Gender implications of decentralised land reform: The case of Zimbabwe

A bolder policy approach and more vigorous implementation are needed to support women’s empowerment, transfer of land rights to women, and to ensure their productive utilisation of land. The land reform programme focussed on racial imbalances of highly skewed land holdings and discriminatory land tenure systems while failing to mainstream the interests of women

Natural resource management and land reform in southern Africa

Throughout southern Africa, land holdings have remained significantly skewed between rich and poor, with discriminatory land tenure systems reflecting the land and agricultural policies adopted in colonial times and after independence (Fortin 2005; Moyo 2005a). Moyo (2000) indicates that, for countries in the southern African region, the land problem is characterised by contradictory tendencies towards irrational land use patterns through both over-utilisation in communal lands, and under-utilisation of land in commercial farming areas. Governance of land use is one of the most important political and economic issues in most southern African countries and land remains the basic source of livelihood for the majority (Kloeck-Jenson 1998), as well as the basis for agro-industrial development. Land reform is currently a significant process throughout southern Africa that is unfolding rapidly on continuously shifting ground. Land reform is a long-term process that aims to enhance agricultural production. However, to be successful, land use options within land reform programmes should incorporate not only social and economic viability, but environmental sustainability as well (Mohamed 2000). Environmental considerations of land reform are generally inadequately conceptualised, despite being a central consideration of sustainable land use. The challenge for land reform programmes is therefore to redistribute land and reform tenure rights ensuring productivity and ecological sustainability of the rural economy

Production rising on Zimbabwe’s land reform farms

170,000 land reform farmers are reaching the production levels of the white farmers they replaced, Joseph Hanlon and Jeanette Manjengwa report in a new book

Employment and labour markets

A position paper on the importance and need for a coherent social protection policy for the vulnerable worker in Zimbabwe.In this chapter we examine employment and labour markets; implications of the economic crisis for social protection in Zimbabwe. The chapter highlights the structure of employment in Zimbabwe and considers labour markets dynamics and employment during this period. This is followed by a discussion on social protection for the poor and vulnerable in Zimbabwe, highlighting developments on social protection. It then considers some scenarios for social protection in the future

Urban poverty in Zimbabwe

This paper breaks down the characteristics of urban poverty, which differs from rural poverty in its occurrence and depth. The urban poor face challenges such as high food prices and cost of accommodation, user fees for water and electricity and associated debt. The situation is compounded by high unemployment and low economic activity. Within urban areas there are variations and significant inequalities between the better off and the poor. A case study of Bulawayo illustrates the heterogeneity of the situation of households within one urban area. The paper ends with some recommendations for addressing urban poverty

Moving Forward in Zimbabwe.

A Discussion Paper on poverty alleviation strategies for Zimbabwe.Zimbabwe is emerging from a decade of socio-economic decline. The gains the country saw after independence in 1980; particulady the impressive progress in reducing poverty and inequality as well as the high standards in health and education; had stagnated and in some cases been reversed. Although triggered by a multiplicity of causes, the programme to redistribute land from mainly white farmers to the majority black Zimbabweans in February 2000, is often cited as the catalyst that precipitated an economic crisis which subsequently became a social crisis. Zimbabwe's economy had been in decline since the mid-1990s, initially caused by failed structural adjustment policies but later compounded by shortages of foreign exchange (see Figure 1). It became increasingly difficult to import raw materials, spare parts, and fuel, which undermined manufacturing and agriculture, and accelerated a downward economic spiral. Alongside this decline in productivity came a sharp decline in disposable incomes and employment. The economic crisis reshaped the structure of employment and formal sector employment was dwarfed by a burgeoning informal sector. By 2003,72 per cent of the population lived below the total consumption poverty line, compared to 55 per cent in 1995. Hyperinflation peaked at over 200 billion per cent in 2008, which became a year of economic and political crisis.The research presented in this publication is a the result of a project funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (www. idrc.ca) IDRC CRD

Understanding the drivers of poverty in Zimbabwe : emerging lessons from the protracted relief program and literature

