University Of Rhodesia's Institute For Social Research
Abstract
A structured inquiry survey on social change in the African neighborhood of Highfields in Zimbabwe.This paper presents the results of a structured enquiry survey which is a sequel to a sociographic survey of Highfield African township (Stopforth: 1971). The general introduction to the 1971 publication outlines physical and general information on the township and will not be repeated here. Since the completion of the field research for this project in December 1969, Highfield township has passed from the administration of the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to that of the Greater Salisbury Municipality (July 1971). However, the responsibility for continuing a scheme of local government for urban African townships remain the prerogative of the minister of Local Government and Housing (Municipal Amendment Act 1971, sect. 30).
For many Africans, the change in township administration constituted a threatening situation. The convention of central government at that time had been to promote home-ownership schemes, whereas local govern ment administrative authorities were known to favour rented (non-ownership) housing for urban Africans. Many home-owners now feared that they would have to relinquish title to their homes. This general fear was exacerbated by some ill-considered debate in the lower house concerning the fate of African townships, viz. whether urban African townships should remain as part of the urban complex or be “transferred” to neighbouring tribal trust lands
