Simbai Masikinye

PhD thesis: Ties that bind? Finance and the Central African Federation, 1953-1963

My PhD focuses on the financial history of the Central African Federation. It analysis the role of finance in the establishment, operations and dissolution of CAF. The CAF was a cooperation of three African states namely; Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and Nyasaland (Malawi) between 1953 and 1963. The study examines the nature and effect(s) of the financial decisions made by the Federal Government between 1953 and 1963.  It explores whether such financial decisions became a bone of contention among and or a tie that bound the three territories together throughout the federal decade. By examining the role of finance in CAF, the study brings a new dimension to the historiography of Central Africa, colonial rule and economic partnership. This is made possible through a qualitative analysis of amalgamated primary material from dynamic archival sources.

Who or what inspired you to pursue your research interests?

I was inspired to pursue my research interests by Dr J. P. Mtisi during a third year undergraduate presentation I made on “colonial monetary systems in West Africa” in 2014. The presentation gave me the desire to understand the dynamics associated with financial management in any given economic period. This desire has been and continues to be strengthened by two factors; (a) the importance ascribed to the Ministry/Department of Finance in any given country or organisation and, (b) my 19 years of experience in a rural set-up (Matanda Village in Zimbabwe) where the livelihood of small-scale farmers is hinged on the production and marketing of commodities.