Overpopulation and Overstocking in the Native Areas of Matabeleland

Scott has shown that land alienation in some African territories is causing con? siderable problems of population and stock congestion in the native areas (S ott, 1951; Fair, 1945; Doveton, 1937). These have been perennial problems which, all other solutions failing, have often been temporarily relieved by the extension of the native area into unallocated land. In Southern Rhodesia this palliative has been used three times, in 1930, 1950 and 1954. However, it is no longer available since all but 2 per cent of the land has been allocated, and the unallocated land is heavily infested with tsetse fly and has considerable problems of water supply. This situation makes the congestion in the native areas critical, and therefore it seems worthwhile to examine the nature and extent of the problem in Matabeleland in the light of land classifica? tion and agricultural methods, and to record the solutions which are being employed. Matabeleland was selected since it includes considerable areas where the annual rain? fall is less than 20 inches and where problems are correspondingly more acute. The field-work was carried out during the winters of 1958 and 1959.