Parliament meeting in Zimbabwe image credit Newsday.co.zw

ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland:The Federal Executive or Cabinet and Federal Civil Service

  • The Federal government had a cabinet that co-ordinated and directed its movements
  • Initially there were 5 cabinet ministers which later increased to 7 by 1958
  • The first African to be in the cabinet was Mr. Savanhu who was appointed its secretary in 1959 when the seats were increased to 18
  • Savanhu then resigned in 1962 after lack of cooperation on the partnership issue in the Federal Civil Service
  • No African was ever appointed a cabinet minister
  • The Federal Public or Civil Service had four main branches in 1956
  • The First branch was only for Europeans and they had high salaries
  • The other 3 were for Africans and they earned low salaries
  • Very few Africans made it to Branch I
  • By 1963 the Federal Civil Service laws had been made nonracial but in it was never so in practice
  • Africans occupied clerical and menial posts whilst Europeans had higher administrative posts
  • The HQ of the civil service was in Salisbury and Northern territories did not like this

To access more topics go to the History Notes page.