| Summary: | During the early and mid-twentieth century, the security forces of colonial<br />Southern Rhodesia were dominated by African men from neighbouring territories<br />such as Nyasaland, Northern Rhodesia and Portuguese East Africa who had entered<br />the regional migrant labour system. This included many with previous military<br />experience. As the British South Africa Police (BSAP) evolved from a paramilitary<br />occupation force into a professional law enforcement organisation, extra-territorial<br />recruits were phased out in favour of local men fluent in local languages with<br />western-style education. Despite this, African police from other territories<br />continued to have a disproportionate impact on the force as many became longserving<br />and accomplished members, who dominated the paramilitary African Police<br />Platoon and served as drill instructors for all recruits. During the First World War,<br />most African soldiers in the Rhodesia Native Regiment (RNR) were migrant<br />workers recruited directly from Southern Rhodesia’s mines. During the Second<br />World War, just under half of the Rhodesian African Rifles (RAR) originated from<br />other territories. The recruiting of extra-territorial African soldiers declined further<br />in the 1950s and early 1960s as military conditions of service in their respective<br />homes improved, the Masvingo-Gutu area became a dependable source of local<br />recruits and eventually newly independent black-ruled states came into conflict with<br />white-ruled Rhodesia.
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