'There is Something About Cattle': Towards an Economic History of the Beef Industry in Colonial Zimbabwe, with Special Reference to the Role of the State, 1939-1980. Town Nhamo Wellington Samasuwo Cape of Thesis presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy University in the Department of History University of Cape Town February 2 000 The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgementTown of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Cape Published by the University ofof Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS I.,I~'I' C>F' Tl\llI.,E:~ ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• iii AJJll~E'\7IJ\TI()lf~ ••••••••••••••..•..•••.••••.•••.•••••••..•••.•••••••••...••••.•.•••••••• 11ii l\ll~T~C:::T .••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.•••.•••••••••••••••••......•••••••••••.••••• ~ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.•••.••.••••••••••••.•• xi CHAPTER ONE: 1. The Experience of a Latecomer: A Survey of the Background, Origins and Early History of the Beef Industry, 1890-1938 .................................................... 11 CHAPTER TWO: 2. The Beef Industry during the Second World War, 1939-1945..... ., .................................... o ••••••••••••••••• 54 CHAPTER THREE: 3. The Beef Industry in Post-war Southern Rhodesia, 1946-1956.................................................... 78 CHAPTER FOUR: 4. Federal Policy and the Southern Rhodesian Beef Industry, 1957-1964 ......................... 127 CHAPTER FIVE: 5. The Calamity of 'cowboy' Independence: the Beef Industry in the early years of UDI, 1965-1971 ................................................................. 1 70 CHAPTER SIX: 6. Colonialism at the Ritual altar?: The Beef Industry during the Second Chimurenga, 1972-1980 .......................... 200 CHAPTER SEVEN: 7. Conclusion ····················································••o•••·······244 SELECTED llill~l()CJ.~11'\7 •.••.••.•..•••.•••.•.••..•......•..••.••••..••...•...•••••.•..•••••••• ~'4-~ iii LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1: European-owned Pure-bred Cattle, (Selected Years) ......................................................................................................................... 20 Table 1.2: Estimated Cattle Holdings in S. Rhodesia, 1901-1941 (000 head) ................................................................................. 28 Table 1.3: Cattle Exports to the Union of South Africa, 1916-1922 ........................... 29 Table 1.4: Market Distribution of S. Rhodesian Cattle Exports, 1925-1927 ........................................................................... 30 Table 1.5: African Districts and Number of Cattle Under Quarantine, 1931-1940 .......................................................... 41 Table 1.6: Private Company-owned Ranches in S. Rhodesia, l 920s-1930s ........................................................................... 4 7 Table 1. 7: Family-owned Ranches in S. Rhodesia, 1920s-1930s ................................ 48 Table 1.8: European-owned Cattle Classified by Principal Groups, 1926-193 5 ...................................................................... .48 Table 2.1: Beef Exports and Local Consumption in S. Rhodesia, 1938-1945 ............................................. :................................ 60 .· Table 2.2: Number of African-owned Cattle Bought by the CSC at Destocking Sales, 1942-1951 ............................................... 68 Table 2.3: European-owned Herds, by Grade, 1939-1945 ........................................... 68 Table 2.4: Number of Grazer Cattle Leased to European Ranchers 39-1945 ....................................................................... 69 Table 2.5: European/White-owned Herds, by Size 1939-1945 ................................... 70 Table 2.6: Calving Rates of White-owned Herds, 1939-1945 ..................................... 70 Table 2.7: National Slaughterings, 1939-1945 (000 head-calves included) ......................................................................... 71 Table 2.8: Cost of Beef at CSC's Meat Works in Price Per lb., 1938-1941 .................... ~ ................................................. 71 Table 2.9: Running Costs in the White Capitalist Ranching Sector, 1939-1942 ...... ;......................................................................................... 72 iv Table 2.10: Number of Cattle and Rates of Increase/Decrease, 1936-1946 ................ 74 Table 2.11: Prices Paid By the CSC, 1945 .................. ~ ............................................... 