Zimbabwe O-Level History

This course covers historical developments in Zimbabwe, sub-Saharan Africa, and the wider world, enabling learners to draw lessons from the past. The syllabus is divided into themes, studied within the context of past events.

Topics Covered:

• Conceptualization of History: Definition of history, its importance, sources of history (archaeology, oral tradition, written records, rock paintings, ICT), advantages and disadvantages of each source, analysis of sources, and different types of history (economic, political, social).
• Origins of Humankind: Major theories on the origins of humankind (evolution, creationism), stages of human development in Darwin's theory of evolution, the concept of the "Cradle of Humankind," African sites where remnants of early humankind were discovered, and the reasons why Africa is considered the cradle of humankind.
• Development of Zimbabwean Societies: Tools used during the Stone Age and Early Iron Age, political, social, and economic activities of the Stone and Iron Ages, changes from Stone Age to Early Iron Age, geographical locations of Great Zimbabwe, Mutapa, Rozvi, Zulu, and Ndebele states, factors leading to their rise, and their economic, political, and social organization. The concept of Mfecane, its causes, and Tshaka's military reforms in Zululand are also explored. Factors leading to the decline of these states are examined.
• Early European Contacts with Zimbabwe: Portuguese and Missionaries: Prazos involved in the Prazo system, the Portuguese Prazo system, reasons for Portuguese penetration into the Zambezi Valley, Portuguese activities in the Zambezi Valley, the relationship between the Portuguese and Africans, the impact of the Prazo system on Africans, early missionary groups and their areas of operation, missionary activities, challenges faced by missionaries, and the impact of missionary activities. European agents of colonization and their roles are also studied.
• Colonization of Zimbabwe: Countries involved in the scramble and partition of Southern Africa, causes of the scramble and partition, countries that attended the Berlin Conference, reasons for convening the conference, resolutions reached at the conference, effects of the scramble and partition, countries involved in the scramble for Zimbabwe, reasons for the colonization of Zimbabwe, the colonization process, causes of the Anglo-Ndebele War, the course of the war, results of the war, causes of the First Chimurenga/Umvukela, the course of the First Chimurenga/Umvukela, the role of chiefs and spirit mediums in the First Chimurenga/Umvukela, and the results of the First Chimurenga/Umvukela.
• Colonial Administration in Rhodesia: Company rule, the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI), political, economic, and social policies under Company Rule, factors leading to the collapse of Company Rule, reasons for establishing the Responsible Government, policies of the Responsible Government, the impact of the Responsible Government on indigenous people, reasons for forming the Federation, steps taken towards forming the Federation, successes and failures of the Federation, reasons for the collapse of the Federation, reasons for UDI, policies and developments during UDI, and the impact of UDI policies on indigenous people.
• Nationalism: Definition of Pan-Africanism, reasons for its rise, Pan-Africanist movements, the role of W.E.B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey in developing Pan-Africanism, definition of mass nationalism, factors leading to its rise in Africa, the rise of mass nationalism in Zimbabwe, and the rise of mass nationalism in South Africa since 1848.
• The Armed Struggle: Mass nationalist movements, aims and activities of these movements, political activities of various nationalist movements in Zimbabwe, challenges faced by nationalist movements, reasons for the transition from peaceful politics to armed struggle, countries where freedom fighters received military training, the role of other countries in the armed struggle, recruitment strategies used by political parties, battles of the early phase of the armed struggle, reasons for the failure of ZANLA and ZIPRA in early battles, the role of the masses in the armed struggle, and the main events of the liberation struggle.
• Post-Independence Development in Zimbabwe: Events leading to Zimbabwe's independence, the policy of reconciliation, economic, political, and social developments since independence, reasons for the land reform program, the role of the Constitution in land redistribution, indigenization policies, and the reaction of Western countries to land reform programs.
• Rights of Children as Enshrined in the Constitution: Principles of democracy, different types of democracy, how the government has promoted democracy, human and children's rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), human and children's rights in the Constitution, government efforts in promoting these rights, definition of a constitution, functions of the Constitution, provisions on citizenship and human rights, and functions of the judiciary, executive, and legislature.