Elections during BSA Rule
The article outlines electoral arrangements in Northern Rhodesia during pre-colonial times, particularly in the era of the British South Africa Company (BSA) rule.
From 1890s until 1924, Northern Rhodesia was governed by the British South Africa Company (BSA) which appointed an Administrator to administer the territory. The Administrator was assisted by an Executive Council comprising the Resident Commissioner, Senior Judge and three other members appointed by the Company.
Since 1890, key concepts such as, constituency based voting, secrecy of the vote, and first past the post as well as one man one vote already set the foundation for subsequent elections in the territory.
Notably, during the BSA rule, elections were systematically anchored on race and male chauvinism and, in fact, the system was couched in such a way that neither women nor black people could vote or contest an election.
Advisory Council
Although the BSA rule commenced in 1897, it was not until 1918 that elections were introduced following the establishment of an Advisory Council. The Council consisted of five members elected by representatives of the North Western Rhodesia Farmers Association, which was a consortium of white settlers.
The Advisory Council dubbed as the Parliament at the time which interfaced between white settlers and the Company on matters of taxation, trade and security in the territory.
Constituencies
Northern Rhodesia was divided into two constituencies namely; North Western Rhodesian which elected four representatives on the Advisory Council and North Eastern Rhodesian that had a single member.
Franchise
Voting was accorded to every male British subject of European descent over 21 years of age, who;
- Had property in the territory of not less than $150, or in receipt of a salary not less than $150, and,
- Could write.
Similar qualifications were required of candidates who sought election as members of the Advisory Council.
One Vote
Every voter was entitled to cast one secret vote and, due to poor communication infrastructure at the time, voting was largely by postage.
Election Management
Pre-colonial elections were managed by an Election Committee which comprised of three members appointed by the Farmers Association, and whose functions was to;
- register voters,
- receive nominations of candidates,
- count votes, and,
- declare the results
The candidate who scored the highest votes was declared winner by the Election Committee whose decision was final.
Notable among the first members of the Advisory Council was Leopold Moore, a Livingstone based trader who owned the first newspaper in Northern Rhodesia, the Livingstone Mail, which served as a mouth piece for white settlers in the territory.
The polls of the first Advisory Council, that was held on 1st July, 1918, resulted in the election of the following members:
North-Western Constituency
- Leopald Frank Moore
- Lewis Gordon
- William Shelmerdine; and
- George W. Hornby
North-Eastern Constituency
- John Lindsay Bruce
And the second elections held in 1921 returned the same members, before the company handed over the territory back to the British Monarch in 1924 due to unbearable costs of running the area, thereby setting the stage for colonization.
Eric M Kamwi
June,2023.