Trick or Treaty? European Land Acquisition in Africa

This is the title chosen by Peter J. Baxter for his article.

On Halloween 2020, it might be useful to recall this as an important event in the history of European relations with Africa. 

Trick or Treaty?

Rhodes had already tried and failed to get a mining concession from Lobengula, king of the Ndebele, when in 1888 he sent John Moffat (son of the missionary Robert Moffat), who was trusted by Lobengula, to persuade the latter to sign a treaty of friendship with Britain, and to look favourably on Rhodes' proposals.

Baxter:

No record exists of exactly how Moffat approached the matter of a treaty with the British, but it can be safely assumed that he used the fear latent in the amaNdebele that a renewed invasion of Matabeleland by the Boer would be imminent if Lobengula did not place himself under the protection of Her Majesty. This had lately been a decision made by Lobengula’s neighbour, Chief Khama of Bechuanaland, who now enjoyed the safety of knowing that he could rely on the forces of Her Majesty to protect him against the advances of either the Boers, the Germans or the amaPutukezi (Portuguese).

By February 1888 Moffat had convinced Lobengula to commit his mark to a document outlining the principals agreed between these two men. The document itself, copied below, was an innocuous document, offering little and requiring little, other than that the amaNdebele make no firm commitments to any other nation or authority without the prior agreement of Her Majesty. Bearing in mind that this was not an official document, and that Moffat did not speak for the Crown, any specific offer of protection was fraudulent. All that it truly meant was that Cecil Rhodes had managed to second the assistance of three Crown servants acting outside of their authority, and had secured for his future interests and option on Matabeleland.

The text of the Moffat's 'treaty of friendship':

The Chief Lobengula, ruler of the tribe known as Amandebele, together with the Mashona and Makalaka tributaries of the same, hereby agrees to the following articles and conditions...

That peace and amity will continue forever between Her Britannic Majesty, her subjects and the Amandebele people; and the contracting Chief, Lobengula, engages to use his utmost endeavours to prevent any rupture of the same, to cause the strict observance of this treaty, and so to carry out the treaty of friendship which was entered into by his late father, the Chief Umsiligaas, with the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, in the year of our Lord 1836.

It is hereby further agreed by Lobengula, Chief in and over the Amandebele country, with the dependencies as aforesaid, on behalf of himself and people, that he will refrain from entering into any correspondence or treat with any foreign state or power to sell, alienate or cede or permit or countenance any sale, alienation or cession of the whole or any part of the said Amandebele country under his chieftainship, or upon any other subject without the previous knowledge and sanction of Her Majesties High Commissioner for South Africa.

In faith of which I, Lobengula, on my part have hereto set my hands at Gubulawayo, Amandabeleland, this eleventh day of February, and of Her Majesties reign the 51st.

Lobengula: His Mark.
Witnesses: W. Graham & GB van Wyk.
Before me, J.S. Moffat.
Assistant Commissioner.

Moffat had successfully used fears of Boer invasion to invite British protection. However Rhodes needed more than this if he was to achieve his ambitions of a Royal Charter. He needed a concession of mineral rights, and so before the year was out he sent another agent, Charles Daniel Rudd, to persuade Lobengula to sign away his country.

Rudd assured Lobengula that no more than ten white men would mine in Matabeleland, but this was left out of the document Lobengula signed. As part of this agreement, and at the insistence of the British, neither the Boer or Portuguese were permitted to settle or gain concessions in the region. The 25-year Rudd Concession as the agreement became known, was signed by Lobengula on 30 October 1888. 

He was soon to discover, however, that he had been tricked into signing a document that contained few of the assurances promised to him during the negotiations and although he dispatched envoys to England to intercede with Queen Victoria, by then it was too late. The treaty would lead to the annexation of his country.