Women’s landownership under the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP) : a case study of Seke District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Globally, women have less access to land and own less land than men. Women make up on average less than 20 per cent of the world’s landholders but make up an estimated 43 per cent of the agricultural labour force (Facio 2017). Despite their important role in agriculture and food security, women have limited access to land compared to men. The Zimbabwean Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP), like previous land reform programmes such as Land Reform and Resettlement Programmes 1 and 2, has fallen short in ensuring gender equity in land redistribution, affecting women’s livelihoods negatively. The aim of the study was to assess the extent to which the FTLRP has incorporated gender interests at policy level and in implementation practice by evaluating the provision made by the Inception Phase Framework Plan 1999–2000 and the Government Land Reform Policy Document of 2001 for women to access and own land in Zimbabwe. The study determined how the Inception Phase Framework Plan 1999–2000 and the Government Land Reform Policy Document of 2001 influence women’s access to and control and use of land under the FTLRP in Zimbabwe; explored the socioeconomic impact of the limitations that Zimbabwean customary law imposes on women's landownership under the FTLRP; and determined the extent to which the FTLRP makes provision for women to acquire land and derive livelihoods from it. A qualitative research approach was adopted for the study. Secondary data on gender and the FTLRP, such as government policy documents, and international and regional legal frameworks on women’s land rights, were used in the study. The data obtained in this way were complemented by field research undertaken in Seke District, Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe. Beneficiaries of the FTLRP at Dartmoor and Ellerdale farms and government officials involved in the land allocation process in Seke District were purposively selected as key informants in the study since they had information on how the FTLRP has been carried out and how women have accessed land in the district. A total of thirty participants from Dartmoor and Ellerdale farms, one government official of the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement (Department of Lands) and one Agricultural Research Extension officer (AREX) officer from the Crop and Livestock Department were selected for interviews. The findings revealed that the FTLRP does not have a gender policy. The main policy focus of the FTLRP is equitable land redistribution between races; gender is not prioritised. It is recommended that the Zimbabwean government adopt an inclusive development policy that will ensure gender mainstreaming in the land reform process to achieve meaningful and sustainable development. Legal policies on women’s landownership should be fully implemented.

Emhlabeni jikelele, abesifazane banokufinyelela okunacane kumhlaba futhi banomhlaba omncane kunabesilisa. Abesifazane ngokwesilinganiso bangaphansi kwamaphesenti angama-20 abanikazi bomhlaba emhlabeni kodwa balinganiselwa kumaphesenti angama-43 abantu abasebenza kwezolimo. Ngaphezu kweqhaza labo elibalulekile kwezolimo kanye nokuvikeleka kokudla, abesifazane banokuncane ukufinyelela emhlabeni uma kuqhathaniswa nabesilisa. Uhlelo Olusheshayo Lokuguqulwa Komhlaba lwaseZimbabwean, njengezinhlelo zangaphambilini zokubuyiswa komhlaba ezifana nezinhlelo zokubuyiswa komhlaba kanye nezinhlelo zokuhlaliswa kabusha zoku-1 nezesi- 2, selwehlile ekuqinisekiseni ukulingana ngokobulili ekwabiweni kabusha komhlaba, okuthinta impilo yabesifazane kabi. Inhloso yocwaningo bekuwukuhlola ukuthi Uhlelo Olusheshayo Lokuguqulwa Komhlaba lifake kangakanani intshisekelo yobulili ezingeni lenqubomgomo nasekusetshenzisweni kokwenziwayo ngokuhlola ukuhlinzekwa okwenziwa Uhlelo Lokuqala Lohlaka Lwesigaba sonyaka we-1999–2000 kanye Nomqulu Kahulumeni Wokuguqulwa Komhlaba wonyaka wezi-2001 wabesifazane. ukufinyelela nokuba nobunikazi bomhlaba eZimbabwe. Ucwaningo lunqume ukuthi Uhlelo Lokuqala Lohlaka Lwesigaba sonyaka we-1999–2000 kanye Nomqulu Kahulumeni Wokuguqulwa Komhlaba wonyaka wezi-2001 zinethonya kanjani ekufinyeleleni nasekulawuleni nasekusetshenzisweni komhlaba ngaphansi koHlelo Olusheshayo Lokuguqulwa Komhlaba eZimbabwe; yahlola umthelela wenhlalakahle yezomnotho wemikhawulo ebekwa ngumthetho wesintu waseZimbabwe kubunikazi bomhlaba babesifazane ngaphansi koHlelo Olusheshayo Lokuguqulwa Komhlaba; futhi yanquma ukuthi Uhlelo Olusheshayo Lokuguqulwa Komhlaba yenza kangakanani ukuhlinzekela ukuthi abesifazane bathole umhlaba futhi bathole indlela yokuziphilisa kuwo. Kuye