Modern Africa by Davidson Basil

Author:Davidson, Basil.
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781317893929
Publisher: Taylor & Francis (CAM)

MALAWI AND ZAMBIA: BREAKING THE SETTLERS' POWER

Their challenge in these two countries was a peaceful one. Its central claim was that parliament and governments should be chosen by democratic elections. If all grown-up persons had the vote, the result would be majority rule: necessarily, African majority rule. The settlers would have their share of power, according to their voting numbers, but it would be a minority share because they were few.

Neither the settlers, nor at first the colonial governments, would listen to this claim. Collisions followed, though smaller than in Kenya. Both Kaunda and Banda were arrested, and many others. A state of emergency declared in Nyasaland in 1959 led to the death of 52 Africans, and many arrests. Two years later there were more collisions in Northern Rhodesia, when 27 Africans were killed in clashes and some 3,000 arrested.

But in 1961 colonial policy began to change, for in London there were leading politicians, such as Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, who now saw that Britain should move with the times. Under strong African pressure, Britain allowed a step-by-step advance towards democratic elections. In August 1961 a newly formed Malawi (Nyasaland) Congress Party, with Banda again firmly in the lead, won a large majority of seats in the local parliament. In January 1963 Malawi achieved internal self-government; and in July 1964 it became an independent state. Meanwhile, the same advances were made in Northern Rhodesia, where, in January 1964, UNIP with Kaunda in the lead also won a large majority of seats in the local parliament. Northern Rhodesia became the independent state of Zambia in the following October.

By the end of 1963, these advances had utterly destroyed the settlers' federation; and it had to be dissolved.

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