African homestead in Rhodesia

ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: Zimbabwe 1894-1969: Effects of the Land Apportionment Act

  • Africans lost their land, and inheritance from their ancestors
  • It brewed hatred between Europeans and Africans which continued till the Second Chimurenga
  • It divided the country into three farming areas
  • Europeans began to occupy a large chunk of Zimbabwean land as compared to blacks yet they were fewer than blacks, e.g 50 000 whites owned 49 149 174 acres as opposed to 1 810 000 Zimbabweans who had 21 127 040 acres
  • Africans became poor because they lost productive lands and could not provide for themselves
  • The number of Africans working for European increased and wages got reduced
  • Africans were resettled in reserves which soon became overcrowded and overgrazed
  • Africans began living as squatters without water, proper sanitation and good rainfall patterns
  • The Act ended competition between European farmers and African peasants
  • The geographical location of the reserves denied Africans access to markets as they were far from roads and railway lines
  • Lack of individual title deed to land in Tribal Trust Lands led to underdevelopment of the land through soil improvement, irrigation, grading, drainage, and roads.
  • Africans were burdened with more taxes to force them to go and work on European farms
  • Abuse of all forms became more evident in the society

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