Remnants of an Empire: Memory and Northern Rhodesiaís White DiasporaWhen Zambia became Independent in 1964, the white colonial population did not suddenly evaporate. Some had supported Independence, others had virulently opposed it, but all had to reappraise their nationality, residence and careers. A few became Zambian citizens and many more chose to stay while without committing themselves. But most of the colonial population eventually trickled out of the country to start again elsewhere. Pamela Charmer-Smith has traced survivors of this population to discover how new lives where constructed and new perspectives generated. Her account draws on the power of postcolonial memory to understand the many ways that copper miners, district officers, school-children and housewives became the empires relics. Her work is not that of a dispassionate outsider but of one who grew up in Northern Rhodesia, knew its colonial population and has considerable affection for Zambia. |
Contents
1 INTRODUCTION | 1 |
2 WHO WERE THE NORTHERN RHODESIANS? | 9 |
3 ARRIVAL | 27 |
4 WHAT WAS IT LIKE? | 47 |
5 I FEEL SORRY FOR THE CHILDREN OF TODAY | 71 |
6 A MANS COUNTRY? | 97 |
7 THE POLITICAL CLIMATE | 119 |
8 WHY DID YOU LEAVE IF YOU LIKED IT SO MUCH? | 129 |
11 WHAT REMAINS? | 213 |
12 TOWARDS THE END | 237 |
13 CONCLUSION | 241 |
ABREVIATIONS AND LOCAL TERMS | 253 |
ACNOWLEDGEMENTS | 257 |
RESPONDENTS | 259 |
267 | |
Back cover | 282 |
Common terms and phrases
Administration Afrikaner arrived Australia back to Zambia Barotseland became boarding school born boys Britain British Broken Hill brother Bulawayo bush Cape Town career Chingola Congo copper Copperbelt decided District Officer Durban employment England European population eventually experience Facebook farm father Federation former Northern Rhodesians friends Government HMOCS husband Independence John joined journey Kabwe kids Kitwe knew later leave left Zambia lifestyle lived Livingstone London look Luanshya Luapula Province Lumpa Lusaka married Mazabuka memories mining months mother moved Mufulira Namwala Ndola never Northern Rhodesia one’s Overseas parents pension Police political Province racial railway realised remember retired sent Service settled sister social South Africa Southern spent started station stay stories things took train wanted wife women wonderful wrote young Zambezi Zambia Zambianised Zimbabwe