Resistance of Economic Exploitation by Natives in Rhodesia

An early image of Africa Unity Square.

• Exploitation of peasants and worker was greatly resented
• Peasants and workers usually used passive resistance against white settlers
• They used methods such as refusing to offer labour in mines, factories and farms
• They refuse to pay rentals for their stay at white farms
• They refused to cooperate with white government officials
• They moved to free land so they could live in peace but this became difficult after 1930’s Land Apportionment Act
• Later they resorted to strikes such as that of Shamva and Wankie mine workers which was later crushed by the government
• In the 1920s the workers began protesting through labour unions
• This led to the creation of the Rhodesia Industrial Commercial Workers Union (RICU) in 1927 led by Clements Kadalie
• Other leaders of RICU were Masotsha Ndlovu and Charles Mzingeli and their major aim was to challenge colonial capitalists
• However the trade union did not last long as it was suppressed by the colonial government after the enactment of the Industrial Conciliation Act of 1934
• The Act prevented Africans from forming trade unions and to compete on the labour market
• Smaller trade unions were formed to try such as the Railway Workers Association which organized strikes in 1948 which were suppressed severely by the colonial government
• The strike was however followed by a general strike which spread from Bulawayo to Gweru and then Harare

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