With this new consciousness came a wave of strikes that made the late 1940s a. Railway country although the south african interior is generally highlying, it is traversable, but it is largely separated from the coastline by a high, mountainous escarpment. Railwayana collectors network rhodesianzimbabwean loco. In the colonial era, rhodesia railways was the state railway operator in both southern rhodesia now zimbabwe and northern rhodesia now zambia. The rhodesia railways african strike of 1945, part ii. By 1930, up to 32,000 workers were employed in mining operations in northern rhodesia. The northern rhodesian african mineworkers union a. Window on rhodesia the jewel of africa view of rhodesia from a window of the leopard rock hotel, vumba, near umtali. During the decade leading up to the strike, the northern rhodesian copperbelt was booming, especially the mines of rhokana nkana, mufulira, roan antelope luanshya, and nchanga. The railways were the largest single private employer of black labour in the rhodesias before 1947.
These titles are the remaining stock of the former online bookseller allport books. Settler farmers and coerced african labour in southern. Rhodesian combined forces roll of honour 19661981 book of remembrance. The african ejournals project has digitized full text of. The same year the african national congress anc was revived under the leadership of reverend thompson samkange from which the likes of the vibrant benjamin burombo rose to take the colonialists head on. The rhodesia railways african employees association rraea was formed in spring 1944 in response to poor working conditions, and soon grew to include several hundred members, most of them in the hub city of bulawayo. Generally speaking too, its rich natural resources and extensive agricultural and pastoral areas. Following joint talks with the railway african workers union the rrwu has agreed to african employees in six statutory industrial council grades being promoted to the national industrial council. Following the strike he became a leader in the railway workers union and, in 1933, was made chairman of the broken hill branch of the union and was also appointed a member of the national council. Perhaps the most successful conventional locomotive to be used was the 12th class, also known as the mountain type, which for many years was the principal source of motive power throughout the main line. By 1945, it had submitted many written requests to. The rise of nationalism celebrating being zimbabwean. According to the reports of the 1945 tredgold commission on postworld war 2 effects on southern rhodesia.
Railways, as well as lending rhodesian railways a separate sum of. The new whistles were very similar but not identical to the south african. Success on the line of rail was only achieved through maximum cooperation and coordination between rhodesian railways and guard force. The development and settlement of firstly southern rhodesia, followed by northern rhodesia and nyasaland, started long before the moodie trek of 1892. A narrative account, journal of southern african studies, 42 60 volume 24, number 3. Local rhodesian capital nonetheless faced a sea of problems, most of. Southern africa southern africa southern africa, 1899 1945. After primary school in southern rhodesia presentday zimbabwe he went to south africa to complete his education in natal and johannesburg. The absence of a single text dedicated to the longue duree of zimbabwes history can now be said to be a thing of the past. Vickery, the rhodesia railways african strike of 1945, part i. This is where we take a look at a wide variety of the people who made rhodesia, the places, the pastimes and the various institutions of rhodesia. The union spread throughout the rhodesian railways network, including northern rhodesia. Black rhodesian railroad workers strike for better pay, 1945. By 1945, it had submitted many written requests to the company, all of which were ignored.
Black rhodesian railroad workers strike for better pay, 1945 global. The amu was formed in 1949, and campaigned actively to improve working conditions and wages for african miners, as well as opposing racial discrimination in hiring. African employees took place on the rhodesia railways. Standing squarely within this pattern was the unprecedented 1945 strike by african labourers on the rhodesia railways, the crucial transportation network which spanned both rhodesias, and which was the regions largest single employer.
Railway communication was a vital part of rhodess plan for the opening up of south central africa and it is interesting to know that by 1890 when the pioneer column occupied rhodesia, the first 127 miles of railway line, from kimberley to vryburg, had already been completed. No territory annexed to the british empire in the last hundred years has come with a more honourable record than rhodesia. If the namaherero wars were among the most savage in colonial africa, an equally bitter, costly colonial war was fought by britain against the afrikaner south african republic. From 1945 all rr steam locomotives began to be fitted with threenote, steptop usually chime whistles. Settler farmers and coerced african labour in southern rhodesia. Nock and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Staff and family of rhodesia railways public group facebook. Later, it should be noted, rhodesia railways took over the whole of the bechuanaland line from south african railways.
Rhodesian railways continued to be managed as a single entity even after the countrys division when northern rhodesia became the independent republic of zambia in october 1964. Africa police, a supporting force with military training had approximately 8,000 active members and 19,000 reservists. If you are interested in ordering a copy please email. If approved, it will mean substantial increases in the income of the africans. In 1919 alone african workers are known to have mounted several work stoppages of a considerable scale in major towns, railways, mines, etc. Although the rhodesian security forces were small and its air force was supported by wellworn. African railway historical papers, wits university. Like pioneer railways in other young countries, the rhodesia railways have grown up with the territories they serve. Northern rhodesia was a protectorate in south central africa, formed in 1911 by amalgamating the two earlier protectorates of barotzilandnorthwestern rhodesia and northeastern rhodesia. Black rhodesian railroad workers strike for better pay, 1945 this is the list of demands submitted by strikers in bulawayo to the general manager of rhodesia railways. Rhodesia and nyasaland zambia, zimbabwe, malawi timeline.
