ZIMBABWE REPUBLIC POLICE ACADEMY

An associate college of the University of Zimbabwe

DEPARTMENT OF UNDERGRADUATE LEGAL STUDIES

ASSIGNMENT MARK FORM

SECTION A
NAME : MADHAURE R
STUDENT NUMBER : 089059 C
PROGRAMME : DIPLOMA IN POLICE STUDIES
MODULE NAME : NATIONAL STRATEGIC STUDIES (NASS)
MODULE CODE : DPS 105
LECTURER : SGT GAU
DUE DATE : 19/12/22

ASSIGNMENT QUESTION

OUTLINE THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF THE

SOCIETIES IN THE PRE COLONIAL HISTORY OF ZIMBABWE?{25}

SECTION B
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It is important to bear in mind that during the pre-colonial era, societies of Zimbabwe
endured in a dynamic manner in which their way of life was primarily based on social,
economic, and political activities. The pre-colonial period was characterised by the states or
societies such as Great Zimbabwe, the Mutapa, the Rozvi and the Ndebele states to only
brief up a little. These societies had their socio-economic and political structures though
there was a quiet difference mainly on the political and social set up of these states. The
socio-economic setup consisted of religion, culture, mining, agriculture among others. In a
nutshell these are some of the issues to be discussed during the flow of the essay exposing the
socio-economic and political structures of the pre-colonial societies being the history of
Zimbabwe.

Concise Oxford Dictionary's tenth edition defines "political" as referring to a nation's

government or public affairs.

Pre-colonial is a period of time before Zimbabwe was colonized.

The word "outline" is defined as "to encompass or to indicate the contour of an object in a
sketch or diagram" in the Concise Oxford Dictionary, Tenth Edition.

The social structure was the first to play a crucial part in upholding Zimbabwean culture and
traditions. As there were no written laws to regulate human behavior, the elders of the
community served as the guardians of the law, which they taught children through taboos,
tales, and proverbs. In order for men to learn a lot before they got married, they were
educated by older guys, just as women were taught by their own gender. As elders worked
hard to establish norms through successive generations, the societies were seen as a free
community for thieves and criminal behavior.

In our native tongue, God is referred to as Mwari, and via ancestors, the Ndebele are known
to worship Umkhulukhulu. In pre-colonial countries, spirit mediums were seen as
intermediaries between the people and God. The king was regarded as the high priest since
Mwari determined that he was suitable for the job. They also performed rituals like the
"mukwerera" monsoon ceremony and "nhimbe yamambo," which significantly helped to
preserve their culture and bring them together for a common cause. The king was in charge of
allocating land to his subjects with the assistance and advice of his council.

Polygamous marriages were socially accepted in pre-colonial states. People in this time
period also believed that having a large extended family and a large herd of livestock, such as
cattle, made them appear wealthy. They also believed that having many wives would enable
them to have many children, which would provide them with an abundance of labor to work
in the fields. Some academics also argued that these people indeed think that a man's wealth
and power were demonstrated by the number of wives he had. Additionally, because their
connections were entwined with these marriages, they practiced polygamy in order to
establish an extended family, which helped to bind the community together.

Another economic activity carried out by pre-colonial societies was the herding of cattle.
Since the Great Zimbabwe state had lusher pastures, it is obvious that these people engaged
in cattle herding. Since it is known that initially the Ndebele were not firmly established in
Matebeleland, states like the Ndebele also engaged in cow husbandry.

In Zimbabwe's history, trade was yet another element of the pre-colonial societies' economic
frameworks. In pre-colonial communities like Mutapa, Rozvi, Ndebele, and Great Zimbabwe,
minerals like gold, ivory, and iron were sold along with other items like ivory. These people
conducted business with the Portuguese and Swahili. Pre-colonial governments engaged in
both internal and exterior trade, it should be stressed. These people engaged in barter
commerce, or domestic trade, where they exchanged goods and services without using
money. To barter for gold and ivory, the Portuguese and the Swahili brought their imported
commodities, such as melamine, celadon, linen, and glass beads.

Since farming provided them with an abundance of food and kept them from going hungry or
starving, it was viewed as the key component of the economic structure. Since all economic
activities were carried out after consuming food produced during agriculture, it is the
foundation of their economy. Among other states, the Great Zimbabwe state is where millet
and sorghum are grown. Due to inadequate tools, agriculture was practiced on a modest scale
at this time. However, when the Portuguese began trading with the inhabitants in these pre-
colonial countries, agriculture improved because these people had access to more efficient
tools as a result of trade. Pre-colonial societies were able to cultivate vast areas because to
these instruments. Agriculture was hardly diverse in pre-colonial times, thus livestock and
even grain production was done by the same people. It should also be noted with concern that
during the pre- colonial era agriculture formed the basis of all other economic activities
which were done in these societies.

In Zimbabwean history, mining was another significant economic activity that helped to
shape the pre-colonial cultures' economic structures. Gold and other minerals were extracted
in pre-colonial states including Mutapa and Rozvi. Due to a lack of efficient tools at the time,
mining was done on a smaller scale rather than on a commercial basis. These minerals were
exchanged by pre-colonial societies with both the Portuguese and the Swahili. Since women
only assisted with home and gathering tasks during this time, mining was a man's occupation.
Mining was therefore a significant economic activity in pre-colonial times because the
minerals were used to barter for other foreign goods including celadon, linen, glass beads,
and useful materials.
In order for their nation to have surpluses in labor, agricultural surplus, and other areas, the
societies also practiced robbing other states. They pillaged one another in search of animals,
minerals, and ivory. These pre-colonial states were richer and more powerful economically as
a result of their raiding actions. As an illustration, pre-colonial kingdoms like Rozvi were
known as the plunderers—literally, the destroyers—because they expanded their economies
and empires by robbing smaller, weaker states. Many Eurocentric scholars, including
Rasmussen (1978), also viewed the Ndebele as bloodthirsty conquerors since they raided
numerous Shona chiefs and forced them to pay tribute to the Ndebele ruler.

Their governmental structure, which included the head of the army and state, was upheld in a
methodical manner. The king appointed chiefs to aid in his flawless rule, and the chiefs
received assistance from the village men all the way up to the family head. This system made
it simple to pay homage to the king and facilitate democracy. The monarchy system known as
the kingship was inherited through blood lineage. Of the pre-colonial states in Zimbabwe's
history, the monarch served as the supreme court figure. A person's life and death were in the
king's hands. All traditional courts are presided over by the king, who is assisted in doing so
by his advisors. But the king was the only one.

In conclusion, Zimbabwe's pre-colonial history demonstrates that these governments had

dynamic social, economic, and political systems that demanded the development of their
populations.

REFERENCES

Rasmussen, R. K. (1978) Migrant Kingdom: Mzilikazi’s Kingdom in South Africa. London,

Rex Callings.

Beach, D.N. (1974) Ndebele Raiders and the Shona Power in Hopkins, A.C. (Ed) Journal of
African History, xv, 4.

Beach. D. N. (1980) The Shona and Zimbabwe 900-1850. Gweru, Mambo Press

Bhebe, N. (1979) Mzilikazi in Saunders, C. (Ed) Black leaders in Southern African History.
London, Heinemann.

Garlake, P.S. (1973) Great Zimbabwe, London Thames and Hudson.

Mufuka, K. (1983) Dzimbabwe: Life and Politics in the Golden Age (1100-1500). Harare,
Harare Publishing House.