Methods and reasons for colonisation of Africa

1. Use of sophisticated
weapons
• European countries are very rich and had powerful weapons
such as machine-guns and dynamites before many other
countries.
• They used these weapons to defeat people who used primitive
weapons such as spears, bows and arrows and old-fashioned
guns when they tried to resist colonisation.

2. Tricking of African leaders
 The second method they used which was very
popular was the tricking of African leaders who
eventually allowed them to take over their lands.
 Most African rulers could not read or write and
were persuaded to sign agreements by making a
cross on documents (probably contractual
agreements) and through this, giving the land away
unknowingly.
 This conquest method was used against Lobengula.

3. Tricking of African leaders
 In 1887 the Boers signed a new treaty of friendship with
Lobengula in order to promote their interests in the area.
 Rhodes and his men hastily arranged treaties with Lobengual
so as to establish their own claims to the country.
 The most important of these was the Rudd Concession, signed
in 1888 by Rhodes' men Rudd, Maguire and Thompson-who
deceived the illiterate King into signing it.
 The concession or agreement gave Rhodes the right to all
minerals in the land of the Amandebele.
 Lobengula, as he could not read was made to believe that the
concession would protect him and his country from potential
invaders.

4. Response to requests
 The last method was the response to early requests made
by African rulers.
 Some rulers feared that their enemies would attack them
and take their belongings, including land.
 Such rulers requested some European countries to rule
them and by so doing protecting them from their
enemies.
 Here it is important to note that the three Dikgosi from
different ethnic groups or (Merafe) of Botswana went to
Britain to request protection from the Boers who
seriously threatened to take their land.

5. Response to requests Cont.
 These dikgosi or chiefs were Khama of Bangwato,
Bathoen ofBangwaketsi and Sebele of Bakwena.
 However, the request by the named chefs was not
accepted immediately.
 It was only honoured later due to reasons we will
discuss later in this lesson.

6. British Protectorate over
Bechanaland
 Botswana itself came under the British power in
1885 when Britain declared a protectorate over the
Southern part of the country.
 The protectorate was extended to other parts of
Botswana in 1890.
 Let us now look at the reasons why Britain
eventually agreed to protect Botswana after several
refusals.

7. Reasons for the British
Protectorate Over Botswana
 The main reasons why the British in 1885 declared protectorate
over Botswana was that the land of Batswana had now become
very important to Britain.
 Before the British decision to colonise Botswana, British
traders and missionaries used a road from the Cape colony,
which passed through Mafikeng, Kanye,Molepolole and
Shoshong where it branched off to Ngamiland and Central
Africa.
 This important road for the traders was commonly called 'The
road to North".
 Due to the growing importance of this road to British traders
the British government thought it was worth protecting.
 Therefore, when the British government decided to give
protection to Botswana they did so mainly to secure or keep
the road safe from other powers such as France, Portugal,

8. Reasons for the British
Protectorate Over Botswana
 One of the rich British traders by the name of Cecil John
Rhodes was also interested in the country of Botswana
because he suspected it was rich in minerals.
 He was mainly suspecting the presence of minerals in
Botswana because in the 1860's gold mining was taking
place in the Tati area, near Francistown.
 Being a British, Rhodes had to be protected by his
country from other mineral seekers who came from other
European countries.
 The reasons stated above explain why Britain finally
honoured the request of Dikgosi to protect
Bechuanaland, which they had earlier dismissed .