After 1945 there were small successes a strike in 1945 secured african railway workers an increase in pay and recognition for their union. There were only halfhearted attempts to politicise them before 1939 including the formation of the african national congress. Pdf the development, operations and challenges of african trade. Railway country 150 years of rail in south africa south africa. The rhodesia railways african employees association rraea was formed in. July 20 simbarashe mumbengegwi, diplomat and politician. Black miners strike in the northern rhodesian zambia. Staff and family of rhodesia railways has 2,057 members. On 1 april 1947 the then rhodesian government acquired the assets of rhodesia railways limited and on 1 november 1949 the undertaking became a statutory body known as rhodesia railways. The african railwaymen here illustrate yet again the central role played. Fighting vehicles and weapons of rhodesia home facebook.
The official figures show that black employment on the railways reached a maximum of about 18,000 in 1930, just before the great depression, and similar levels in the mid1940s in response to booming wartime traffics. Returning home in 1945, he worked for the rhodesian railways and by 1951 had become a leader in the trade union of the black rhodesian railway. African railway employees in bulawayo came out on a strike on 14. Upon leaving the bsap in 1972, boet du plessis joined the rhodesian railways security branch in bulawayo. The railways, as the countrys lifeline have played and important part in the development of rhodesia and, if the plans of the historical committee materialise, there will be a rhodesia railways museum built in bulawayo to preserve this facet of rhodesias history for all time. Rivonia unmasked by lauritz strydom pdf file, 4,8mb. List of rhodesian and south african war books for sale. Union threatened to strike at the prospect of the lowering of the industrial colour bar and the. Post questions, photos, exchanging anecdotes, reminiscences of living a railway life in. The reasons for the south african or angloboer war 18991902 remain controversial. When he was 17 he started work as a fireman on the rhodesia railways, playing a prominent part in the railway strike of 1929. Settler farmers and coerced african labour in southern rhodesia, 193646.
Railway country 150 years of rail in south africa south. But it influenced the way how a different type of coin operations were enforced upon us, away from creative flexible infantry coin operations to strict controlled protection task oriented coin operations. This project will concentrate mainly on the europeans who settled in the area. Prior to this most carried one or two singlenote whistles, the reason for the change purportedly to give a louder warning to animals on the track. A prominent early leader of the union was jack keller, a scottishborn railway worker who emigrated to rhodesia after participating in the failed 1911 railway strike in britain. But the opportunities for africans to sell their labour in other sectors of the southern rhodesian economy and in the union of south africa, or to at least determine the timing and length of their entry into wage employment, meant that settler farmers seldom obtained an adequate supply of labour. Southern africa southern africa, 18991945 britannica. From then until 1975 when he was exempted, in addition to his railways job, boet was calledup with the rhu, intaf and finally 2rr, when it was felt that his responsibilities on line security was vital to the war effort. These amalgamated in july 1955 to form the railway african workers union. They were by far the most powerful locomotives on the rhodesia railways, and were rated to pull 1,250 long tons 1,270 t up a 1.
The prime cause of the 1945 african railway workers strike and the 1948 general strike was the issue of cost of living and poor wages for african urban workers. Although zambia gained independence in 1964, it was not until 1967 that rhodesia railways surrendered the 1,300 km 810 miles of route and 8090 locomotives to zambia railways. In 1916 firemen at bulawayo went on strike and their demands were met. Joining the chorus of discontent, rhodesian railroad workers staged a strike in october 1945 seeking better wages and improved working conditions vickery 1999. Northern rhodesian african mineworkers union wikipedia. The african national council is revived under the leadership of reverend thompson samkange.
An account of the rivonia trial in 1963 and 1964 in which mandela and a number of other anc and communist party members were convicted of conspiring to overthrow the south african government through violence and acts of. The african population made its contribution through the rhodesian african rifles, which rendered valiant service in africa and burma, and the rhodesian air askari. Rhodesian insurgency part 1 rhodesia and south africa. Later service edit in 1964, zambia took over the operation of railways in its territory. In 1945, immediately following the conclusion of the second world war, a major strike by african employees took place on the rhodesia railways. Southern rhodesia 194558 harare, zimbabwe publishing house, 1985. On 1 october 1936 rhodesia railways limited became the owners of the whole railway system in zimbabwe and zambia as well as the vryburgbulawayo section. The rhodesia railways african strike of 1945, part i. The years between 1923 1973 half a century of responsible government in rhodesia by.
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