lodes of most of the country’s gold, silver and other commercial minerals.
The constitutional history of Zimbabwe began in the 1880s, with the arrival of white colonists sent by Cecil John Rhodes to what was named Southern Rhodesia in the 1890s.
On October 30 1888, Rhodes obtained a concession with the help of Charles Rudd, his business partner in early Kimberley days and in the goldfields with Rochford Maguire, an Oxford friend, and F. R. Thompson (Matabele Thompson) as interpreter, for mining rights from King Lobengula of the Ndebele people.
The concession was witnessed by the missionary, Rev. Dr. C. D. Helm (1884-1915), who certified that he had explained it to King Lobengula and that the constitutional procedure of the Matabele nation had been followed.
In return for the concession King Lobengula obtained a payment of £100 per month, 3 000 Martini-Henri rifles and ammunition, and a gunboat on the Zambezi.
The guns were delivered and the money accepted, but the boat, which was an idea of Rhodes taken from the African Lakes Corporation’s boat on Lake Nyasa, never materialised.
In 1890, Rhodes used the Rudd Concession to justify sending a group of mercenaries (Pioneer Column), protected by well-armed British South Africa Police (BSAP), into the territory to found Fort Salisbury (now Harare), and establish Company Rule over the area.
In accordance with the terms of concessions and treaties, mass settlement was encouraged with the British maintaining control over labour as well as precious metals and other mineral resources.
Rhodes later presented the Rudd Concession to the Government of the UK to persuade them to grant a Royal Charter to the British South Africa Company (BSAC), over Matabeleland and Mashonaland.
Mashonaland was the first territory occupied by the BSAC Pioneer Column, followed by Matabeleland after it was conquered during the First Matabele War (1893-1894), but only with the help of their Maxim guns.
In April 1891, following the occupation of Mashonaland, a proclamation was issued by the High Commissioner, Sir Henry Lock, declaring the whole field of the BSAC’s, operations as a British sphere of influence in which the ‘Crown’ – i.e. British monarchy, in terms of the Foreign Jurisdiction Act, was able to legislate (pass laws), through Orders-In-Council.
The territory was run by an Administrator appointed by the BSAC, following an order issued in early May 1891, which provided that the High Commissioner acting under the instruction from Britain could make laws for the administration of justice, maintain peace and raise revenue.
Rhodes’ close associate, Leander Starr Jameson was later appointed as Chief Magistrate.
Archibald Ross Colquhoun (1848-1914), was the official Acting Resident Commissioner.
Through an Order-in-Council in 1894, approved the British Secretary of State, an Executive Council was set up, consisting an Administrator, High Court Judge (ex-officio), and three members appointed by the BSAC and approved by the Secretary of State.
In October 1923, the territory of Southern Rhodesia became a self-ruling British colony, with a Governor representing the British sovereign and with control over its internal affairs. Matters dealing with external affairs remained in the control of the British Government.
In 1928 the right to vote was restricted to British subjects until 1937, when this right was extended in to non-British subjects who had fought for Britain in times of war
The prime ministerial role was first created in 1923, with the achievement of Responsible Government with Sir Charles Coghlan (1863–1927), as its first Premier.
The post was retitled ‘Prime Minister’ in 1933.
Many small forms of resistance took place against the British settlers between 1890 and 1896.
Several chiefs, namely Makoni, Nyandoro and Budya launched numerous attacks against the settlers.
Other communities endured through passive resistance; by hiding their cattle from tax collectors and moving to neighbouring villages during tax collection periods.
Southern Rhodesians of all races fought for Britain in the First World War (1912-1916), during which time the Responsible Government Association (RGA), was formed in 1917.
By 1919, Sir Coghlan, a South African-born Bulawayo lawyer, became the RGA’s leader.
The Association opposed Southern Rhodesia’s proposed integration into the recently formed Union of South Africa, and instead, sought self-government for Southern Rhodesia within the British Empire; the same ‘responsible government’ previously granted to Britain’s colonies in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa as a precursor to full dominion status.
Dr Michelina Andreucci is a Zimbabwean-Italian researcher, industrial design consultant, lecturer and specialist hospitality interior decorator. She is a published author in her field.
For views and comments, email: linamanucci@gmail.com