The colonial archive and contemporary chieftainship claims: the case of Zimbabwe, 1935 to 2014

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Date
2015-07
Authors
Bishi, George
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Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: This thesis focuses on the uses of the colonial archive in contemporary Zimbabwe by people and families claiming chieftaincy. It uses five selected case studies: Chidziva in Masvingo, Sanyanga and Mutsago in Manicaland, Seke in Mashonaland East, and Musaigwa in Mashonaland Central Provinces of Zimbabwe. All these cases submitted written claims reports to the Ministry of Local Government for consideration for traditional leadership positions. These claims were made after Zimbabwe’s Fast Track Land Reform of 2000. At the same time, the government empowered traditional leaders to win their support against the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). As a result of these developments, claimants to chieftaincy also emerged. To convince Local Government officials, claimants were expected to submit elaborate claims reports showing their genealogies, family trees, chieftaincies histories and territorial boundaries. It is in these circumstances that claimants resort to the National Archives of Zimbabwe (NAZ) looking for their histories in the colonial archive. Claimants hire ethnographers, archaeologists and historians to document their family or clan histories. Claimants and contracted historians both rely on colonial documents for evidence. They also use oral evidence to compliment archival evidence or to dispute it if the colonial record does not support the claimant’s case. In the light of these contemporary claims to chieftaincy, this dissertation discusses the establishment of the NAZ, not only as a site of ‘national memory’ but also as a strategic research institution so far as chieftaincy is concerned. It analyses the generation of archival sources, their acquisition and accessibility governed by access regimes at the NAZ and how this subsequently affects chieftaincy research. The dissertation discusses the nature and usefulness of archival sources claimants used to document claims reports. In the process, this study suggests supplementary sources within and without NAZ repositories that are overlooked by historians. The study also explores the dynamics of claims to chieftaincy in present day Zimbabwe. While some chieftaincy succession disputes predate colonialism, others are a product of colonial legacies. The study situates itself within the broader literature, the so-called indigenous historiography that emerged in the 1990s. It focuses on how indigenous peoples in countries such as Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Malaysia filed land claims. They used customary rights, colonial treaties and archives for evidence to justify their claims. However, this thesis argues that archives can be used for political and social benefits by claimants of chieftaincy in Zimbabwe.
Afrikaans: Hierdie proefskrif fokus op die wyses waarop die koloniale argief in hedendaagse Zimbabwe gebruik word deur persone en families wat aanspraak maak op opperhoofskap. Dit maak gebruik van vyf geselekteerde gevallestudies: Chidziva in Masvingo, Sanyanga en Mutsago in Manikaland, Seke in Mashonaland-Oos, en Musaigwa in die Mashonaland Sentrale Provinsies van Zimbabwe. In al hierdie gevalle is eiseverslae skriftelik aan die Ministerie vir Plaaslike Regering voorgelê vir oorweging vir tradisionele leierskapsposisies. Hierdie eise is ingedien na Zimbabwe se versnelde grondhervormingsprogram in 2000. Terselfdertyd het die regering tradisionele leiers bemagtig om hul steun teen die Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) te wen. As gevolg van hierdie verwikkelinge het persone wat aanspraak maak op opperhoofskap ook na vore gekom. Om beamptes van die Plaaslike Regering te oortuig, is daar van eisers verwag om breedvoerige eiseverslae in te dien wat hul geslagsregisters, stambome, opperhoofskap-geskiedenisse en territoriale grense uiteensit. Dit is in hierdie omstandighede wat eisers gebruik maak van die Nasionale Argief van Zimbabwe om hul geskiedenisse in die koloniale argief na te vors. Eisers kontrakteer etnograwe, argeoloë en geskiedkundiges om hul familie- of stamgroepgeskiedenisse te dokumenteer. Beide eisers en gekontrakteerde geskiedkundiges maak staat op koloniale dokumente vir bewysstukke. Hulle maak ook gebruik van mondelinge bewyse om argiefbewysstukke aan te vul of dit te betwis in gevalle waar die koloniale rekord nie die eiser se saak steun nie. In die lig van hierdie hedendaagse aansprake op opperhoofskap bespreek hierdie proefskrif die vestiging van die Nasionale Argief van Zimbabwe, nie net as ’n tuiste vir ‘nasionale geheue’ nie, maar ook as ’n strategiese navorsingsinstelling wat opperhoofskap aanbetref. Dit ontleed die generering van argiefbronne en hoe hulle bekom word, asook hul toeganklikheid soos bepaal deur toegangsriglyne by die Nasionale Argief en watter uitwerking dit vervolgens het op navorsing oor opperhoofskap. Dit bespreek die aard en nuttigheid van argiefbronne wat deur eisers gebruik word om verslae te dokumenteer. In die proses maak hierdie studie voorstelle oor aanvullende bronne binne en buite die argief se bewaarplekke, wat deur geskiedkundiges misgekyk word. Hierdie studie verken ook die dinamiek van aansprake op opperhoofskap in hedendaagse Zimbabwe. Terwyl sommige dispute oor opperhoofskap-opeenvolgings dateer van voor die koloniale era, is ander die produk van koloniale nalatenskappe. Die studie situeer homself binne die breër literatuur, die sogenaamde inheemse geskiedskrywing wat in die 1990’s ontwikkel het. Dit fokus op die wyse waarop inheemse mense in lande soos Kanada, Nieu-Seeland, Australië, Suid-Afrika en Maleisië grondeise aanhangig gemaak het. Hulle het gebruiklike regte, koloniale verdrae en argiewe as bewysstukke gebruik om hul eise te regverdig. Hierdie proefskrif voer egter aan dat argiewe vir politieke en maatskaplike gewin gebruik kan word deur persone wat aanspraak maak op opperhoofskap in Zimbabwe.
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Keywords
Colonial archive, Chieftaincy claims, Sources, Dissertation (M.A. (Centre for Africa Studies))--University of the Free State, 2015, Chiefdoms -- Zimbabwe, Archives -- Zimbabwe, Claims, Zimbabwe -- Claims
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