|
|
|
Report on Assessment of the Impact of Land Reform Programme
on Commercial Farm Worker Livelihoods
|
|
| 6. Conclusions |
| |
The research highlights the further deterioration of farm worker livelihoods and increased vulnerability of farm workers in face of land reform. A large number of farm workers, about 50 percent, have lost employment and are relying on charity of farmer and relatives.
Coping mechanisms for this sector have been greatly eroded and opportunities for access alternative sources of income have dried out. The future of these workers is uncertain given the present environment where one day they are asked to leave and the following allowed to stay. The type of new farmers in the area largely determines their security.
Where the farmer is still on the farm and managed to grow a summer crop, the immediate food needs of the farm workers is secured but will run out in next two months. Where the farmer has shut down completely and no summer crop was grown, the farm workers who remain on the farm are desperate for food.
Most farm workers in the provinces of Manicaland and Mashonaland West and some parts of Mashonaland East have managed to stay on the farms where most permanent workers are still employed. The worst affected districts include Chikomba and Wedza in Mashonaland East and Guruve and Muzarabani in Mashonaland Central, where most farm workers have moved out. Indications are that most workers from these districts have moved to communal area.
Most of the farm workers remaining on the farms indicate that they will stay on the farm even if the farm winds off, as they have nowhere to go. This was particularly more so in Mashonaland East districts of Marondera and Seke. The same scenario was observed in Mazoe district of Mashonaland Central province. In Manicaland province most farm workers have rural homes and indicated that they will go there if evicted. Coincidentally Manicaland province seemed to be fairing better that all other provinces in terms of farm worker employment and security. This could be attributed to the fact that most farm were not completely taken over but subdivided with the farmer allowed to operate albert at lower scale on part of the farm.
However most seasonal workers have lost employment while those still employed are employed only for the purpose of picking the current crop. Farmers who still employ their permanent workers are only doing so until they wind up operations or finish harvesting after which they will pay off their workers.
The major farm worker expectations emerged as:
- To be given resettlement priority on the farms on which they worked/are working;
- Facilitation of employment elsewhere on farms that are still operational;
- Change of heart on the part of the government so as to save their jobs.
|
|
Related documents