The invasion of the largely whiteowned farms, accompanied by violent evictions and wholesale and wanton destruction and looting in 2000, led to a crisis between the judiciary and the executive that resulted in most of the judiciary being. The land reform programme was described as illegal and a failure. Zimbabwe land policy study 2 executive to undermine the independence of the judiciary and subvert the rule of law in order to remove obstacles to the implementation of the land reform programme. Fast track land reform in zimbabwe centre for public. By contrast, little attention has been given, in either scholarly or popular writing, to the gendered contours of the land issue in zimbabwe. In sum, the realities on the ground did not match the myths so often perpetuated in wider debate. Zimbabwe, on one side of the spectrum, is facing a crisis in democratisation due to its radical approach to land reform. This is further corroborated by literature from undergraduate and postgraduate students who have done researchwork on resettlement areas, especially in masvingo province. At independence in 1980, they were 33m hectares ha of arable farming land in zimbabwe. 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. Fast track land reform in zimbabwe centre for public impact.
World media demonised zimbabwe and the fasttrack land reforms which were initiated in 1999. The study reported that of around 7 million hectares of land redistributed via the land reform or 20% of zimbabwe s area, 49. In 2000, zimbabwes government expropriated white farmers without compensation. Government and donors within the current land policy debate are discussing two general models of land acquisition and resettlement.
The story is not simply one of collapse and catastrophe. The land reform programme in zimbabwe has been a major area of international discussion for almost five years now. For example, in the twentieth century, many land reforms emerged from a particular political ideology, such as communism or socialism. These arguments vary tremendously over time and place. Disparity between policy design and implementation medicine masiiwa institute of development studies university of zimbabwe may 2004 note. Oct 03, 2002 johannesburg, 3 october irin zimbabwe s fasttrack land reform programme has ignored the critical role played by the commercial farming sector in the economy, analysts and farmers have warned. Nov 29, 2017 land reform is a zimbabwe success story it will be the basis for economic recovery under mnangagwa november 29, 2017 9. The lessons from zimbabwes land reform for its neighbors. In the early years of the reforms, the programme captured international attention and imagination, while in zimbabwe itself it radically altered peoples lives and livelihoods, and at the same time reawakened peoples memories of the past. Race gender and class in the government of commercial farm workers in hurunawe district.
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. Land reform can, therefore, refer to transfer of ownership from the more powerful to the. It was used by the aging mugabe to gain political mileage and grip which he was losing to mdc led tsvanngirai. 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. In each of these countries the process of land reform is incomplete. Much controversy and ambiguity has been associated with the term improved in zimbabwes land reform debate. 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. Overall impacts of fast track land reform programme. Much of the literature on the political determinants of african economic policies that has been produced over the last decade seems to be motivated by the need. Jul 31, 2019 zimbabwes new land reforms dont go far enough robert mugabe seized whiteowned farms.
But equally as valid is the view that the case for land reform needed to be reinforced because of the failure of zimbabwes friends and sponsorsthe multilateral and bilateral agencies especiallyto persuade robert mugabe that land reform was too important to be neglected. According to the land policy statement of the government of zimbabwe adopted in 1990, which still applies, the criteria for identifying land to be acquired for redistribution are that the land is. Jan 28, 20 land reform in zimbabwe is the greatest flop in the world but a success in the eyes of zanu pfutseki. Pdf zimbabwe land policy study prosper muza academia. Under the command agriculture policy, black capitalist farmers have.
Land reform is a deeply political process and therefore many arguments for and against it have emerged. This website presents material linked to an ongoing research project in masvingo province in the southeast of the country. It contradicted the overwhelmingly negative images of land reform presented in the media, and indeed in much academic and policy commentary. Arbitrary changes to the legislative framework have contributed to the high level of confusion that has been provoked by the fast track initiative. Land reform also agrarian reform, though that can have a broader meaning involves the changing of laws, regulations or customs regarding land ownership. It begins with the premise that land policy, especially the fast track land reform programme, was made possible by the accretion and concen. Land reform may consist of a governmentinitiated or governmentbacked property redistribution, generally of agricultural land. Zimbabwe s president robert mugabe admits failures in the countrys controversial land reform programme, saying some farms were too big.
Land reform in zimbabwe has been highly controversial. It begins with the premise that land policy, especially the fast track land reform. Speeding up the identification for compulsory acquisition of not less than. Zimbabwes land reform since 2000 has been intensely controversial. The distribution was unequal and gender insensitive. At that time, most of the countrys arable land was owned by. Overturning the settler colonial pattern of land use and creating a new agrarian structure has had farreaching consequences. Land reform in zimbabwe free international relations and. In june 1998, the zimbabwe government published its policy framework on the land reform and resettlement programme. Zimbabwes fast track land reform program ftlrp formally began. In 1980, zimbabwe gained independence from whiteminority rule. Geza, the role of resettlement in social development in zimbabwe, journal of. Land reform in zimbabwe neil h thomas department of city and regional planning, cardiff university, glamorgan building, king edward vii avenue, cardiff, cf10 3wa, wales email. Zimbabwe why is one of the worlds leastfree economies growing so fast.