76 Table 3.1: Beef Exports and Local Consumption in Post-war S. Rhodesia, 1946-1953 ................................................................................................... 8 l Table 3.2: Calving Rates for White-owned Herds, 1939-1952 ................................... 82 Table 3.3: National Slaughtering and Mortality, 1946-1952 ....................................... 83 Table 3.4: Districts Not Subject to Destocking, 1947 .................................................. 88 Table 3.5: Districts Subject to Destocking, 1947 ......................................................... 89 Table 3.6: Estimated Consumption Versus Number of Cattle Slaughtered, 1946 and 1952 ......................... :.................................... 91 Table 3.7: Authorised Cattle Purchase Prices, 1948/1950 (sh. per 100 lb. c.d.w) ................................................................................. 94 Table 3.8: White-owned Cattle by Grade, 1946-1955 ................................................. 97 Table 3.9: White-owned Herds by Size, 1946-1955 ................................................... 98 Table 3.10: Number of White-owned and African-owned Cattle in the Federation, 1953-1956 ....................................................... l 07 Table 3.11: Percentage of Rationing, By Grade of Beef, 1955 ................................. 110 Table 4.1: Average Real Income Per Active White Capitalist Farmer, 1954-1964 ................................................................................................ 130 Table 4.2: Producers Prices in the Capitalist Agricultural Sector, · 1960/61-1964/65 ....................................................................................... 130 Table 4.3: Percentage Annual Rate of Increase in Cattle Numbers Expressed As a Percentage of Previous Year's Figures, 1957-1963 ................................................................ : ............................... 132 Table 4.4: Analysis by Type of Farm ........................................................................ 133 Table 4.5: Analysis by Size of European-owned Herds ............................................ 134 Table 4.6: Area Planted to Fodder, Pasture, Groundnuts and Cotton, 1956-1960 ................................................................................................ 135 Table 4.7: Average Prices Payable to Cattle Producers In v Terms of the Agreement Between the Federal Government andRNFU, 1st. April 1959 ..................................................... :··· ............. 136 Table 4.8: Federal Imports and Exports of Beef, 1956-1962 ................................... 137 Table 4.9: CSC's Disposals of Beef in the Federation, 1952-1963 .......................... .138 Table 4.10: CSC's Exports By Country or Destination, _ 1952-1963 (short tons) ........................................................................... 139 Table 4.11: Gross Value of European-owned Production and African Sales, S. Rhodesia, 1954-1962 ............................................................................... 13 9 Table 4.12: Number of Cows and Calves in White-owned Herds in S. Rhodesia, 1957-1963 ................................................................................................ 141 Table 4.13: Calving and Mortality Rates in S. Rhodesia, 1956-1963 ........................ 141 Table 4.14: Relative profitability of beef grades to the CSC, 1961162, (All Values in Sh. per 100 lb c.d.w) ....................................................... 147 Table 4.15: Grade Percentage and Number of Cattle Slaughtered by the CSC and Private Butchers, 1954-1963 .................................................................. 148 Table 4.16: Auction Excess Paid at Government Organised Auction Sales, 1963 ................................................................................. 149 Table 4.17: Percentage of Cattle Bought by the CSC and Private Buyers at the Average Guaranteed Floor Price at Government Organised Auction sales, 1962 ........ , ......................................................................... 149 Table 4.18: Number of European and African-owned Cattle in the Federation, 1957-196:3 ................................................................................................ 151 Table 4.19: Disposals of African-owned Cattle, 1953-1963 ..................................... 152 Table 4.20: Withdrawals As a Percentage of Cattle-owned Offered at Government Organised Auction Sales, 1959-1964 ................................ 160 Table 4.21: Withdrawals at African Cattle Sales as a Percentage of the Total Numbers of Cattle Offered for Sale by Principal Grades, 1957-1963 ...............................................................................................