Recent extensive land reform and agrarian change in zimbabwe exposes the myth that the land question in settler africa is not a primary contradiction of the national question, and that land reform can only be resolved through a liberal democratic transition of negotiated settlement under neoliberal land reform. The challenges of selffinancing in local authorities the. The impact of economic structural adjustment programs. Inequalities in land ownership were inflated by a growing overpopulation problem, depletion of overutilised trac.
Other donor organisations, including the world bank, usaid, overseas development institute and the european union eu also showed great interest in supporting the land reform. While land reform is a significant and legitimate concern for many people in zimbabwe, particularly those eking out a living on overpopulated and depleted communal lands, the government of zimbabwe s decision to launch the fasttrack land reform programme was prompted not by a desire to realize human rights but by a desire to maintain power. A quantitative analysis of zimbabwes land reform policy core. Introduction at independence in 1980 zimbabwe inherited a highly skewed pattern of land distribution. Overall impacts of fast track land reform programme. First, the article provides a brief look at preindependence education in zimbabwe. Land reform, commercial agriculture and local economic growth. Much of this land was previously cattle ranches, with limited. With the subsequent gazetting of 804 farms for compulsory acquisition in early june 2000 and the official launch of the accelerated land reform and resettlement implementation plan in july 2000, goz ventured effectively into what is commonly referred to as the fasttrack land reform program. Zimbabwes fast track land reform program ftlrp formally began.
Disparity between policy design and implementation medicine masiiwa institute of development studies university of zimbabwe may 2004 note. A critical analysis of the land reform programme in zimbabwe. A few months into power he announced that the zimbabwean government would, at some point, address injustices committed during the early 2000s land reform programme. He has published widely and has contributed to many national, regional and international networks on land and agrarian reform issues. The major challenge for the current land policy is to improve the credibility and efficacy of the governments approach to land reform. The effect of the fast track phase of land reform on the financial sector was catastrophic, because most banks in zim held collectively billions of dollars worth of bonds on the commerci.
It focused on the implementation of the land reform programme and whether women benefitted economically from the initiative. We are pleased that we were able to host such an event. The experiences of zimbabwe and namibia provide examples that the south african authorities can draw upon as they formulate their new land reform policies. In this section, we zero in on masvingo province in the central south and east of the country. The programmes stated targets were intended to alter the ethnic balance of land ownership. A 1998 survey of farm workers in zimbabwe detailing their demographic, and skill, land access and viewpoints of land reform and redistribution is used to examine the very real constraints and the possibilities for poverty reduction among longstanding marginalized social groups in the ongoing fasttrack land resettlement in zimbabwe. Since then, the government has taken steps that signal the intention to transform a moribund economy. The need for land reform south africa suffered a long history of colonization, racial domination and land dispossession that resulted in the bulk of the agricultural land being owned by a white minority. The land reform in zimbabwe was organised in line with that slogan and had the following basic elements of speed, which made it to be known as the fast track land reform. Ten months ago, on august 26, 2015, zimbabwes 92year old leader, robert mugabe announced a 10point plan to revitalize economic growth.
Fast track land reform in zimbabwe centre for public impact. This pdf is made available under a creative commons. Zimbabwe government for the purpose of land redistribution1. These studies have reported an internal rate of return to the program that exceeds 20%.
The fasttrack land reform and agrarian change in zimbabwe. Pdf this paper is an analysis of papers, reports and legislation that deals with land reform in south africa. This paper assesses the potential consequences of a land reform. This policy allowed government to acquire, for compensation, land that it deemed. In the biggest land reform in africa, 6,000 white farmers have been replaced by 245,000 zimbabwean farmers. High failure rate of land reform to date highlighting the high failure rate of land reform to date, setou noted that in 2010, it was estimated that 90% of the 5,9m ha land transferred was no. The euphoric joy sweeping zimbabwe after the ousting after 37 years in power of robert mugabe and his wife grace, who had her sights firmly set on the presidency is based largely on the populaces hopes with regards to radical changes on the. Political economy analysis of fast track land reform programme in zimbabwe arnold rangarirayi chamunogwa a minithesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts in governance and development at the institute of development studies, university of sussex. This study explored how the land reform in zimbabwe empowered women economically through sustainable livelihoods initiatives. Ten priorities for getting agriculture moving in zimbabwe. Postindependence land reform was key to many of these challenges and together with the british government. Perceptions regarding land reform debate, progress made and challenges encountered in. The second phase of the land redistribution and resettlement programme in the form of the fast track land reform programme ftlrp, which started in 2000, has created an expanded number and array of small, medium and large scale farms, and effectively transferring ownership from the minority, white farmers to new indigenous farmers.
