Autochthons, strangers, modernising educationists, and progressive farmers: Basotho struggles for belonging in Zimbabwe 1930s-2008

This thesis uses belonging as an analytical tool to analyse the history of the Basotho community in the Dewure Purchase Areas in Zimbabwe. The thesis analyses how Basotho’s migration history and their experiences with colonial displacements shaped and continue to shape their construction of a sense of belonging. It also examines how Basotho’s purchase of farms in the Dewure Purchase Areas in the 1930s and their establishment of a communally owned farm have played a key role in their struggles for belonging. It also explores the centrality of land, graves, funerals, and religion in the belonging matrix. The study, however, avoids projecting the Basotho community as a monolithic and cohesive unit by analysing the various internal schisms and cleavages within the community and examining their impacts. Although, Basotho have seemingly managed to integrate into the local community, a more critical analysis reveals that they have also continued to maintain a level of particularism. The central dynamic in this thesis, therefore, is how the Basotho, in their different struggles and strategies to belong, over the last century, have fundamentally been caught between being seen and treated as the same as the other people around them and being seen (and seeing themselves) as different. It is arguably this ambivalence or delicate balancing between integrating and remaining ‘outsiders’ that has shaped Basotho’s sense of belonging and determined the strategies they have deployed in different historical contexts. The thesis concludes that, since it is relational and always in a state of becoming, strategies deployed in constructing and articulating belonging constantly change to suit particular historical contexts

The Marumbi Rain cult: Gender and the interface between rainmaking and the politics of water in Gutu

The major concern of this paper is to analyse the socio-political dynamics of the Marumbi Rain cult in Gutu. Of central importance here will be the interface between rainmaking and the politics of water. The Marumbi Rain Cult provides an interesting scenario where a woman, Marumbi Karivara with rainmaking powers ended up transforming the power into political influence. In the end, not only did she assume control over rainmaking in Gutu, but also the control of sacred groves, pools and springs around Mt. Rasa where the rain cult was based. As a result of her rainmaking powers she also founded the Munyaradzi Headmanship. Upon her death her only son, Chinamasabwa took over control of both rainmaking powers and control of the Headmanship. In recent years disputes have erupted between the descendents of Chinamasabwa and those of Marumbi Karivara’s brother Chagonda and these have centred on the control of the rain cult and the sacred groves around Mt. Rasa. The disputes have also extended to the issue of legitimacy of the descendents of Chinamasabwa’s control of the rain cult, the sacred groves, pools springs and also the Munyaradzi Headmanship. This paper is therefore an attempt at giving a genealogy of the intricate politics of rainmaking, water, gender and politics in an area that is drought prone. It submits that for the Shona, the whole rhetoric of water politics remains inseparable from the institution of rainmaking, the influence of rainmakers and the spirituality of water.,Centre for African Studies, University of Edinburg

Chromite Mining Cooperatives, Tribute Mining Contracts, and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe, 1985–2021

Transnational corporations dominated chromite mining in Zimbabwe for the entire colonial period. However, the postcolonial period witnessed a gradual but significant shift toward small-scale and artisanal mining as liberalisation led to the informalisation of the mining sector. This chapter examines the impulses in the transformation of the chromite mining sector in the postcolonial period and the rise and development of chromite mining cooperatives since the 1980s. In particular, it analyses the impact of tribute mining arrangements on the emergence and growth of chromite mining cooperatives in Zimbabwe. The chapter argues that while tribute mining arrangements engendered the development and growth of mining cooperatives, the contracts also created an asymmetrical and exploitative relationship between cooperatives and large-scale mining companies that owned mining claims that they sublet to cooperatives. The chapter also considers the effects of Zimbabwe’s redistributive land reform programme and Chinese participation in artisanal and small-scale mining on mining cooperatives. Overall, the chapter analyses the effects of the liberalisation of the mining sector in Zimbabwe and the centrality of mining cooperatives in the interface between large- and small-scale chromite mining.Les sociétés transnationales ont dominé l'exploitation de la chromite au Zimbabwe pendant toute la période coloniale. Cependant, la période postcoloniale a été marquée par une évolution progressive mais significative vers l'exploitation minière artisanale et à petite échelle, la libéralisation ayant entraîné l'informalisation du secteur minier. Ce chapitre examine les impulsions dans la transformation du secteur minier de la chromite au cours de la période postcoloniale et la montée et le développement des coopératives minières de chromite depuis les années 1980. En particulier, il analyse l'impact des contrats d'exploitation minière sur l'émergence et la croissance des coopératives minières de chromite au Zimbabwe. Le chapitre soutient que si les accords d'exploitation minière à titre onéreux ont engendré le développement et la croissance des coopératives minières, les contrats ont également créé une relation asymétrique et d'exploitation entre les coopératives et les grandes sociétés minières qui possédaient des concessions minières qu'elles sous-louaient aux coopératives. Le chapitre examine également les effets du programme de réforme agraire redistributive du Zimbabwe et de la participation chinoise à l'exploitation minière artisanale et à petite échelle sur les coopératives minières. Dans l'ensemble, le chapitre analyse les effets de la libéralisation du secteur minier au Zimbabwe et la centralité des coopératives minières dans l'interface entre l'exploitation de la chromite à grande et à petite échelle.Las empresas transnacionales dominaron la minería de cromita en Zimbabue durante todo el periodo colonial. Sin embargo, el periodo poscolonial fue testigo de un cambio gradual pero significativo hacia la minería artesanal y a pequeña escala, ya que la liberalización condujo a la informalización del sector minero. Este capítulo examina los impulsos de la transformación del sector minero de la cromita en el periodo poscolonial y el auge y desarrollo de las cooperativas mineras de cromita desde la década de 1980. En particular, analiza el impacto de los acuerdos de minería de tributo en la aparición y el crecimiento de las cooperativas mineras de cromita en Zimbabue. El capítulo sostiene que, si bien los acuerdos de minería de tributo engendraron el desarrollo y el crecimiento de las cooperativas mineras, los contratos también crearon una relación asimétrica y de explotación entre las cooperativas y las empresas mineras a gran escala que poseían derechos mineros que subarrendaban a las cooperativas. El capítulo también considera los efectos del programa de reforma agraria redistributiva de Zimbabue y la participación china en la minería artesanal y a pequeña escala sobre las cooperativas mineras. En conjunto, el capítulo analiza los efectos de la liberalización del sector minero en Zimbabue y la importancia de las cooperativas mineras en la interfaz entre la minería de cromita a gran y pequeña escala

Frontières, barrières, horizons. Réinterroger l'histoire et les mémoires de la migration

Les phénomènes migratoires n’ont jamais cessé d’intéresser les chercheurs qui saisissent dans ces phénomènes « un révélateur de l’état du monde, avec ses changements, ses déséquilibres, ses tensions et ses fractures » (dixit Gilda Simons, Géodynamique des migrations internationales dans le monde, PUF, 1995). Le présent numéro est une invitation à repenser l’expérience migrante dans la perspective d’un monde de plus en plus mondialisé, de même qu’à travers des questionnements qui interrogent l’histoire, la mémoire et l’avenir de la migration