kwamukelwa indlela yocwaningo lwesimo kulesi sifundo. Iminingwane elandelayo engeyesibili yobulili noHlelo Olusheshayo Lokuguqulwa Komhlaba, efana nemibhalo yenqubomgomo kahulumeni, nezinhlaka zomthetho zamazwe ngamazwe nezesifunda ngamalungelo omhlaba wabesifazane, zisetshenziswe ocwaningweni. Imininingwane etholwe ngale ndlela ihambisane nocwaningo olwenziwe esiFundeni iSeke, Empumalanga neMashonaland, eZimbabwe. Abahlomuli boHlelo Olusheshayo Lokuguqulwa Komhlaba emapulazini ase-Dartmoor nase-Ellerdale kanye nezikhulu zikahulumeni ezibambe iqhaza ohlelweni lokwabiwa komhlaba esiFundeni saseSeke baqokwe ngenhloso njengabanolwazi olubalulekile ocwaningweni njengoba babenolwazi lokuthi Uhlelo Olusheshayo Lokuguqulwa Komhlaba yenziwe kanjani nokuthi abesifazane bawuthole kanjani umhlaba kuyisifunda. Isamba sababambiqhaza abangamashumi amathathu abavela emapulazini ase-Dartmoor nase-Ellerdale, isikhulu sikahulumeni esisodwa soMnyango Wezemihlaba, EzoLimo Nokuhlaliswa Kabusha Kwezindawo Zasemakhaya (uMnyango Wezemihlaba) kanye nesikhulu esisodwa seSandiso Socwaningo Lwezolimo soMnyango Wezitshalo Nemfuyo bakhethelwe inhlolokhono. Okutholakele kuveze ukuthi Uhlelo Olusheshayo Lokuguqulwa Komhlaba alinawo umgomo wobulili. Okugxilwe kakhulu kwenqubomgomo yoHlelo Olusheshayo Lokuguqulwa Komhlaba ukwabiwa kabusha komhlaba ngokulinganayo phakathi kwezinhlanga; ubulili abubekwa phambili. Kunconywa ukuthi uhulumenI weZimbabwe athathe umthetho wentuthuko ogoqela abantu ozaqinisekisa ukuthi ubulili buqakathekiswa kuhlelo lokubuyiswa komhlaba ukuze kube nentuthuko ezwakalayo njalo futhi eqhubekayo. Izinqubomgomo zomthetho mayelana nokuba nomhlaba kwabesifazane kufanele zisetshenziswe ngokugcwele.

Vroue wêreldwyd het minder toegang tot grond en besit minder grond in vergelyking met mans. Vroue maak gemiddeld minder as 20 persent van die wêreld se grondeienaars uit, maar vorm na raming 43 persent van die landbou-arbeidsmag. Ten spyte van die belangrike rol wat hulle in landbou en voedselsekerheid speel, het vroue beperkte toegang tot grond, vergeleke met mans. Net soos vorige grondhervormingsprogramme soos die sogenaamde Land Reform and Resettlement Programmes (1 and 2), het die Zimbabwean Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP) nie aan die vereistes voldoen om geslagsgelykheid ten opsigte van die herverdeling van grond te verseker nie, en dit het ’n negatiewe uitwerking op vroue se bestaan gehad. Die oogmerk van hierdie studie was om te bepaal in watter mate die FTLRP geslagsbelange op beleidsvlak en in implementeringspraktyk geïnkorporeer het, deur die bepaling te evalueer wat deur die Inception Phase Framework Plan 1999–2000 en die Government Land Reform Policy Document of 2001 daargestel is sodat vroue grond in Zimbabwe kan bekom en kan besit. Die studie het bepaal hoe die Inception Phase Framework Plan 1999–2000 en die Government Land Reform Policy Document of 2001 vroue se toegang tot grond en hul beheer oor en gebruik van grond onder die FTLRP in Zimbabwe beïnvloed. Verder het die studie die sosio-ekonomiese impak van die beperkings wat Zimbabwe se gewoontereg op vroue se grondbesit onder die FTLRP plaas, ondersoek; en die mate bepaal waarin die FTLRP voorsiening maak vir vroue om grond te bekom en ’n bestaan daaruit te maak. ’n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is tydens die studie gevolg. Sekondêre data oor geslag en die FTLRP, soos regeringsbeleidsdokumente, en internasionale sowel as streekswetsraamwerke oor vroue se grondregte, is in die studie gebruik. Die data wat op hierdie wyse bekom is, is aangevul deur veldnavorsing wat onderneem is in die Seke-distrik, Mashonaland-Oos, Zimbabwe. Voordeeltrekkers van die FTLRP op die Dartmoor- en Ellerdale-plase, sowel as staatsamptenare wat by die grondtoewysingsproses in die Seke-distrik betrokke is, is doelbewus gekies as sleutelinformante in die studie, omdat hulle oor inligting beskik het van hoe die FTLRP uitgevoer is en hoe vroue grond in die distrik verkry het. Altesaam dertig deelnemers van die Dartmoor- en Ellerdale-plase, een staatsamptenaar van die Ministerie van Grond, Landbou en Landelike Hervestiging (Departement van Grond) en een Agricultural Research Extension (AREX)-beampte van die Gewasse- en Lewendehawe-departement is vir onderhoude gekies. Die bevindinge het getoon dat die FTLRP nie ’n geslagsbeleid het nie. Die vernaamste beleidsfokus van die FTLRP is regverdige herverdeling van grond tussen rasse; geslag geniet nie voorkeur nie. Daar word aanbeveel dat die Zimbabwiese regering ’n inklusiewe ontwikkelingsbeleid volg, wat die hoofstroming van geslag in die grondhervormingsproses sal verseker, ten einde betekenisvolle en volhoubare ontwikkeling te bewerkstellig. Wetsbeleide oor vroue se grondbesit moet ten volle geïmplementeer word.