This study assessed the entrepreneurial opportunities inherent in the Fast-Track Land Reform
Programme (FTLRP) in the Marondera District of Mashonaland East province, Zimbabwe. The
study was energised by the idea that the quest for total economic independence can only be
realised by exploiting the agro-based entrepreneurial opportunities in the FTLRP. Critical
judgements have been made on the extent to which the FTLRP has been a success or a failure.
The researcher argues that the entrepreneurship opportunities contained in the FTLRP could
have had a transformative impact on livelihoods. Livelihoods have been impacted positively to
a large extent, hence the reason for this study. The study is anchored on the pragmatist
philosophy and adopted the mixed methods research paradigm. Data were collected using
unstructured interviews, structured questionnaires, and focus group discussions. The
respondents included stakeholders related to the FTLRP, such as the land beneficiaries as well
as agro-based dealers who facilitated the provision of enabling services for entrepreneurship
development. The major findings are that most farmers are engaged in primary production of
agricultural produce, which constitutes raw materials such as maize, sunflower and soya beans
that are produced for resale in processing industries. The prices offered in local markets are not
attractive enough to lure investment into agro-business entrepreneurship. Even though
government allocated land to beneficiaries, the issue of property rights has remained a concern
to FTLRP farmers. The farmers feel vulnerable because they do not have ownership rights,
thus making them at risk of eviction. Furthermore, these farmers cannot farm sustainably, as
they are unable to borrow money from banks to support agro-business entrepreneurship. The
study recommends that government issues farmers with the property rights such as title deeds,
and train farmers on more intensive farming methods towards increasing the hectares of
productive land, with specialisation in selected crops that fetch bigger margins of return on
investment for farmers to enjoy economies of scale. There is a need for all stakeholders,
particularly government, banks, development partners and the donor community to mobilise
financial resources that can provide a diverse source of funding to support agro-based
entrepreneurship.
Olu phando luhlole amathuba oshishino akhoyo kwiNkqubo yokuHlaziywa koMhlaba
ngokukhawuleza eyaziwa ngokuba yi-Fast-Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP)
kwiSithili iMarondera kwiphondo laseMashonaland East, eZimbabwe. Uphando lukhuthazwe
yingcamango yokuba ukufuna ukuzimela ngokupheleleyo kwezoqoqosho kunokufezekiswa
kuphela ngokusebenzisa amathuba oshishino olusekelwe kwezolimo kwiFTLRP. Kwenziwe
uhlalutyo olugwebayo malunga nokuba iFTLRP ibe yimpumelelo okanye iye yasilela na.
Umphandi uxoxa ukuba amathuba oshishino aqulethwe kwiFTLRP ebenokuba nefuthe
lokuguqula indlela yokuziphilisa. Iindlela zokuziphilisa ziye zachaphazeleka kakuhle
ubukhulu becala, nto leyo ekhokelele kolu phando. Olu phando lusekelwe kwifilosofi egxile
ekusetyenzisweni kwengcamango esebenzayo endaweni kokufaneleka kwayo okunokwenzeka
eyaziwa ngokuba yi-pragmatist philosophy, lwaze lwasebenzisa iindlela ezixubileyo
zophando. Idatha iqokelelwe kusetyenziswa udliwanondlebe olungacwangciswanga,
amaxwebhu emibuzo ecwangcisiweyo, kunye neengxoxo zeqela ekugxilwe kulo luphando.
Abaphenduli bophando baquka abathathinxaxheba abanxulumene neFTLRP, njengabaxhamli
bomhlaba kwakunye nabathengisi bezolimo ababeququzelela ukubonelelwa kweenkonzo
ezinika amandla kuphuhliso lwamashishini. Iziphumo eziphambili kukuba uninzi lwamafama
lubandakanyeka kwimveliso ephambili yemveliso yezolimo, evelisa iimveliso ezingacolwanga
ezifana nombona, ujongilanga kunye neembotyi zesoya eziveliswa ukuze zithengiswe
kwakhona kumashishini okuzicola. Amaxabiso anikezelwa kwiimarike zasekuhlaleni
akanamtsalane ngokwaneleyo ukulukuhla utyalomali kushishino lwamashishini ezolimo.
Nangona urhulumente wabela abaxhamli umhlaba, umba wamalungelo omhlaba uye wahlala
uxhalabisa kumafama eFTLRP. Amafama aziva esemngciphekweni kuba engenawo
amalungelo obunini, nto leyo ibenza abe semngciphekweni wokugxothwa kule mihlaba.
Ngaphezu koko, la mafama awakwazi ukulima ngokuzinzileyo nanjengoko engakwazi
ukuboleka imali ezibhankini ukuxhasa ushishino lwamashishini ezolimo. Olu phando lucebisa
ukuba urhulumente anikeze amafama amalungelo omhlaba afana neziqinisekiso/iitayitile
zomhlaba, aze aqeqeshe amafama kwiindlela zokulima ezimandla ngakumbi ekwandiseni
iihektare zomhlaba onemveliso, ingakumbi kwizityalo ezikhethiweyo ezenza ingeniso enkulu
yenzuzo kutyalomali lwamafama ukuze onwabele uqoqosho lwemveliso yawo. Kukho
imfuneko yokuba bonke abachaphazelekayo, ingakumbi urhulumente, iibhanki, amahlakani
ophuhliso kunye noluntu olunikelayo, baqokelele izibonelelo zemali ezinokubonelela
ngomthombo wenkxasomali ongafaniyo ukuxhasa ushishino olusekelwe kwezolimo
