The reasons for the south african or angloboer war 18991902 remain controversial. These titles are the remaining stock of the former online bookseller allport books. This project will concentrate mainly on the europeans who settled in the area. After primary school in southern rhodesia presentday zimbabwe he went to south africa to complete his education in natal and johannesburg. During the decade leading up to the strike, the northern rhodesian copperbelt was booming, especially the mines of rhokana nkana, mufulira, roan antelope luanshya, and nchanga. The african railwaymen here illustrate yet again the central role played. In 1945, the first major onslaught by blacks took place when a crippling strike was organised by african workers on the rhodesia railways. Although zambia gained independence in 1964, it was not until 1967 that rhodesia railways surrendered the 1,300 km 810 miles of route and 8090 locomotives to zambia railways. Later service edit in 1964, zambia took over the operation of railways in its territory. These amalgamated in july 1955 to form the railway african workers union. In 1945, immediately following the conclusion of the second world war, a major strike by african employees took place on the rhodesia railways.
But the opportunities for africans to sell their labour in other sectors of the southern rhodesian economy and in the union of south africa, or to at least determine the timing and length of their entry into wage employment, meant that settler farmers seldom obtained an adequate supply of labour. Railway communication was a vital part of rhodess plan for the opening up of south central africa and it is interesting to know that by 1890 when the pioneer column occupied rhodesia, the first 127 miles of railway line, from kimberley to vryburg, had already been completed. The rhodesia railways african strike of 1945, part i. Black rhodesian railroad workers strike for better pay, 1945 this is the list of demands submitted by strikers in bulawayo to the general manager of rhodesia railways. The same year the african national congress anc was revived under the leadership of reverend thompson samkange from which the likes of the vibrant benjamin burombo rose to take the colonialists head on. A prominent early leader of the union was jack keller, a scottishborn railway worker who emigrated to rhodesia after participating in the failed 1911 railway strike in britain. At long last, professor alois mlambo has, for the first time, produced a crisp singlevolume book that documents the countrys rich historical experience, covering the entire precolonial, colonial and postcolonial continuum. Rhodesian railways continued to be managed as a single entity even after the countrys division when northern rhodesia became the independent republic of zambia in october 1964.
After 1945 there were small successes a strike in 1945 secured african railway workers an increase in pay and recognition for their union. Rivonia unmasked by lauritz strydom pdf file, 4,8mb. In 1916 firemen at bulawayo went on strike and their demands were met. Following joint talks with the railway african workers union the rrwu has agreed to african employees in six statutory industrial council grades being promoted to the national industrial council. Generally speaking too, its rich natural resources and extensive agricultural and pastoral areas. Black rhodesian railroad workers strike for better pay, 1945. The railways served both southern and northern rhodesia zimbabwe and zambia and the system was the regions transportation backbone and largest single employer. Railways, as well as lending rhodesian railways a separate sum of.
From then until 1975 when he was exempted, in addition to his railways job, boet was calledup with the rhu, intaf and finally 2rr, when it was felt that his responsibilities on line security was vital to the war effort. Returning home in 1945, he worked for the rhodesian railways and by 1951 had become a leader in the trade union of the black rhodesian railway. Rhodesian insurgency part 1 rhodesia and south africa. The railways, as the countrys lifeline have played and important part in the development of rhodesia and, if the plans of the historical committee materialise, there will be a rhodesia railways museum built in bulawayo to preserve this facet of rhodesias history for all time. A narrative account, journal of southern african studies, 42 60 volume 24, number 3. Fighting vehicles and weapons of rhodesia home facebook. Southern africa southern africa, 18991945 britannica. The union spread throughout the rhodesian railways network, including northern rhodesia. The african national council is revived under the leadership of reverend thompson samkange. Standing squarely within this pattern was the unprecedented 1945 strike by african labourers on the rhodesia railways, the crucial transportation network which spanned both rhodesias, and which was the regions largest single employer. Railway country although the south african interior is generally highlying, it is traversable, but it is largely separated from the coastline by a high, mountainous escarpment. Later, it should be noted, rhodesia railways took over the whole of the bechuanaland line from south african railways.
The rise of nationalism celebrating being zimbabwean. The official figures show that black employment on the railways reached a maximum of about 18,000 in 1930, just before the great depression, and similar levels in the mid1940s in response to booming wartime traffics. Southern rhodesia 194558 harare, zimbabwe publishing house, 1985. Rhodesia and nyasaland zambia, zimbabwe, malawi timeline. The rhodesia railways african strike of 1945, part ii.
Black rhodesian railroad workers strike for better pay, 1945 global. Upon leaving the bsap in 1972, boet du plessis joined the rhodesian railways security branch in bulawayo. The african ejournals project has digitized full text of articles of eleven social science. Vickery, the rhodesia railways african strike of 1945, part i. The northern rhodesian african mineworkers union a.
