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The state, farmers and dairy farming in colonial Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia), c.1890-1951

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis uses dairy farming in colonial Zimbabwe/Southern Rhodesia as a lens to explore the
intersection of economic, social and environmental factors in colonial agriculture from the 1890s
until 1951, when a new regulatory framework was introduced for the industry. It examines the
complex and fluid interactions between the colonial state and farmers (both white and black),
and the manner in which these interactions shaped and reshaped policy within the context of the
local political economy and the changing global economic conditions. It examines the competing
interests of the colonial state and farmers, and how these tensions played out in the formulation
and implementation of dairy development policy over time. This thesis demonstrates that these
contestations profoundly affected the trajectory of an industry that started as a mere side-line to
the beef industry until it had become a central industry in Southern Rhodesia’s agricultural
economy by the late 1940s. Thus, besides filling a historiographical gap in existing studies of
Southern Rhodesia’s agricultural economy, the thesis engages in broader historiographical
conversations about settler colonial agricultural policy and the role of the state and farmers in
commercial agriculture. Given the fractured nature of colonial administration in Southern
Rhodesia, this study also discusses conflicts among government officials. It demonstrates how
these differences affected policy formulation and implementation, especially regarding African
commercial dairy production. This thesis also explores the impact of a segregationist agricultural
policy, particularly focusing on prejudices about the “African body” and hygiene. It shows how
this shaped the character of both African and white production trends. It demonstrates that
Africans were unevenly affected by settler policy, as some indigenous people continued to
compete with white farmers at a time when existing regulations were intended to exclude them
from the colonial dairy industry. It argues that although dairy farming had grown to be a strong
white-dominated industry by 1951, the history of dairy farming during the period under review
was characterised by contestations between the state and both white and African farmers. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis gebruik suiwelboerdery in koloniale Zimbabwe/Suid-Rhodesie as ’n lens om die
ekonomiese, sosiale en omgewingsgerigte kruispunte in koloniale landbou van omstreeks 1890 t
1951 toe ‘n nuwe regulatoriese raamwerk vir suiwelboerdery ingestel is te, ondersoek. Die
komplekse en vloeibare interaksies tussen die koloniale staat en boere (wit sowel as swart) en die
wyse waarop hierdie interaksies beleid binne die konteks van die plaaslike politieke ekonomie en
die globale ekonomiese omstandighede gevorm en hervorm het, word ondersoek. Hierbenewens
word gelet op die spanninge tussen die belange van die koloniale staat en die boere (wit sowel as
swart) en hoe hierdie spanning oor tyd in die formulering en implementering van suiwelbeleid
gemanifested het. Hierdie tesis demonstreer dat di spanninge en stryd ’n diepgaande uitwerking
gehad het op ’n bedryf wat aanvanklik as ondergeskik tot die vleisbedryf begin het, naar teen die
leat as ‘n sentrale veertigerjere bedryf in die Rhodesiëse landelike ekonomie uitgekristalliseer
het. Benewens die feit dat die proefakrif ’n historiografiese leemte in bestaande koloniale
Zimbabwe aangespreek, vorm dit ook deel van ’n breër historiografiese diskoers ten opsigte van
setlaar koloniale landbou in Zimbabwe en die rol van die staat en boere in kommersiële landbou.
Vanweё die gefragmenteerde aard van koloniale administrasie in Suid-Rhodesië, fokus die tesis
ook op die konflikte tussen regeringsamptenare en hoe hierdie geskille veral beleidsformulering
en implementering ten opsigte van swart kommersiële suiwelboerdery beïnvloed het. Vervolgens
word die uitwerking van ’n landboubeleid geliasear of segragasi onder die loep geneem met
spesiale verwysing na die geskiktheid van swartmense vir kommersiële suiwelboerdery en hoe
dit die aard en karakter van beide swart sowel as wit produksie tendense beïnvloed het. Daar
word aangedui dat swartmense nie eenvormig deur setlaarsbeleid geraak is nie aangesien van
hulle met wit boere meegeding het op ’n stadium toe die heersende regulasies daerop gemik was
oin baie van hulle uit die koloniale suiwelbedryfwit te slint. Die sentrale argument is dat hoewel
suiwelboerdery sterk wit gedomineerd was teen 1951, die geskiedenis van die bedryf gedurende
die tydperk onder bespreking gekenmerk is deur stryd en konflite tussen die staat en wit sowel as swart boere.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/97113
Date03 1900
CreatorsHove, Godfrey
ContributorsSwart, Sandra, Stellenbosch Universitty. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of History.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format253 pages : illustrations
RightsStellenbosch University

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