The
role played by different colonial agents was important for the colonization of
Zimbabwe. In this essay, the writer is going to give a critical evaluation on
the role played by the missionaries, explorers, hunters, and concession
seekers, in the colonization of Zimbabwe. For a successful colonization of
Zimbabwe, it was a team work of the above mentioned colonial agents who worked
side by side for years. However, some individuals
played double agent roles and it is going to be discussed as this essay
unfolds. All in all, missionaries played the greater part although other agents
such as concession seekers, hunters and traders cannot be left out.
The
colonization of Zimbabwe was inevitable and the rest of the African continent
at large because of the lack of raw materials in Europe. Missionaries came to
Zimbabwe to spread Christianity as they condemn the indigenous religions as pagan
(Austin 1966 p.10). However, the missionaries failed to convert even a single
Ndebele person because the Ndebele feared their king that he could punish them
if they were converted to Christianity. By failing to convert even a single
Ndebele, the missionaries started to help the British imperialist to obtain
concessions which empowered them to have control of Zimbabwe so that they will pursue
their mission latter after the Ndebele monarchy has demised. This plan worked
well for the colonization of Zimbabwe.
Missionaries
created good friendship with the Ndebele Kings, for example reverend Robert Moffat
had a close friendship with king Mzilikazi. In 1836, Robert Moffat and
Mzilikazi signed the Moffat treaty which was a treaty of friendship between
Mzilikazi and the whites. This treaty allowed the whites to move and settle in
Zimbabwe freely (Pakenham 1992 p31). This was a stepping stone to the
colonization of Zimbabwe because the white settlers realized the riches which
were on the land of Zimbabwe such as elephants, rhinos as well as minerals such
as gold which lead they to be eager for economic prosperous.
More
so, missionaries played a pivotal role in the signing of the treaties which
gave the Whites the legitimate power to control the resources of the land of
Zimbabwe (Brown 1996 p20). Reverend John Smith Moffat played a fundamental role
in the signing of the Moffat treaty which canceled the Grobler treaty which
created military alliance between the Ndebele and the Boers. By signing the Moffat
treaty on 11 February 1888, Lobengula granted the British government the ultimate
power over Zimbabwe as well as preventing any other rivals to sign treaties
with the Ndebele king. According to Beach (1984 p23), “Moffat treaty prevented
Lobengula to sign any other treaty with other foreign nation without the
approval of the British queen’s high commission”. This clearly shows how the
missionaries played a significant role in the colonization of Zimbabwe through
successfully obtain important documents from the local authorities.
According
to Austin (1966 p67), “the missionaries gave false interpretation to Lobengula
on the signing of the treaties”. Reverend Charles Helm gave a false
interpretation to king Lobengula on signing of the Rudd concession. He took any
advantage that Lobegula trusted him since he was a missionary; not knowing that
at this point Helm was going to betray him. According to Mandaza (1997), “Rudd
concession gave Rhodes the right to persuade the British government to grant
the company royal charter over Matabeleland and its subject state of
Mashonaland”. Rudd concession was one of the most Important documents which was
vital for the colonization of Zimbabwe because it gave Rhodes the exclusive
mining rights in Matabeleland, Mashonaland and other adjoining territories in
what is today Zimbabwe. According to Ranger (1967 p36), “Rudd concession marked
the beginning of white settlement, administration and development in the
country that eventually became Rhodesia, named after Rhodes, in 1895”.
Therefore, one cannot write the history of Zimbabwe without crediting the role
of the missionaries.
Missionaries
also provided accommodation for the settlers as well as stocking of the weapons
for the setters (Austin 1966 p68). Mission stations were the first residential
areas for all the early settlers who came to Zimbabwe and also provided the
medication for the fellow whites since they had already studied the area and
were familiar to the local diseases. By doing all these duties, it is clear
that the whites did contribute to the colonization of Zimbabwe.
Moreover, explores such as John Swinborne played a notable role in the colonization of
Zimbabwe by discovering minerals on the Zimbabwe plateau. In 1870, Swinborne signed Tati concession with
Mzilikazi. Tati concession gave Swinborne the right to search for gold and
other minerals on the land between Shashi and Ramaquiban River (Ranger 1967 p
37). By being granted such permission, Swainborne had access to a number of
minerals which he went to trade in Britain making marginable profits and also
attacked a number of miners to seek concessions in Zimbabwe as well as drawing
the attention of British people to Zimbabwe. Therefore one can say that explores
played a crucial role in the colonization of Zimbabwe by exposing the riches in
Zimbabwe which gave appetite to British.