The impact of economic structural adjustment programs esaps. In each of these countries the process of land reform is incomplete. Poverty reduction is no doubt the greatest challenge the country is facing today. It indicates that from 2009 to december 2011, about 823 300 hectares of land were acquired and allocated to 20 290 beneficiaries, an improvement over previous years that indicates that our systems are improving. Land reform in zimbabwe has radically transformed the rural economy. Irin zimbabwe s fasttrack land reform programme has ignored the critical role played. Zimbabwe s often violent land reform programme has not been the complete economic disaster widely portrayed, a new study has found. In countries that are going through land reforms, the collection of tax from the settled farmers can be interpreted as undermining the land reform initiative, scenarios that may discourage local authorities from enforcing such taxes. Implications for social welfare in zimbabwe saliwe m. During visits to university of zimbabwe to meet professors and researchers and.
The government came up with new and revised land reform policy after 1990, passing the land acquisition act in 1992, which was supposed to speed up the land reform process through land designation and compulsory acquisition. Land reform in south africa is a moral, social and economic imperative. Robert mugabe promised a new revolutionary land reform programme, to. These arguments are explored through an examination of previous land resettlement programmes in zimbabwe in these two respects. The paper also evaluates the objections to land reform related to issues of compensation and legality. Print and ebook editions of this work are available to zed. Efficiency effects zimbabwes agricultural mechanization and. The land tenure act of 1969 entrenched the 1930 legislation. The distribution was unequal and gender insensitive. May 31, 2016 another reform proposed by the zimbabwe government is a program now being advertised by the ministry of lands and rural resettlement that would enable farmers to lease land for 99 years. Pdf the research analysed the impacts of land reform programme on politicoeconomic development in zimbabwe using the. The land reform programme in zimbabwe has been a major area of international. It was used by the aging mugabe to gain political mileage and grip which he was losing to mdc led tsvanngirai. Challenges and prospects for the new theology of land in zimbabwe.
Research was conducted in makoni district of manicaland province, zimbabwe. In southern africa, tenure reform must address a range of problems arising from settler colonisation and dispossession. Aug 30, 2017 fast track land reform in zimbabwe written by claudia irigoyen africa infrastructure economics and finance the zimbabwean government began its land reforms in the 1980s to address the imbalances in land access ownership and use that had existed in the country before independence. A total of 712 of these claims, for 292 995 hectares, were settled between 2009 and december 2011, against a target of 1 845 claims for the period.
Section 2 discusses the land reform programme in zimbabwe since. The economic transformation programme is, premised on the countrys. Finally, the land acquisition amendment act of november 2000 and the land acquisition amendment no. Chapter 2 evolution of rural planning in zimbabwe 2. During the first and second phases of the land reform programme government pursued a narrowly defined land reform programme which focused solely on the in his ph. An adapted version of this paper appears in the edited collection post independence land reform in zimbabwe, published in may 2004 by the friedrich ebert stiftung in harare. The fast track land reform programme, begun in 2000, allocated to new farmers over 4,500 farms making up 7. Zimbabwe received financial assistance for land reform during the 1980s and 1990s from various governments. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the land. An evaluation of indigenisation policy in zimbabwe by busisiwe monica shumba 210505399 a dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of social science in the school of social sciences at the university of kwazulunatal november 2014 supervisor.
Land reform in zimbabwe officially began in 1980 with the signing of the lancaster house agreement, as an effort to more equitably distribute land between black subsistence farmers and white zimbabweans of european ancestry, who had traditionally enjoyed superior political and economic status. Print and ebook editions of this work are available to zed books. Many western countries argue that the government of zimbabwe s land reform program, recurrent interference with, and intimidation of the judiciary, as well as maintenance of unrealistic price controls and exchange rates has led to a sharp drop in investor confidence. Robert mugabe wanted to use his land reform program to eliminate the traces of colonialism by giving farms to black. Apr 07, 2015 the experiences of zimbabwe and namibia provide examples that the south african authorities can draw upon as they formulate their new land reform policies. Zimbabwes land reform has not been neat, and huge problems remain. This paper assesses the potential consequences of a land reform scheme that draws on proposals. Efficiency effects zimbabwes agricultural mechanization and fast track land reform programme. The programme will support the reform measures that the government has already started implementing under the recently completed international monetary fund imf staff monitored program smp. Government will at all times act in the best interest of our nation. Jan 28, 20 land reform in zimbabwe is the greatest flop in the world but a success in the eyes of zanu pfutseki. Whilst the need for redistribution of land and other productive resources was obvious, the government had to face the policy challenges of how to implement large.
