Pursuing Peace in Godzone by phillip fountain geoffrey troughton

Author:phillip fountain, geoffrey troughton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-07-24T16:00:00+00:00

From their arrival in Africa, the Todds lived almost entirely among Africans; contact with their ‘own kind’ was rare. They became increasingly aware of ‘a oneness’, ‘a common humanity’ and also witnessed the transforming effect of the gospel upon the lives of African individuals, families and villages. Women ‘lift[ed] their heads, finding themselves people with honour and privileges.’ 11

The Todds had also brought with them, in their membership of the Church of Christ, a religious tradition which held to the ‘priesthood of all believers’ and was ‘radically democratic’ in origin. They ensured, therefore, that at Dadaya black and white worshipped together—something rare at that time—and the mission was to become unique for the degree to which Africans were trusted colleagues of the missionaries in charge. The Todds lived out theologically based democratic convictions that challenged the racially discriminatory attitudes of Southern Africa.

In 1946, Garfield Todd entered politics and was elected to the Southern Rhodesian Parliament, as member for the local mining district of Shabani. This was not as unlikely an event as might be supposed. Todd had striking looks and an engaging and commanding personality; to the farmers and miners of his constituency, he was considered ‘a real enough man’ who could ‘put a few words together convincingly’. 12 There was also a local tradition of missionary involvement in politics. F. L. Hadfield, the Kiwi missionary who had founded Dadaya, became an MP in the 1920s. Several later federal MPs, elected to represent African interests, were missionaries or ministers of religion. 13 Todd himself entered politics because he had come to believe that the conditions of the African people he served could only be improved by decisions taken at a national level.

In 1953, he achieved high political office. In that year, the three hitherto separate but neighbouring British territories of Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), and Nyasaland (Malawi) were federated. A two-tier system of government was created: a centralised federal government and three territorial governments with limited powers. Todd became Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia. 14 The politics surrounding the Federation were complicated but progressive circles largely welcomed it and saw it as advancing racial co-operation. The hope was that the Federation would provide a prosperous, enlightened counterbalance to South Africa, its neighbour to the south. In order to entrench white domination, South Africa had in 1948 formally adopted apartheid, a policy of rigid racial segregation and disadvantage to ‘Non-Whites’ in every aspect of social and political life—housing, business, health, education and even the home. Interracial marriages were banned by law; families as well as communities were torn apart.

Todd was well known for his commitment to reform and during his premiership was able to introduce some legislation which was beneficial to the African population. He was, however, ousted from leadership in 1958. The Federation itself lasted only until 1963. Liberal hopes of a new order in Central Africa were dashed by settler fears of African dominance and African fears of settler dominance. The two northern territories then acquired independence

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