Projekt

Debates on agrarianisation and land reform have taken centre stage in recent years in Zimbabwe. This has prompted the need to investigate the (re) peasantisation and depeasantisation thesis in the aftermath of the fast track land reform programme in Zimbabwe. Land is the ultimate natural resource available to humanity and shapes all human endeavour. It represents and promises the fulfilment of two critical human aspirations i.e. the economic and the social/cultural: It is therefore of the utmost economic significance in that it is the primary source of means of economic production; beyond that, it is the basis for the construction of social/cultural identities of people of Zimbabwe. It is unfortunately also a very finite and therefore scarce resource; which is then the subject of intense and spirited competition amongst humanity. The study aims at examining concretely on the basis of detailed empirical studies in the South Eastern Lowveld of Zimbabwe how the new farmers have settled on their land a decade after the land reform, the agrarian and non agrarian activities that are happening on the acquired land. These are issues which have not been thoroughly documented in the literature on fast track land reform in Zimbabwe. It is imperative to find out whether there is repeasantisation or depeasantisation processes going on in the land as the farmers have settled. The postdoctoral research focuses on the processes of social, political, and economic factors that have led to reapesantisation or depeasantisation processes in Mwenezi. Focus will also be on men, women, and children as they form part of the fast track farms constituting the social organization pillars of the new farms. Men, women, and children engage in collective labour provision on the farms.

• Prof. Dr. Mamadou Diawara

  Universität Frankfurt am Main
  FB 08: Philosophie und Geschichtswissenschaften
  Institut für Ethnologie
  Frankfurt am Main
  

• Dr. Stefan Schmid

  Universität Frankfurt am Main
  Zentrum für interdisziplinäre
  Afrikaforschung (ZIAF)
  Campus Westend
  Frankfurt am Main
  

• Dr. Patience Mutopo

  Ruzivo Trust
  Mount Pleasant, Harare
  Simbabwe (Zimbabwe)