عنوان

Some aspects of spatial interaction and reaction to governmental policies in a border area :

TLets525489

Some aspects of spatial interaction and reaction to governmental policies in a border area :

[Thesis]

Phiri, Sandram

a study in the historical and political geography of rural development in the Zambia/Mozambique frontier zone (1870-1979)

University of Liverpool

1981

Ph.D.

University of Liverpool

1981

This thesis examines the historical and politicalgeography of rural development in the Zambia/Malawi and theZambia/Mozambique frontier zone. It is considered thatpolitical authority affects an more than any otherauthority. To bring the above consideration intoperspective, Chapter I is devoted to the examination of the broad stages in political development which,contemporary African states have undergone.In Section I the concept of a frontier zone underthe pre-colonial context with respect to the Chewa andNgoni political systems is examined so as to provide ageneral understanding of the interrelationships betweenthe two ethnic groups and how these interrelationshipscontributed towards the politics of rural developmentbetween 1900 and 1979.Section II (Chapters IV and V) examine the impositionof colonial rule over the Chewa and Ngoni. The Pre-colonialethnic coherence's and their impact on subsequentcolonial policies such as land alienation and theimposition of taxation are analysed. Chapter VI providesthe patterns and channels of African resistance tocolonial policies. Chewa, Nygoni and other forms ofdiscontent are examined. In this direction ethnicity isseen to be a major linking factor among the ordinary menand women in their opposition to colonial rule.That ethnicity plays an important role informulating political interrelationships between theordinary people and the central government is demonstratedby the regularity of movements across the internationalboundary between Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique which istranscended by the Chewa, and Nygoni.Chapters VII to X are devoted to examining theevolution of planned rural development by the colonialgovernment which sought to impose the development processindirectly through the traditional rulers. However, inview of its piecemeal nature, this strategy generatedAfrican hostility. This resulted into the springing up ofOf nationalist movements which campaigned for politicalindependence from colonial rule.Section III (Chapters XI and XII) mainly deals withefforts that are being made during the post-Independenceperiod, However, in view of the periodic changes ingovernment political and economic policies between thethree countries under discussion vis-a-vis their frontierareas there has been a tendency among-people within thefrontier areas to move to areas where rural developmentis perceived. to be taking place.Furthermore ethnic transcendence within this regionfacilitates movements across the international boundaries.This is well illustrated in Chapter XII which showsthe general tendency for people to move from border areasto areas where rural development is perceived to takingplace.In terms of national political development thedesire on the part of the central government to createunified nation's behind former colonial but now nationalboundaries is constantly being frustrated-by peripheral ethnicpolities which transcend into Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.It is this dimension which creates reluctance on the partof the central government to invest economic, infra -structure within peripheral regions.The above situation has facilitated rural-urbanmigration and the evolution of multi-ethnic regionalpolitical pressure groups which demand politicaldecentralization. The involvement of multi-ethnic regionalpolitical pressure groups which demand politicaldecentralization revives the influence of chiefswhich the nationalist government is trying to reduce.Hence in the end it is only political tolerance withinthe three countries and international co-operation whichcan bring about the development of this frontier zone. Chapter XIII attempts at achieving some levelof general theoretical appraisal on the prospects of the region under discussion.

Phiri, Sandram

University of Liverpool

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y