‘Totemless Aliens’: The Historical Antecedents of the Anti-Malawian Discourse in Zimbabwe, 1920s–1979

Daimon, Anusa

doi:10.1080/03057070.2018.1534055

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…The “transnational” quality of Malawi-to-Zimbabwe migration can be traced to the colonial period. Malawian descendants originally came to Zimbabwe as labour migrants during the colonial labour migration period from the 1890s to the 1970s (Daimon, 2015). The Republic of Malawi came into existence only in 1963.…”

Section: Study Context: Lydiate Informal Settlementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The majority of the Malawian diaspora and their descendants have remained on the margins of both social, economic and political affairs in Zimbabwe. They have constantly been regarded as “migrants” or the “other” as expressed through labels, such as Vatevera njanji (those who followed the railway line on foot), Vabvakure (those who came from afar), Mabwidi (those without rural homes) and “totem-less ones” (Daimon, 2015). The Mugabe regime introduced the category of “indigene” and “the other” to disfranchise workers and white commercial farm owners, justifying the Fast Tract Land Reform Programme.…”

Section: Study Context: Lydiate Informal Settlementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These “Nyasa” migrants who lost contact with home became known as machona – ”the lost ones”. These “lost ones” have become an integral component of Zimbabwean social, economic and political history (Daimon, 2015). Nonetheless, the colonial and post-colonial Zimbabwean state historically marginalised these Malawian descendants, or diasporas, now living as minorities in a state of unbelonging (Daimon, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“Strategic, dual sense of place” among middle-aged migrants in the diaspora

Bhanye

2023

IJMHSC

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Purpose Compared to younger and older generation migrants, middle-aged migrants in the diaspora seem to be more conflicted regarding their belonging. This paper aims to explore how middle-aged migrants in the diaspora define themselves in space and time. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on ethnographic fieldwork done among Malawian migrants (herein referred to as Lydiatians) settled at Lydiate informal settlement in peri-urban Zimbabwe. Findings The paper reveals that, while younger migrants have a “radical transnational stance”, and older migrants regard their place of settlement as their final home, middle-aged migrants prefer to maintain a “strategic dual sense of place” regarding their place of settlement in the diaspora. These middle-aged migrants can be entrepreneurs considering their current settlement as a strategic place for petty commodity trading or those who find informal settlements to provide needed opportunities for cheap housing as the migrants pursue work in the nearby towns. Practical implications The paper offers a deeper understanding of how middle-aged migrants navigate their sense of place and contribute to host nations by functioning as key resources, dynamizing local economies through entrepreneurial activities and labour provision for various industries. The implications of this research should encourage states to positively interact with migrants, leveraging their potential for societal and economic development. Originality/value The finding that migrants in the diaspora have a dual, strategic view of their settlements is fascinating, if not new. Before this, scholars presented migrants as transnational figures, successively moving to a better place, which finally becomes home. However, the data presented in this paper suggests that this characterization associating migrants with maintaining a “stable, sedentary, bounded and fixed perception of home” is oversimplified. This is because migrants can sometimes continue to cherish the idea of informal settlements in the diaspora as home, just as the migrants also entertain the nearby established towns as useful places in their life.

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Section: Study Context: Lydiate Informal Settlementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Context: Lydiate Informal Settlementmentioning

confidence: 99%