To
add more on explores, David Livingstone’s role should not be left out on the
colonization of Zimbabwe. Livingstone who was a double agent as a missionary
and explorer was the first European to discover the Mosi-os-Tunya which he
named Victoria Falls in Honor of Queen Victoria in England. By naming the
places in Zimbabwe, it was a step to the colonization of Zimbabwe since Livingstone
was giving honor to his supreme leaders. Livingstone established Victoria Falls
as a religious and commercial center. Later in the 1958, the British government
funded his Zambezi expedition (global black history 2015). This was the role
which was played by explores in the colonization of Zimbabwe.
Furthermore,
explorers such as John Thomas Baines who was also an artist played a
significant role in the colonization of Zimbabwe. According to Garlake (1973
p41) “John Thomas was elected the royal geographical society and in 1858, he
joined David Livingstone’s Zambezi expedition as storekeeper and artist”. He
was also the one who draw the maps which were later used by the BSAC when they
were entering Zimbabwe. Therefore explores played a fundamental role in the
colonization of Zimbabwe by providing the map for Zimbabwe.
Moreover,
hunters played a pivotal role in the colonization of Zimbabwe. According to global
black history (2015) “Adam Renders who was an ivory trader was the first
European to discover Great Zimbabwe monuments and showed it to Carl Mauch”.
When the news about Great Zimbabwe reached Britain, the British were eager to
see the monuments hence the colonization of Zimbabwe. In addition, British
historians started to write a Eurocentric history of Great Zimbabwe saying that
it was built by the Europeans. Eric
Guffin who was also a hunter was important for the colonization of Zimbabwe by
establishing good friendship with Mzilikazi. He was well known hunter in the
area between Nguniland and Southern Matabeleland and was later given permission
to hunt in Mashonaland in 1865. He managed to get ivory which he later trade in
Britain which lead more British people to come to Zimbabwe.
Concession
seekers played a very important role for the colonization of Zimbabwe. They
processed all the paper work which was needed for a lawful colonization of
Zimbabwe. According to Rotberg (1988 p12), “Charles Rudd, James Rochfort
Maguire and Francis Thompson, three agents acting on behalf of the South African-based
politician and businessman Cecil Rhodes, on 30 October 1888 obtained the Rudd
concession with the help of Rev Charles Helm.” Rhodes as a Politian and
businessman, he obtained ultimate power from Lobengula to mine and have control
of the land after the Rudd concession. Rhodes was also sent Rev John Moffat to
cancel the Grobler treaty which was signed between the Boers and Lobengula were
the Boers were to send a spy to stay at the king’s court and also to give the
Boers military help any time they need it. This shows that Rhodes played a
notable role by being the master mind for the British people to gain full
control of now Zimbabwe by sending his agents to cancel rival’s treaties and at
the same time obtain treaties from king Lobengula.
To
conclude the above essay, it was a team work of colonial agents for Britain to colonize
Zimbabwe. Hunters’ traders, explorers, concession seekers and missionaries
played their parties very well. However, Missionaries played a pivotal role in
the colonization of Zimbabwe in that they were the forerunners of the
colonization of Zimbabwe. The made the Ndebele kings to have trust in them
which led them to help all other colonial agents to penetrate to Zimbabwe and
obtaining concessions from Ndebele kings.
REFERENCES
Austin
GV (1966). ‘J. S. Moffat and the Matabele Mission, 1857-1865.’ Unpublished
Henderson Seminar Paper, University of Rhodesia
Beach,
D (1984) Zimbabwe before 1900. Gweru: Mambo
Brown
R (1966). ‘Aspects of the Scramble for Matabeleland,’ in Stokes and
Brown (ed.) The Zambesian Past: 63-93.
garlake,
PS (1973) Great Zimbabwe. London : Thames and Hudson.
Mandaza
I (1997) the history of Zimbabwe since
1860.Harare. Sapes
Pakenham,
Thomas (1992). Scramble for Africa: White Man's Conquest of the Dark
Continent from 1876 to 1912. p. 669
Ranger
TO (1967). ‘The Writing of African History during the Scramble The
Matabele Dominance in Mashonaland,’ Afr. Soc. Res. 5: 271-282.
Rotberg
RI (1988). The Founder: Cecil Rhodes and the Pursuit of Power. Oxford
University Press, Oxford.
Samkange
(1996) Samkange to Cater, 2 December 1996 file ms 239/5/15/1
