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From: wolda002@umn.edu
Date: Wed Nov 10 2010 - 00:41:28 EST
Don't condemn Zimbabwe
Despite the global outrage, Robert Mugabe's land reforms have had some
successes and are boosting trade
- Ian Scoones <http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/ian-scoones> and Blasio
Mavedzenge <http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/blasio-mavedzenge>
Ten years ago large areas of Zimbabwe's commercial farmland were invaded
by land-hungry villagers, led by war veterans and backed by President Robert
Mugabe <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/robert-mugabe>. The Zimbabwe
supreme court ruled the land reform programme illegal, and since then images
of chaos, destruction and violence have dominated global coverage.
But as Zimbabwe <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/zimbabwe> moves forward
with a new agrarian system, a more balanced appraisal is now needed for the
process that overturned a century-old pattern of land use dominated by a
small group of large-scale commercial farmers. This means listening to the
results of solid, on-the-ground research.
In our 10-year study in Masvingo province, we examined what happened to
people's livelihoods. "We got good yields this year. I filled two granaries
with sorghum. I hope to buy a grinding mill and locate it at my homestead."
These are the words of Samuel Mafongoya, a Masvingo farmer who was one of
the many beneficiaries of the controversial land reform process. Not every
story was as positive, of course. The hard evidence was complex and nuanced.
But it also contradicted the overwhelmingly negative images of land reform
presented in the media.
At independence in 1980, over 15m hectares were devoted to large-scale
commercial farming by about 6,000 farmers, nearly all white. This fell to
about 12m hectares by 1999, in part through a modest land reform and
resettlement programme largely funded by the UK. Formal land reallocation
since 2000 has resulted in the transfer of nearly 8m hectares to over
160,000 households, mostly are ordinary people from nearby areas. If the
"informal" settlements outside the official programme are added, the totals
are even larger.
This major restructuring has had knock-on consequences, and there have
been heavy hits on certain commodities and markets: wheat, tobacco, coffee,
tea and beef exports have all suffered. However, other crops and markets
have weathered the storm, and some have boomed. Production of small grains
and edible beans has increased dramatically compared with the 1990s, and
cotton production too has gone up. True, there are major problems in certain
areas, but agriculture has not collapsed.
In Masvingo, reform saw more than a quarter of the land taken over by
around 32,500 households on smallholder sites, 1,200 households on slightly
larger sites, and 8,500 households in informal resettlement sites. It has
resulted in a new composition of people in the rural areas, with highly
diverse livelihoods, based on mixed crop and livestock farming. Another
resettlement farmer, Petros Chakavanda, told us: "We are not employed but we
are getting higher incomes than those at work."
In fact, our studies showed that over half of the 400 households sampled
are accumulating and investing, often employing labour and increasing their
farming operations. And their activity is having a positive impact on the
wider economy, stimulating demand for services, consumer goods and labour.
Others were finding the going tough. Joining the land invasions and
establishing new farms in what was often uncleared bush was not easy. It
required commitment, courage and much hard work. It is true that some new
farmers have made it due to political connections and patronage. Yet,
despite their disproportionate influence on local politics, in Masvingo they
make up less than 5% of households. Remember too that since 2000 these new
settlers have received very little external support. The government was
broke and often focused its efforts on a few of the elite. Meanwhile, aid
organisations shied away from the resettlement areas for political reasons.
We do not want to underplay the abuses that took place or the challenges
that transition brings. However, our research has dispelled the assumption
that Zimbabwe's controversial reform was "all bad". Solid empirical evidence
has challenged the myth that there is no investment, that agricultural
production has collapsed and food insecurity is universal, that the rural
economy is in precipitous decline, and that farm labour has been totally
displaced. There are many challenges ahead, but we believe it is possible to
define a positive, forward-looking agenda for the future.
• Some names have been changed. Zimbabwe's Land Reform: Myths and
Realities, by Ian Scoones, Nelson Marongwe, Blasio Mavedzenge, Felix
Murimbarimba, Jacob Mahenehene and Chrispen Sukume, is published by James
Currey <http://www.jamescurrey.co.uk/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=13498>
- guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2010
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