THE CENTRAL AFRICAN FEDERATION

Introduction

The Federation for Rhodesia and Nyasaland came into existence as a result of the
enactment by the British parliament of the Rhodesia and Nyasaland Federation Act of
1953. This law authorised Her Majesty the Queen to provide, by Order-in-Council, for
the federation of the three Territories of Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia and
Nyasaland. This Order-in-Council was made on 1st August 1953.

The creation of a federal state, however, was a culmination of a series of attempts over
many years to bring about a closer association of the three territories. The earliest
attempt was in 1911 when North-Eastern Rhodesia and North-Western Rhodesia
merged to form Northern Rhodesia.

In December 1913 an idea was proposed to merge Northern Rhodesia and Southern
Rhodesia. This idea was mooted by Sir Leander Starr Jameson, the President of the
BSACo. The proposal was formally put forward to the British government in December
1914.

Between 1914 and 1917, a lot of debate took place regarding this matter. Jameson had
two basic reasons for this proposal: first, it was purely economic, that is, that
amalgamation of the two territories would put the BSACo house in a much stronger
economic position to enable it acquire other possessions. Second, for political reasons:
the Company would have more political influence in London....that it could now argue
well in the corridors of power.

Other white groups also put in their own views. Drummond Chaplin who had just been
appointed BSACo Administrator in Southern Rhodesia said amalgamation was
desirable. It was the only way the company would strengthen its relationship with the
British government, and also that it made economic sense to have one Rhodesia. He
argued that was the only way Britain could strengthen her position in order to counter
balance Boer expansion in South Africa.

The pro-amalgamation group also had a number of reasons for Northern Rhodesia in
accepting the proposal, that is, that:

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 o It would increase Northern Rhodesia’s influence when it came to post-World
War One settlement.

o It would also permit a representative govt for Northern Rhodesia in form of a

legislative council as more Europeans would now settle in the territory
(minimum number was 1,000 settlers in order to have a legislature). At this time
the territory had no legco.

o Northern Rhodesian civil service would have more opportunity for jobs in a
larger civil service than at present.

o There would be no restrictions on trade and communications. Labour relations

would be harmonised and passes would be abolished.

Those who opposed this move were led by Leopold Moore, the owner and Editor of the
Livingstone Mail. Among the arguments put forward by this group was that:

o It was immoral at that juncture to discuss serious constitutional changes at a

time Northern Rhodesian men were fighting in World War One.

o It was also argued that Southern Rhodesia had a surplus budget due to economic
development, while Northern Rhodesia had a deficit. How then could these
differences be harmonised?

o Moore further said amalgamation would perpetuate company rule in Northern

Rhodesia and delay independence.

o Others argued that amalgamation would lead to the postponement of the

creation of responsible govt in Southern Rhodesia run by settlers.

o Lewis, a settler farmer in Northern Rhodesia said federation was just a way for
Southern Rhodesia to continue dominating the Congo market at the expense of
Northern Rhodesian farmers.

In the end, when the matter was presented to the legco, the anti-federation group won.

However Southern Rhodesia continued advocating for the creation of a federal state in
the 1920s, 30s and 40s. This time around, Nyasaland was also included as part of the
scheme.

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Due to pressure for close cooperation among the three territories, the British govt
appointed the Hilton Young Commission to investigate the matter in 1929. The
Commission advised that the economic and political interests of Nyasaland and
Northern Rhodesia lay with each other and with the self-governing of Southern
Rhodesia, and not with East African territories.

Another commission, the Bledisloe Commission was appointed in 1938 to consider the
question of closer association among the three territories. It recommended neither
amalgamation nor federation at the time, but expressed the belief that the countries
would become more and more closely dependent in all their activities. It also observed
that because of differences in native policies between the northern territories and
Southern Rhodesia, such partnership could not be a good one.

In 1941 Lord Hailey, a retired official in the British Indian civil service, advanced similar
reasons. He pointed out that Africans in Southern Rhodesia were inferior compared to
their colleagues in the northern territories in spite of being better educated and having
a good financial standing.