Pdf the research analysed the impacts of land reform programme on politico economic development in zimbabwe using the. For a few months the matter went under the radar as zimbabwe struggled with other socioeconomic challenges, including foreignexchange liquidity issues after the 2018 general. Land, identity, and power global crisis solutions page 5 land segregation was institutionalized in the land apportionment act of 1930 which made it almost impossible for africans to buy land adjacent to white farms. The impact of economic structural adjustment programs esaps on women and children. But conditions were put on the way that the money handed over could be used. Speeding up the identification for compulsory acquisition of not less than. The land and agrarian question in zimbabwe sam moyo this work. Zimbabwe, land reform and white compensation africa at lse. Zimbabwe, on one side of the spectrum, is facing a crisis in democratisation due to its radical approach to land reform. In the analysis provided here, use is made of the cost estimates presented by these authors.
She stressed the importance of transparency and costeffectiveness. Whether it is called land reform or agrarian reform, the operational concept covers five main types of reform, classified according to whether they deal with land title and terms of holding, land distribution, the scale of operation, the pattern of cultivation, or supplementary measures such as credit, marketing, or extension services. Land reform is probably one of the most difficult domestic policy issues to be dealt with by zimbabwe, namibia, south africa and australia. Governments thinking and approach to the inherited problems were clearly spelt out. A 5050 framework that shares out land while also ending the ability to make historical claims on particular properties, may offer south africa a way forward that, while still. The fast track land reform programme ftlrp in zimbabwe has been the focus of. This paper looks at the historical processes that influence the indigenisation and economic empowerment programme ieep adopted by the government of zimbabwe goz and identifies the potential trickledown benefits, constraints and alternative. The radical land reform of 2000 has left many outstanding challenges. The need for land reform south africa suffered a long history of colonization, racial domination and land dispossession that.
This paper is an analysis of papers, reports and legislation that deals with land reform in south africa. Africa zimbabwe s fasttrack land reform shows little benefit 15 years on. Redistributive land reform and poverty reduction in zimbabwe. It contradicted the overwhelmingly negative images of land reform presented in the media, and indeed in much academic and policy commentary. The land reform programme can achieve its desired social, economic and political objectives if the redistribution exercise is planned properly. In recent years, there has been considerable economic hardship in zimbabwe. Incoming interim zimbabwean president emmerson mnangagwa has an enormous task awaiting him on both the political and economic front. Race gender and class in the government of commercial farm workers in hurunawe district. This replaced an agrarian structure that was divided between 4,500 largescale commercial farms and many small communal area farms. Government will continue to accelerate the pace of land reform within the framework of the constitution of the republic of south africa, respective legislation and according to the rule of law. The contemporary land reform programme in zimbabwe which took off.
Kawewe southern illinois university school of social work robert dibie indiana state university dept of political science this study examines the impact of structural adjustment policy sap. After 2000, around 145,000 families were allocated smallholder plots and a further 20,000 took on medium scale farms. The odas assessment study of the land resettlement programme 1988 9. Goz government of zimbabwe lpm landless peoples movement. The uk participated in the 1998 land conference and welcomed its outcome, and reaffirmed its commitment to support transparent land reform uk land resettlement policy. The land reform programme was described as illegal and a failure. His latest publication by zed books is biofuels, land grabbing and food. Jan 22, 2018 getting agriculture moving in zimbabwe is a big task. Economic transformation programme, drafted by zimbabwe. Social development in zimbabwe discussion paper prepared for the development foundation for zimbabwe by dr tendai murisa december 2010 dr tendai murisa is a zimbabwean with extensive experience working on various projects aimed at improving pro land and agrarian policies in africa. Current land reform challenges need to be fixed before. Fast track land reform in zimbabwe centre for public.
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