The Post-War Co-operative Development in colonial Tanzania

Abstract

This paper has extensively utilised primary evidences obtained from Tanzania National Archives (TNA) to provide examine the post-war policies on the co-operative development and its implementation in Tanzania. Historically, the growth and development of the co-operative movement footprint among the natives in Tanzania before the outbreak of WWII was confined within some few geographical areas. This was so owing to the colonial hesitancy policy in promoting the policy based on political and personal interest. A policy shift was evident in the post-war years due to the intervention from the United Nation Organisation, ILO and Fabian Colonial Bureau that prompted the British colonial power to expand of co-operative movement footprint in Tanzania largely for its own economic and political interests. The intervention of the British colonial power in promoting the co-operative movement was based on the modernisation policy. However, the co-operative movement was top-down demonstrating a desire to control not only the co-operatives but also agricultural exports.

Keywords: Tanzania, colonial authority, co-operative movement, intervention, development