‘Men of the Soil’: Basotho Farmers in Southern Rhodesia, 1890–1950s

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter examines how Basotho migrants from South Africa established livelihoods based on freehold land ownership and agriculture in Southern Rhodesia. Basotho farmers migrated from South Africa to Southern Rhodesia in the 1890s and were among the first Africans to purchase freehold land in the colony. They were later displaced to African Purchase Areas in the 1930s following the enactment of the Land Apportionment Act. Their early success resulted in colonial officials viewing them as progressive Africans whose work ethic needed to be emulated by indigenous Africans. They were also hailed for being among the first African farmers to supply milk to creameries that had been established in the colony. Basotho's farmers sought to become examples to other African farmers and to be considered ‘men of the soil’. Despite their early success, Basotho farmers faced several challenges that include displacement from their farms and land disputes. The chapter concludes that Basotho migrants’ livelihoods were intricately linked to their ownership of freehold farms and their quest for belonging.KeywordsBelongingBasothoEthnicitySouthern RhodesiaLivelihoods