Majority Rule and Economic Development Strategy

Abstract

Rhodesia will take the step to majority rule, as Zimbabwe, just over 30 years after the post-World War II rush to independence started, and just over 20 years after that phenomenon hit sub-Saharan Africa. The attainment of majority rule in Rhodesia will take place under two important and unique planning circumstances. First, the new government will have the lessons of a quarter of a century of Third World economic development to draw upon in framing its development strategy. It should therefore be possible to avoid many of the mistakes which have been made in other countries over this period. Second, no other African country will have attained majority rule with so diversified and so sophisticated a modern sector in its economy, and especially with such a large industrial base. This factor at the same time provides a considerable advantage in development planning and poses a number of problems with which the planners and politicians will have to grapple.