The fast track land reform programme and livelihoods in Zimbabwe : a case study of households at Athlone Farm in Murehwa District.
Date
2010-02-24T10:19:39Z
Authors
Mandizadza, Shingirai
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Abstract
When Zimbabwe gained independence from white settler rule in 1980, it was faced with the challenge of addressing the colonial legacy of disparities in access to production resources, including land. Land and other productive assets were controlled by a minority of white farmers engaged in large scale commercial production. In contrast, the majority of the Zimbabwean population in rural areas eked a subsistent life in overcrowded and infertile communal areas. 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 scale reforms that would address these discrepancies whilst maintaining earnings from crop production. The commercial farming sector contributed to the country‟s Gross Domestic Product earnings and also contributed to the total merchandise exports and inputs to manufacturing. It was also the single largest employer in the modern sector.
Government policy was informed by global and national debates about the efficiency, effectiveness and economic rationale of promoting large scale commercial production, compared to redistributive programmes that would provide smaller farming land to a larger number of beneficiaries for small holder production. The issue of the scope and potential of providing land to the poor to ensure household food self-provisioning had only been dealt with marginally until the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP) in 2000 to 20002. This was despite global and national debates and empirical evidence that pointed to the potential that lay in land redistribution to improve the livelihoods of the majority of the Zimbabwean poor. The FTLRP, which led to the redistribution of large scale commercial land, resulted in a lot of negative impacts that have been well documented. It also, however, opened up debates and renewed academic interest to interrogate the role of smallholder agriculture to livelihoods enhancement and poverty alleviation.
The study used a case study of households that were settled in Athlone farm under the FTLRP to contribute to this debate. Its main aim was to explore how far, and, in what ways the beneficiaries‟ lives had changed since they had resettled in Athlone. Emphasis in the study was placed on capturing the livelihood activities of resettled households. Interrogation and analysis of livelihoods in Athlone was guided by the sustainable livelihoods framework and the basic assumptions of the concept of agrarian reform. The sustainable livelihoods framework was employed to evaluate how the provision of land, as one asset pertinent to the livelihoods of the poor, has improved the livelihood capabilities of Athlone farmers. It was also used to review the broad range of other provisions that agrarian reform should extend in order to improve livelihoods.
The study finds tentative results that point to improved livelihoods for Athlone households, particularly as far as household food self-sufficiency is concerned. It finds that beneficiary households have been able to meet their own food, grain needs and extending to the needs of families and friends amidst the poverty and grain shortage that Zimbabwe has experienced since the FTLRP started. However, Athlone households‟ livelihoods are considerably vulnerable as they have only managed to survive a subsistence levels. The study concludes that whilst the FTLRP, provided land, land, on its own cannot be sufficient as a livelihood resource without access to other capital assets. The redistribution of land has not been integrated into a wider agrarian and development strategy in a way that would reflect the full potential for livelihoods enhancement.