Establishment of Colonial Political Structure after Ndebele-Shona Uprisings

Cecil John Rhodes

• The British government had to prevent Rhodes’ from controlling Rhodesia alone so they established a Order-in-Council
• The Rhodesian Order-in-Council was established in 1898
• The land issue was a major political concern the Council dealt with
• In 1890, the Company State was formed up to 1923 when Responsible Government was established
• The country was administered as a business and laws established favoured the whites and exploited the blacks
• The Royal Charter granted power to Rhodes, his company a and the British
• The Legislative Council was established and it had 9 members , five nominated by the BSAC and four by British settlers
• The BSAC was supposed to establish proper government structures in Zimbabwe
• Southern Rhodesia was now a protectorate
• The Order-in-Council reduced the powers of Rhodes’ company
• A Resident Commissioner was appointed who had the powers to appoint chiefs, officials and native commissioners for ministers
• Africans were however not represented in the council
• The new colonial government put in laws to ensure they force Africans to work for them such as, pass laws, forced agriculture, forced labour, taxation, creation of more reserves and confiscation of African cattle
• Africans were recruited through the Rhodesia Native Labour Bureau established in 1903(RNLB)
• The BSAC and the British settlers had equal representation in the RNLB
• By 1912 however, the settlers had more representatives that is 12 as compared to the BSAC which had 6
• In 1914 the BSAC rule was extend by 10 years
• In 1919 the Responsible Government Association was established
• In 1923 Southern Rhodesia began to govern itself and it had 30 Legislative Assembly member
• The Prime Minister was the Executive Head of the Government

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