They were by far the most powerful locomotives on the rhodesia railways, and were rated to pull 1,250 long tons 1,270 t up a 1. Railway country 150 years of rail in south africa south. On 1 october 1936 rhodesia railways limited became the owners of the whole railway system in zimbabwe and zambia as well as the vryburgbulawayo section. The new whistles were very similar but not identical to the south african. Following the strike he became a leader in the railway workers union and, in 1933, was made chairman of the broken hill branch of the union and was also appointed a member of the national council. The amu was formed in 1949, and campaigned actively to improve working conditions and wages for african miners, as well as opposing racial discrimination in hiring. List of rhodesian and south african war books for sale. Union threatened to strike at the prospect of the lowering of the industrial colour bar and the. African railway employees in bulawayo came out on a strike on 14. The development and settlement of firstly southern rhodesia, followed by northern rhodesia and nyasaland, started long before the moodie trek of 1892.
But it influenced the way how a different type of coin operations were enforced upon us, away from creative flexible infantry coin operations to strict controlled protection task oriented coin operations. July 20 simbarashe mumbengegwi, diplomat and politician. Like pioneer railways in other young countries, the rhodesia railways have grown up with the territories they serve. When he was 17 he started work as a fireman on the rhodesia railways, playing a prominent part in the railway strike of 1929. Southern africa southern africa southern africa, 1899 1945. The railways were the largest single private employer of black labour in the rhodesias before 1947. Northern rhodesian african mineworkers union wikipedia. Joining the chorus of discontent, rhodesian railroad workers staged a strike in october 1945 seeking better wages and improved working conditions vickery 1999. The african population made its contribution through the rhodesian african rifles, which rendered valiant service in africa and burma, and the rhodesian air askari. Success on the line of rail was only achieved through maximum cooperation and coordination between rhodesian railways and guard force.
Prior to this most carried one or two singlenote whistles, the reason for the change purportedly to give a louder warning to animals on the track. Although the rhodesian security forces were small and its air force was supported by wellworn. There were only halfhearted attempts to politicise them before 1939 including the formation of the african national congress. By 1945, it had submitted many written requests to. Staff and family of rhodesia railways public group facebook. Settler farmers and coerced african labour in southern. According to the reports of the 1945 tredgold commission on postworld war 2 effects on southern rhodesia. The prime cause of the 1945 african railway workers strike and the 1948 general strike was the issue of cost of living and poor wages for african urban workers. With this new consciousness came a wave of strikes that made the late 1940s a. In the colonial era, rhodesia railways was the state railway operator in both southern rhodesia now zimbabwe and northern rhodesia now zambia. If you are interested in ordering a copy please email.
An account of the rivonia trial in 1963 and 1964 in which mandela and a number of other anc and communist party members were convicted of conspiring to overthrow the south african government through violence and acts of. The name originated during great britains colonial era in southern africa, and was retained by the rhodesian government upon its declaration of independence. Africa police, a supporting force with military training had approximately 8,000 active members and 19,000 reservists. Post questions, photos, exchanging anecdotes, reminiscences of living a railway life in. Black miners strike in the northern rhodesian zambia.
It was initially administered, as were the two earlier protectorates, by the british south africa company bsac, a chartered company, on behalf of the british government. Local rhodesian capital nonetheless faced a sea of problems, most of. Window on rhodesia the jewel of africa view of rhodesia from a window of the leopard rock hotel, vumba, near umtali. If approved, it will mean substantial increases in the income of the africans. Settler farmers and coerced african labour in southern rhodesia. Railway country 150 years of rail in south africa south africa. No territory annexed to the british empire in the last hundred years has come with a more honourable record than rhodesia. Nock and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. On 1 april 1947 the then rhodesian government acquired the assets of rhodesia railways limited and on 1 november 1949 the undertaking became a statutory body known as rhodesia railways. Railwayana collectors network rhodesianzimbabwean loco.
Northern rhodesia was a protectorate in south central africa, formed in 1911 by amalgamating the two earlier protectorates of barotzilandnorthwestern rhodesia and northeastern rhodesia. The rhodesia railways african employees association rraea was formed in spring 1944 in response to poor working conditions, and soon grew to include several hundred members, most of them in the hub city of bulawayo. This is where we take a look at a wide variety of the people who made rhodesia, the places, the pastimes and the various institutions of rhodesia. By 1945, it had submitted many written requests to the company, all of which were ignored. Settler farmers and coerced african labour in southern rhodesia, 193646. From 1945 all rr steam locomotives began to be fitted with threenote, steptop usually chime whistles. Perhaps the most successful conventional locomotive to be used was the 12th class, also known as the mountain type, which for many years was the principal source of motive power throughout the main line. The rhodesia railways african employees association rraea was formed in. Staff and family of rhodesia railways has 2,057 members. Pdf the development, operations and challenges of african trade. Rhodesian combined forces roll of honour 19661981 book of remembrance. Rhodesia native regiment and rhodesia african rifles lt gen k. If the namaherero wars were among the most savage in colonial africa, an equally bitter, costly colonial war was fought by britain against the afrikaner south african republic.
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