Colonial economy
refers to the system of production and consumption which were introduced in the
colonies by the colonialist in order to fulfill their economic demand such as
raw-materials, markets, area for investment as well as area for settlement
.
Colonial economy
was built in Africa over a span of years after establishment of colonial
political control. In this case the
colonial economy was introduced through several ways such as creation method,
destruction method and preservation method example of colonial economy
are like agricultural economy, industry, mining and commercial economy particularly
in the 19th century.(Odhiambo, 1977)
Colonial labour,
this refers to the workers who was part and parcel in the production of
colonial demands such as cash crops, the people work in agriculture, mining,
industry, and commercial activities.and it categorized into contract labour and
migrant labour
Contract labour
, this is the kind of workers who signed the contract with the colonialist with
the interest of working in the colonial system
Migrant labour,
this was the kind of workers who moved from one area of production to another
area example from Tanga to Morogoro (Koponen,1996)
The
stabilization of labour in Germans and British in the colonial East African
economy was passed the following mechanisms.
Land alienation;
the native African people were forced to shift from their home fertile land to
un-productive land this resulted to the stabilization of labour when the
African people were not producing any production due to poor land where they
were sited and lefted their productive land purposely for the production of the
materials wanted by the colonialist such as cash crops for the colonial interest
example the Usambara region escaped the government control because the DOAG had
concessionary rights there and African leader claimed vast un occupied
areas. Thus they keep on supplying the
labour to ensure constant supply of food to their families and homes.(Cohen, 1978)
Monetization
Introduction; the use of money was surprisingly rarely before 1890’s soon after
the Germans gave monetization high priority paying their employees in cash and
gradually and demanding that tax to be paid back in special and not in kind. In 1900’s the case was currently more
accessible in half of each region. In
the north-East coin were the normal currency in Shambaa market, Machame market
Chagga and Maasai. This encouraged them
to supply labour with the interest of getting money. Hence the stabilization of labour.(Illife,
1979)
Taxation were
introduced; The tax could not be collected in cash in most parts of
Kilimanjaro. In 1898 while in the remote
Mbulu area as late as 1906 a rupee were replaced on a stone in the house for
fear that it might sink into the ground.
In 1903 coin were current even where in Kilimatinde district except
remote Usandawe example of tax are heart tax, head tax and matiti tax. In this
case the people of Africa they keep on working to the colonial infrastructure
so as to get money for paying tax to the colonial government.(Koponen, 1996)
Forced labour;
During the Germany colonial system the East African people were forced to work especially
during the railway construction in East-Africa.
In 1891 the DOAG undertook to build a line inland from Tanga through the
project plantation area around Usambara to Kilimanjaro and possibly Lake
Victoria. The Tanga line was built
slowly and with much forced labour. They
are forcing every one to work without pay neither wages nor food. Hence the method to stabilize the labourers
in colonial East Africa (Koponen, 1996)
Political
compulsion to secure farm labour. Each
settler entering Usambara in the late 1890’s was allocated several villages whose
headmen had to provide a fixed number of workers each day. This system helped to discredit Kilindi rule
and include Kingashi to abdicate in 1902 for fear of assassination. Hence the stabilization of labours in East
African colony.(Odhiambo, 1977)
Low wages
payment; in 1907 the district officers imposed a solution by issuing each
shamba with a card obliging him to work for European for thirty days every four
months at a fixed wage. On pain of being
conscripted for public works example in Lushoto district earned shilling 20 for
thirty days work and local workers only 9-10 shilling.
Card system; this
system was quickly spreaded for they satisfied both employers and
administrators. The government tacitly
accepted one in Morogoro which was based on an arrangement between the planters
and the district office. Handeni on the
other hand government forbades a system whereby Akidas applied laborers who had
to work until they provided substitutes.
Hence the mechanism to stabilize labour in East Africa-colonial economy
(Cohen, 19780)
.
Migrant Labour;
In stabilizing labour forces, Germany created different Labour Reserves that
were used to ensure labour supply to the colonial farms. Example Kigoma Region were selected to be a
labour reserve. Laborers were taken
simply to the farms when the colonial master were in need of them. Also this, helped in discouraging resistance
among Africans toward Germany colonialists.
Registration of
workers and trade unions in East Africa this goes hand with hand with the
introduction of SILABU by the British in Tanganyika that stands for sisal
labour Bureau specially in Morogoro as well as in Kenya there was EASU which
stands for labour trade union in East Africa.
Both these ensured the constant supply of labour to the colonial
government. Hence labour stabilization
in East Africa (Shillington, 1995)
Through
manufactured goods importation, this includes the luxury goods as well as
clothes. Due to this sense East African
people they were ready to work in the colonial government with the interest of
getting money to by such manufactured goods which were imported in the country
by the colonialist. Hence the mechanism
to stabilize the labour in the colonial East African Economy (Shillington,
1995)
.
Introduction of
western education (colonial education).
The skilled labour to work in the color job were maintained or obtained
when the colonial education were provided.
This skilled labour were employed lower sectors like clerk and messengers
to work on behalf of the colonial master in the colonial economy example these
skilled labour were trained in schools that were established by them such as
Tabora boys (Tabora). Hence the
mechanism to stabilize labours in British and German colonial East African
Economy.(Illife, 1979)
Despite of the
fact that slave trade was abolished by then but slavery was still existing in
the entire colonies due to the push and pull factors. These East African labour was not easily to
escape from this issue of becoming labourers such as land alienation, low
wages- payment, forced labour, migrant labour as well asl introduction of
colonial education at all.
REFERNCES
Cohen, R et al, (1978), African Labour History. London, SAGE publishers
Illite, J. (1979). A modern history of Tanganyika, Cambridge University press.
Koponen, J. (1996). Development for exploitation, Helsink.
Odhiambo, E.S e al (1977), A History of East Africa, Nairobi, Longman Group Ltd
Shillington, K. (1995). History of Africa. Revised Edition-Adis Ababa, Macmillan publishers.
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