The desire for federation was radically transformed following the onset of the Second
World War. In 1941, the British govt set up an Inter-Territorial Conference. It was soon
superseded by the Central African Council which provided for a common meeting
ground for white politicians in the three territories. In 1949, leaders of the three
territories realised that the British Labour Party would not allow amalgamation. They
thus launched a vicious campaign in favour of federation. They arrived at this decision
at the Victoria Falls Conference held in September 1949.

In 1951 a conference of British civil servants also endorsed federation.

In May 1952 another conference was held at Lancaster House in London. Only two black
Africans from Southern Rhodesia attended this somewhat all-white meeting. Africans
from Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland boycotted it.

A final conference was held in London in 1953 led to the formation of a federal
constitution. The proposals were approved in the House of Commons on 24 March
1953, and in April, motions in favour of federation were passed by the legislatures of
Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. In Southern Rhodesia the question was decided by a

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referendum of the electorate held on 9 April, 1953. After this vote the Federation of
Rhodesia and Nyasaland came into being.

Reasons for Federating

There were two broad reasons for this scheme, that is, political and economic.

Political reasons

o Liberal politicians believed federation would lead to solving racial problems as

compared to what existed in South Africa at the time. One of these was Oliver
Lyttleton the Colonial Secretary during the period of the federal debate. He
argued that the racial problem was going to be solved in the federal
arrangement.

o Liberal whites in Southern Rhodesia were in favour as they would realise their
dream of a genuine partnership between Africans and themselves.

Economic Reasons

These outweighed political factors.

o Federation would lead to a larger home market where there would be free trade
within the federation. This would in turn be followed by industrialisation which
would create jobs for both races.

o The economy of the region was going to be balanced. Nyasaland would continue
to sell tea; Southern Rhodesia tobacco and Northern Rhodesia Copper. As a
result, the three territories would complement each other’s economy.

o In a federal arrangement, the acquisition of capital funds would be made easier

as a block than as individual territories. This was proved when it came to the
construction of the Kariba Dam which cost £80million. Funding for this project
was obtained from numerous sources, something which none of the three
territories would have attained singularly. The World Bank contributed
£28.6million, Commonwealth Development Corporation £15million, Rhodesian
mines £20million, BSACo £4million, Commonwealth Development Finance Ltd
£3million, Barclays Bank £2million, Standard Chartered Bank £2million.

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 o A federal unit was also stronger from the point of view of defence.

o Rail, trunk roads and air communications needed to be planned on a broader

basis, something no single territory could achieve on its own.

o The unification of certain public services would secure greater efficiency.

Reasons against Federation

o Africans in Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia feared the loss of more land due to
the anticipated arrival of more Europeans from the south.

o Africans in the northern territories also feared being subjected to pass laws as
existed in South Africa and Southern Rhodesia.

o Chiefs in the northern territories also feared to lose their authority like what had
happened in Southern Rhodesia.

o There was also the fear that federation would lead to dissolution of all cultural
and political ties between Northern Rhodesia and the UK.

o There was also fear that Southern Rhodesia would dominate the northern
territories.

o Nationalists in all the countries saw federation as a way of delaying

independence.

How Africans Opposed Federation

The federation was created without the blessings of Africans. All conferences that
worked out its modalities did not include Africans or that Africans boycotted it. For this
reasons, Harry Franklin described it as an “unholy wedlock”.

Africans in the territories were passionately against federation. They used all sorts of
methods to campaign against it e.g. rumours and myths. Gann stated that there were
rumours about the magic soap, poisonous sugar which would make women barren and
men impotent.

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Africans also organised political rallies to sensitise the masses e.g. Harry Mwaanga
Nkumbula held one rally in Lusaka in 1953 and burnt the Government White Paper on
federation.

There were also appeals and petitions to international bodies through chiefs and
nationalist leaders to the International Court of Justice, United Nations, Her Majesty the
Queen and the House of Commons. At times, physical protests occurred.

Nkumbula called for two days of prayer for deliverance from the federation. Even when
federation eventually came into effect, Africans organised strikes and boycotts; but
federation still went ahead and existed from 1953 to 1963.