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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Red Soils in Rhodesia |
Author: | Palmer, Robin H. |
Year: | 1970 |
Periodical: | African Social Research |
Issue: | 10 |
Period: | December |
Pages: | 747-758 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | Zimbabwe |
Subjects: | colonial policy land Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) |
Abstract: | It has been widely assumed that in the precolonial era the Shona peoples of 'Rhodesia' had shown a marked preference for cultivating the light sandy soils and had virtually shunned the heavier red soils. When Europeans took up farms on the red soils and assigned native reserves to the Shona in the sandy soils, there was little direct clash of interests, in marked contrast to the situation in Matabeleland. Wolf Roder in 'The division of land resources in Southern Rhodesia' (Ann. As. Am. Geogr., 54, p. 41-58) dissents from this traditional view. Examination of his paper reveals that his arguments are far from convincing and that the evidence he cites does not endorse his conclusions. Roder ignores the Melsetter district, which offers most evidence in support of his thesis. Thus, in part at least the traditional view must stand. The Shona preferred to use the sandy soils as easiest to work, ideally suited to rapoko, and offering good natural defence. Ref., notes. |