'Visible hectares, vanishing livelihoods': a case of the fast track land reform and resettlement programme in Southern Matabeleland- Zimbabwe

Mabhena, Clifford

Title: 'Visible hectares, vanishing livelihoods': a case of the fast track land reform and resettlement programme in Southern Matabeleland- Zimbabwe
Creator: Mabhena, Clifford
Subject: Sustainable development -- Zimbabwe
Subject: Rural poor -- Zimbabwe
Subject: Rural development -- Zimbabwe
Subject: Land tenure -- Zimbabwe
Subject: Land reform beneficiaries -- Zimbabwe
Subject: Livestock -- Breeding -- Zimbabwe
Subject: Land settlement -- Zimbabwe
Date: 2010
Type: Thesis
Type: Doctoral
Type: D Soc Sc
Identifier: vital:11423
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1001193
Identifier: Sustainable development -- Zimbabwe
Identifier: Rural poor -- Zimbabwe
Identifier: Rural development -- Zimbabwe
Identifier: Land tenure -- Zimbabwe
Identifier: Land reform beneficiaries -- Zimbabwe
Identifier: Livestock -- Breeding -- Zimbabwe
Identifier: Land settlement -- Zimbabwe
Description: Land reform has been going on in Zimbabwe since the state attained independence from Britain in 1980 as a way of enhancing agrarian livelihoods for the formerly marginalized people. This study argues that, the Land Reform Programme in Southern Matabeleland rather than enhancing agrarian livelihoods, well established livelihoods have actually been drastically reduced. This has been exacerbated by the state programme of land re-distribution that prescribes a „one size fits all‟ model. Yet this is contrary to the thinking in development discourse that equitable land distribution increases rural livelihoods. As a way of gathering data this study utilized ethnography and case study methodologies. I spent two years interacting and interviewing purposively selected new resettles, communal residents, migrant workers and gold panners in this region. Results from this study confirm that, land reform has greatly reduced livelihoods, particularly agrarian livelihoods. Also, this research has found out that, the majority of residents now depend on off-farm livelihoods such as gold panning and migration to neighbouring South Africa. This thesis therefore concludes that, despite a massive expropriation of former commercial farms, people of Southern Matabeleland have not benefitted much as the village settlements (A1) and the small size farms (A2) have not received support from this live-stocking community. People in this region pin their hopes on livestock rearing to sustain their livelihoods and this study therefore recommends that, any agrarian transformation programmes should address the issues that promote livestock rearing
Format: 260 leaves; 30 cm
Format: pdf
Publisher: University of Fort Hare
Publisher: Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities
Language: English
Rights: University of Fort Hare

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