Land reform is probably one of the most difficult domestic policy issues to be dealt with by zimbabwe, namibia, south africa and australia. Images of chaos, destruction and violence have dominated the coverage. The fasttrack land reform and agrarian change in zimbabwe. At that time, most of the countrys arable land was owned by some 4,000 white farmers. The policy consists of the land reform programme and the indigenisation and economic empowerment act of 2008 iee act chowa, 20. Of this land, 6000 white commercial farmers owned 45% of it, 11m ha of the most prime land.
A quantitative analysis of zimbabwes land reform policy core. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the land reform. Zimbabwes new land reforms dont go far enough foreign policy. It has led to zimbabwes economic and social collapse. Aug 30, 2017 the first phase of land reform was implemented in zimbabwe in the 1980s, so when the ftlrp was launched the government had experience of the nature of the process and its repercussions. Zimbabwes president robert mugabe admits failures in the countrys controversial land reform programme, saying some farms were too big. Johannesburg, 3 october irin zimbabwes fasttrack land reform programme has ignored the critical role played by the commercial farming sector in the economy, analysts and farmers have warned. Evaluate the failures and or successes of land tenure reform in zimbabwe. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the land. A policy tool identified for this purpose was the land redistribution and resettlement programme. But despite the general consensus not to repeat zimbabwe s economic disaster, few people disagree that land ownership needs to be reformed in south africa. Emmerson mnangagwa is reversing coursebut a halfhearted land reform effort wont solve the country. A critical analysis of the land reform programme in zimbabwe.
Oct 15, 2018 zimbabwe s failed populistbased land reform is a salutary lesson for south africa on how land reform must be pragmatic, safeguard commercial agriculture and focus on boosting ordinary subsistence, small, medium and emerging black commercial farmers already committed to farming. This paper assesses the potential consequences of a land reform scheme that draws on proposals. 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. Land policy since 1980 and what has influenced same. Land has been a source of political conflict in zimbabwe since colonization, when the country was known as rhodesia, both within indigenous black communities and especially between white settlers and the black rural communities. This pdf is made available under a creative commons. Zimbabwes new land reforms dont go far enough robert mugabe seized whiteowned farms. Land reform in zimbabwe officially began in 1980 with the signing of the lancaster house. Zimbabwe received financial assistance for land reform during the 1980s and 1990s from various governments. Mugabe must realise that the land issues in zimbabwe are the same as the land issues in south africa. A framework for discussion papers part of the zimbabwe land series dale dor april 10th, 2012 abstract this article sets the tone and lays out a framework for the presentation of a series of discussion papers on land policy in zimbabwe. The issue of land reform in zimbabwe has captured worldwide attention since the year 2000, when mass land occupations firmly punctuated a growing political and economic crisis.
Will zimbabwes economic downfall be repeated in south africa. Land reform in zimbabwe is the greatest flop in the world but a success in the eyes of zanu pfutseki. 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. Land reform policies are generally advocated as an effort to eradicate food. Zimbabwes political and socioeconomic map since 2000. Fao, policy options for agrarian reform in zimbabwe. But conditions were put on the way that the money handed over could be used. Benefits and costs of land reform in zimbabwe with implications for southern africa, klaus deininger, hans hoogeveen. Challenging the myths article pdf available in journal of peasant studies 385. The first phase land reform programme immediately after the attainment of independence in 1980, the new government launched the first phase of the resettlement programme in september. Mar 21, 20 in 1995, president mugabe introduced a land reform that seized land from white commercial farmers and reallocated that land to black locals, which led to disastrous results as zimbabwe went from a net exporter to a net importer of food. Robert mugabe admits zimbabwes land reform flaws bbc news. Zimbabwes failed populistbased land reform is a salutary lesson for south africa on how land reform must be pragmatic, safeguard commercial agriculture and focus on boosting ordinary subsistence, small, medium and emerging black commercial farmers already committed to. This paper assesses the potential consequences of a.
And, despite the largely negative press over the years, recent reports have sought to highlight some of the more positive aspects of zimbabwes land reform and agricultural growth. Land reform in the twenty years after independence. In 1995, president mugabe introduced a land reform that seized land from white commercial farmers and reallocated that land to black locals, which led to disastrous results as zimbabwe went from a net exporter to a net importer of food. 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.
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 land reform and property rights in zimbabwe of 2010 is a sequel report to the. Land reform is probably one of the most difficult domestic policy issues to bedealt with by zimbabwe, namibia, south africa and australia. Land reform is a zimbabwe success story it will be the basis for economic recovery under mnangagwa november 29, 2017 9. There is widespread agreement on the need for land reform in zimbabwe as a means of reducing poverty. Zimbabwe has a long history of land reform that dates back to the early 1980s. Land reform is a zimbabwe success story it will be the. Indeed, these have been part of the reality but there have also been successes, which have thus far gone largely unrecorded. The research was concerned with the fact that land reform policies were made centrally, with little. This has involved a detailed study of what happened. This policy allowed government to acquire, for compensation, land that it deemed. Land reform in zimbabwe last updated october 06, 2019. A mere reference to land reforms in zimbabwe raised eyebrows.
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