Nationalism and the Federal State’s Agricultural Policies; The Politics of Cassava in Zambia, 1953-1963

During the Federal era, cassava played an important role in political mobilisation in Luapula Province. Nonetheless, the crop has seldom received attention in the otherwise rich historiography on African nationalism and anti-Federation struggle in present-day Zambia. Drawing on archival sources and oral history, and a reading of secondary sources, this article attempts to contribute to the historiography of cassava in Zambia and its contribution to the nationalist cause. The article examines the position of cassava in political mobilisation by nationalist politicians. It explores the link between the politics of cassava and those of nationalism. This article’s key argument is that while nationalist leaders drew on the politics of cassava to garner support from the rural population in their campaign against the state, the dissatisfaction with the administration’s approach towards cassava provided the local people in Luapula with a compelling reason to join, and offer support to, the African National Congress (ANC), the party by which the anti-Federation campaign was led.