Zambesia's colonial borders (Part 2)
Zambesia's colonial borders (Part 2)

Zambesia's colonial borders (Part 2)

Dani Booysen
BEN S SIYAMBANGO NZEHENGWA WRITES:

It should be born in mind that there were two "Caprivi strips".

One terminated south of the Kwando River (Tschobe River) and was described in the Heligoland Zanzibar treaty in July 1 1890.

The other strip is the one about which Lord Salisbury, in his speech to the House of Lords on the 10th of July 1890, referred to German aspirations in Africa, making it clear that for Germany the conclusion of the agreement was subject to the condition that “at the very north of this Damaraland territory they should have a strip of territory going along the Portuguese border and giving them direct access to River Zambezi.

It is the last route in the world by which trade can pass. It is at the head of the waters of all the affluents of the Chobe and the Zambezi, stretches over an impracticable country and leads only into the Portuguese possessions.

Please note that this strip should take a direction first north of Damaraland territory going along the Portuguese border and direct access to the river Zambezi, whereas the strip described in the agreement terminated south of the Kwando River.



SOUTH AFRICA

The current so called Caprivi Strip presumably created by apartheid South Africa is located east of former Damaraland in sharp contrast to the stipulations of Lord Salisbury to the House of Lords on 10th July 1890. Furthermore, the limits of the order in council of 30th June 1890 stated that the parts of South Africa situated north of the British Bechuanaland Protectorate, west of the South African Republic and Matabeleland and south of the River Zambezi are not within the jurisdiction of any civilized power.

This had nothing to do with the extension of the former Bechuanaland protectorate. This order in council referred to Zambesia following its partition to the east for the establishment of southern Rhodesia vis a viv Order in council of 1894.

Bechuanaland meant the country of the Tswana and for administrative purposes was divided into two political entities. The northern part was administered as the Bechuanaland Protectorate and the southern part was administered as the crown colony of British Bechuanaland.

British Bechuanaland was incorporated into the Cape Colony in 1895 and now forms part of South Africa. The northern part, the Bechuanaland Protectorate, had an area of 22 000 square miles (580 000 square kilometres) and a population of 120 776.

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