An analysis of the impact of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme on disaster management in Zimbabwe: a case of Vungu Rural District (2000-2009) (original) (raw)

2010

Abstract

In 1998, land hungry farmers in Zimbabwe went around the countryside and illegally allocated themselves portions of white-owned farmland. This development forced the government in 2000 to embark on an accelerated land re-distribution program dubbed the Fast Track Land Reform Program (FTLRP) aimed at addressing this issue of land hunger. Worth to note from the outset is the fact that the program has failed to adequately address, in situ, the issue of disaster management yet, ironically, this issue is increasingly becoming topical in the sustainable development debate. It is therefore the purpose of this paper to analyze the implications of FTLRP on disaster management in Zimbabwe. The paper largely focuses on the complex nexus between the planning of the fast track land reform program, the role of development agencies in FTLRP roII-out, the livelihoods activities undertaken by the newly-resettled farmers and the contribution of these activities to the accumulation of disaster risks in the country. Findings presented in this paper are based on a study carried out in selected areas in the Vungu Rural District (VRD) of central Zimbabwe. The paper looks at those livelihood practices among resettled farmers which are leading to the accumulation or decline in disaster risks. It goes further to highlight policies that can be put in place for people to be able to cope with future or potential crises in newly resettled areas. Various research techniques were employed for this study and these included interviews and focus group discussions with the resettled farmers. Key informants were also interviewed and these included local leaders such as village heads, the chief, and counsellors for the area. Agricultural Technical and Extension (AGRITEX) officers and the Environmental Management Agency workers were consulted as primary sources of what the government is doing on the ground to effectively manage disaster in relation to the environment.

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