Hut tax facts for kids
The hut tax was a special kind of tax that the British government made people pay in their parts of Africa. It was usually charged for each "hut" or home a family had.
People could pay this tax in different ways: with money, by working for the government, or even with crops or animals. This tax helped the British in several ways:
- It raised money for them.
- It made their new money system more valuable.
- It helped spread the idea of using cash in the economy.
- It forced many South Africans to work for British businesses, especially in mines or on big building projects like railways. This made people depend on the new cash economy.
Because of the tax, many families who used to be farmers or ranchers had to send family members to cities or to work on government projects. They needed to earn money to pay the tax. The new economies in Africa, especially in places like South Africa, needed lots of workers for towns, roads, and the fast-growing mining industry.
The Hut Tax in South Africa
By 1908, different hut taxes were in place across the colony of South Africa:
- In Natal, a law from 1857 set the tax at 14 shillings per hut. However, Africans who lived in European-style houses and had only one wife didn't have to pay this tax.
- In the Transkei region, the tax was 10 shillings for each hut.
- In the Cape Colony, different "house duties" (taxes on homes) had been around since the 1850s. These taxes were supposed to apply to all house owners, but they weren't always fully collected, especially in rural areas.
- In 1870, a new, stronger house tax was put in place because the government needed money badly. This tax was very unpopular and was stopped in 1872.
- But in 1878, a new and higher tax was introduced by the Sprigg government because they were spending a lot of money.
- The most talked-about "hut tax" in the Cape was set up in 1884. It was 10 shillings per hut, but older people and those who were sick didn't have to pay it. This tax was removed in 1889.
The Hut Tax in Mashonaland
In the colony of Mashonaland, which is now part of modern-day Zimbabwe, a hut tax was started in 1894. It cost ten shillings for each hut. Even though the Colonial Office in London approved this tax, the money went to the British South Africa Company (BSAC). This company was acting for the British government in that area.
Many things made the local Shona decide to rebel against the company in 1896. These included the new hut tax, disagreements about cattle, and several natural disasters. This rebellion became known as the First Chimurenga or Second Matabele War.
The Hut Tax in Other Countries
The hut tax was also used in other African countries under British rule, like Kenya, Uganda, and Northern Rhodesia (which is now Zambia).
In Sierra Leone, the hut tax led to a conflict called the Hut Tax War of 1898 in the Ronietta district. During this war, some buildings belonging to the Home Missionary Society were badly damaged. The American government stepped in to ask for money for the damages suffered by the Society. The Society eventually received money for the damage caused by the rioters in Sierra Leone.
Liberia also used a hut tax. In one case, this tax caused the Kru people to revolt in 1915.
