The Reformed Agrarian Structure and Changing Dynamics of Rural Labour Migration in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This article examines the changing dynamics of rural labour migration in Zimbabwe following the radical land redistribution since 2000 through the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP). Since the colonial period, dispossessed peasants with inadequate land access were forced to offer cheap migrant wage labour for large-scale capitalist farms (LSCFs) and beyond. Despite the wide acknowledgement of the redistributive nature of the FTLRP, there is sparse understanding of how the new land access patterns impacted on rural labour migration. Empirical evidence from Goromonzi and Kwekwe districts demonstrates that while there were many peasant beneficiaries, land shortages were not completely eradicated and the new farm labour markets depended on the super-exploitation of landless migrants. Altogether, the data contradicts the conventional wisdom that views migration as a deliberate diversification strategy of household labour to enhance a livelihood. Rather, resistance to proletarianisation undergirds the struggles of farm labourers as they largely seek autonomous land-based social reproduction outside the wage economy.

A Transformative Social Policy Perspective on Land and Agrarian Reform in Zimbabwe

“…From the evidence presented, in this section and in the following section on production dynamics, we see that land utilisation and total cropped area is no longer at a subsistence level. There is production for surplus and discernible agricultural commercialisation pathways (see Chambati, 2022; Marewo, 2023; Moyo et al, 2009; Shonhe et al, 2022). Nonetheless, significant room for improvement remains.…”

Transformative Pathways of Agrarian Reform: Comparative Bibliometric Insights of Southeast Asia and Indonesia Cases

“…One notable example agrarian reform in Africa that has garnered significant attention is in Zimbabwe. Historically, in Zimbabwe, individuals who lost their land and lacked adequate access to land often became low-wage migrant laborers on large-scale capitalist farms (LSCF) (Chambati, 2022). Land reform in Zimbabwe unfolded in two main phases.…”

“…Despite the implementation of the FTLRP in Zimbabwe, the country continues to face significant challenges related to its farmers. Research by Chambati (2022) highlights that agrarian reform does not always reach all landless individuals and groups. Even though land has been allocated to land-scarce farmers, the agricultural labor market remains a relevant source of income, and resistance from former large agricultural workers, along with gender issues both within and outside households, still influence the dynamics of rural labor migration.…”