In the final stages of the Rhodesian Bush War (1975-1980), the white minority government and its Security Forces found themselves on the losing side. In an attempt to combat the flood of guerrillas...Show moreIn the final stages of the Rhodesian Bush War (1975-1980), the white minority government and its Security Forces found themselves on the losing side. In an attempt to combat the flood of guerrillas entering the country, the Rhodesians turned to chemical and biological weapons (CBWs). From 1976 onwards a secret program within the Rhodesian army created, experimented with, and deployed poisons. Water sources were contaminated and doctored clothes and food were entered in the guerrillas’ supply lines. Expanding on existing knowledge about both the war and the CBW program, this thesis takes a closer look at the role poisons played in this conflict. The main purpose of these weapons was to kill guerrillas, for which they were very effective; sometimes even more effective than the standard anti-insurgency strategies the Rhodesians used. The use of poisons also changed the relationship between guerrillas and civilians. The Rhodesians often used civilians to provide the guerrillas with the poisoned goods. When these men or women were discovered, the guerrillas would retaliate. In the early stages of the program this drove a wedge between civilians and guerrillas. According to some scholars this was a serendipitous effect, according to others it was a calculated move in the battle for the hearts and minds of the rural African population. This thesis argues that the Rhodesian’s use of CBWs has helped the guerrillas in gaining legitimacy. Because of the strong connection between poison and witchcraft, the guerrillas were not merely targeted by chemical substances, they were targeted by witches. Because of that, the guerrillas could assume the role of witch-hunter in the eyes of the rural black population. Hunting witches was normally done by Mhondoro, ancestral spirits who control and watch over a piece of land. With the help of spirit mediums and by hunting witches, the guerrillas became living manifestations of Mhondoro spirits, gaining legitimacy over the land in the process. Conquering strangers became familiar liberators.Show less
In this thesis the undiscussed role of the Dutch Red Cross amublance in the Second Italo-Abyssinian war is disuccused. Furthermore it analyses the Dutch perspective on this war and explains why it...Show moreIn this thesis the undiscussed role of the Dutch Red Cross amublance in the Second Italo-Abyssinian war is disuccused. Furthermore it analyses the Dutch perspective on this war and explains why it should be seen as one of the precursors of World War II.Show less
Scattered across the whole of southern Africa, impressive North Korean monuments celebrate the rise of young, independent African nations. In an extraordinary fashion, these constructions merge...Show moreScattered across the whole of southern Africa, impressive North Korean monuments celebrate the rise of young, independent African nations. In an extraordinary fashion, these constructions merge typical North Korean socialist realism with African nationalism. The research question of this thesis is why the regimes of Namibia and Zimbabwe use the services of the North Korean firm Mansudae Overseas Projects to construct their National Heroes’ Acres. This phenomenon can be explained through the historical connections that existed between the southern African liberation movements and the DPRK, that have been fostered since the 1960s. The DPRK funded southern African liberation movements during their struggle for independence and thereby strengthened their ideas on post-colonial history writing. It will be argued that the Heroes’ Acres can be understood as potent symbols of nationalist history, used to legitimize the rule of the former liberation movements and inspired by the example that the DPRK has set for their African allies.Show less
Julius Malema is one of the most controversial figures in comtemporary South African politics. He is regularly described as a populist promoting an incoherent political programme for personal gain....Show moreJulius Malema is one of the most controversial figures in comtemporary South African politics. He is regularly described as a populist promoting an incoherent political programme for personal gain. This thesis investigates Malema's use of the work of Frantz Fanon in the ideology of the Economic Freedom Figthers(EFF). It studies the writings of Fanon on colonialism and post-colonial politics as well as the revolutionary ideology brought forward by Julius Malema and the Economic Freedom Fighters(EFF)in their political manifestos as well as Malema's speeches. This ideology has appropriated the works of Fanon to bring togehter the different ideological positions within the EFF. Fanon serves to bring together socialist as well as pan-Africanist and Black Conciousness crtitiques of the ANC's government of South AFrica since 1994. While these ideologies are historically at odds with one another, the appropriation of Fanon serves to bring a degree of coherence to a revolutionary ideology drawing on different ideologies and grassroots critiques of the ANC. While this makes the EFF's ideology seem incoherent or shallow it does allow the EFF to appeal to different sections of South Africa's population and to unify different political movements into one political party.Show less
This thesis argues that the Angolan Bush War should be studied as a global conflict. The war involved a variety of state actors, from South Africa and Angola to Cuba and the Soviet Union, and a...Show moreThis thesis argues that the Angolan Bush War should be studied as a global conflict. The war involved a variety of state actors, from South Africa and Angola to Cuba and the Soviet Union, and a global perspective is required to understand the conflict as a whole. While much of the existing literature on the subject is focused on the political aspects of the war, the analysis of accounts from Soviet soldiers serving in Angola demonstrates that these political dimensions often played a minimal role in the lives of the troops on the ground. However, the accounts examined give detailed commentary on the interactions between the Soviet advisers and their foreign counterparts, including both their battlefield allies and adversaries, and thus offer unique insight into this complex episode of history.Show less
This study investigates the effect of population density on the development of land rights in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe from 1923 to 2013. By comparing three former British colonies with...Show moreThis study investigates the effect of population density on the development of land rights in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe from 1923 to 2013. By comparing three former British colonies with remarkably different population densities, this thesis explores the hypothesis that a denser population leads to stronger individual property rights over land. Through an in-depth analysis of the history of land rights, the relationship between people and land before, during and after colonialism is uncovered, ultimately challenging a Eurocentric model of (economic) development and contributing to the debate on land reform and economic inequality and in Southern Africa.Show less
Was the TAZARA railway a successful instrument in the development of an economic nation state in Zambia? The effects of state, nation and market building on Kasama during 1976 - 1986
