Land reform and resettlement implementation in Zimbabwe : an overview of the programme against selected international experiences

Abstract

Land Reform is a world-wide phenomenon aiming to achieve social, political and economic objectives of particular localities and contexts in which it is implemented. In spite of peculiar geographical, and socio-economic differences, global land reform contexts have historically been motivated by the twin-pronged goal of restructuring the land-based production systems, and achieving equity (social justice) in resource access and ownership. Introduced at Independence in 1980, the Zimbabwean land reform programme aims to redress historical social imbalances in land ownership and enable the majority indigenous black population to play its commensurate role in the country's agricultural production. Due to the socio-political motivation of the programme, the state has assumed a predominant and central role in the implementation process, from policy design, through land identification and acquisition to land development and distribution. Specific models and approaches have been adopted for allocating acquired land and enabling its utilization and management by beneficiaries