This paper analyses the drivers of poverty in rural and urban Zimbabwe. It draws evidence from the Protracted Relief Programme (PRP)-LIME Surveys as well as other major poverty surveys and reports. There is evidence from PRP LIME data that cash transfers have contributed significantly to household incomes, helping to stabilise consumption especially in rural areas. Positive welfare outcomes of social transfers are clear in all PRP areas. School attendance in households receiving cash transfers and assistance under Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) are a third higher than households without. Other outcomes from PRP interventions are outlined, and recommendations are made

Planning for the future : facilitating scenario planning to improve livelihoods in transfrontier conservation areas

This policy brief provides decision and policy makers with an overview of the strength of using participatory scenario planning with communities in trans-frontier conservation areas, to guide future discussions on potential development options based on communities’ self-identified needs, visions and aspirations. Community participants in the Sengwe Communal Area, Chiredzi District, Zimbabwe, and in the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) developed proposals which focus on changing and improving livelihoods

Who will make the 'best' use of Africa's land? Lessons from Zimbabwe

Conflict over African land – between small holders and large industrial farmers and between domestic farmers and global agribusinesses – raises key questions about who will make the best use of African land and which farmers do most to decrease poverty and produce more food, industrial inputs, and exports. Zimbabwe has already gone through two major changes in land occupation, and thus provides an important test of what is the 'best' use of the land. Three measures of 'best' use have been cited in Zimbabwe: reward for military victory, poverty reduction, and agricultural production. Initial evidence indicates that commercial small holder production is a better use of the land than larger, more mechanised farming

Moving Zimbabwe forward : an evidence based policy dialogue initiative; final technical report

The two-year ‘Moving Zimbabwe Forward: An Evidence Based Policy Dialogue Initiative’ was implemented by the Institute of Environmental Studies (IES), University of Zimbabwe, in collaboration with the University of Manchester’s Brooks World Poverty Institute (BWPI). The project aimed to promote poverty reduction and inclusive growth in Zimbabwe through sound policy judgements, by encouraging policy dialogue and debate, and disseminating policy-relevant information. A total of 28 policy dialogue events were held with government policy makers and representatives from non-governmental organisations, international development partners, the private sector and academia, in the form of in-house seminars, seminars, round tables, workshops and international conferences. During implementation IES working closely with government partners, held meetings with Permanent Secretaries and other senior government officials in the Ministries of Economic Planning; Environment and Natural Resources; Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development; Lands; Labour and Social Services; Finance; Information and Communication Technologies; and the National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT). The project generated new knowledge through a sample wellbeing and poverty survey with 3,445 households in 16 Districts throughout Zimbabwe. This provided policy makers with up-to-date information on the nature of poverty in the country. Two books were produced: five hundred copies of the Moving Forward in Zimbabwe: Reducing Poverty and Promoting Growth report consisting of eleven chapters which were widely distributed through a national and provincial launches; and Understanding Poverty, Promoting Wellbeing and Sustainable Development: A Sample Survey of 16 Districts of Zimbabwe, a comprehensive report comprised of nine chapters of the findings, interpretations and policy recommendations from the poverty survey. Each book was accompanied by an executive summary for policy makers Arising from the policy dialogues, three policy dialogue briefs were produced on cash transfers for development, promoting smallholder agriculture, and minerals for sustainable development. Following the ‘Pathways out of Poverty International Conference’, six conference papers were published and disseminated, while five are in draft form being edited for submission to academic journals. Five post-graduate student researches were commissioned and draft papers and policy briefs have been produced, as well as two Masters of Science dissertations. During the project 99 people were trained in: poverty survey implementation; data entry; and advanced poverty survey data analysis (including the use of stata). Implementation of the project resulted in sustained interest and commitment from policy makers, who indicated the need for more research and dialogue on priority issues. A second phase of the Moving Zimbabwe Forward Policy Dialogue Initiative would keep up this momentum and build on it providing a forum for continued debate and research on sustainable development issues and promotion of green inclusive growth