|
|
|
The Impact of Land Reform on Commercial Farm Workers' Livelihoods
|
|
|
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
|
| |
This assessment examined the situation on five commercial farms in Mashonaland East and West in March 2001. Each farm reflects a different context resulting from the ongoing land reform process. The five farms have the following characteristics:
- Not designated for resettlement; not occupied; operating normally (baseline farm)
- Designated for resettlement; not yet resettled; not occupied; farmer present
- Not designated or resettled; part-occupied; farmer still present
- Designated for resettlement; not yet resettled; part-occupied; farmer still present
- Designated; part-resettled; part-occupied; farm ceasing operations
Farm workers' livelihoods are inextricably linked with the fate of the farm itself. Almost all of the workers' food and cash income comes from activities on the farm; their houses are on the farms; they pay relatively low or subsidised prices for foodstuffs from the farm store; and some are assisted with access to health and education services. Ordinarily, the workers are reasonably food secure, however their scope for coping with unexpected shocks is limited.
On the farm which has been designated for acquisition only, there has not yet been any significant changes in the workers' livelihoods, other than the limitation of credit at the farm store to the permanent workers. However, the farmer has been refused finance from the bank for his winter wheat production, and this is likely to lead to a cutback in production, and some laying-off of workers. Seasonal workers (who are often from neighbouring communal areas) will be the first to be let go.
On the farm which has been partially occupied by war veterans, the farmer has come to an accommodation with the occupiers whereby they have control of an area of land that was not formerly in production, and the farmer maintains his operations as normal on the remaining part of the farm. Again, therefore, there has been no significant impact on the livelihoods of the farm workers.
The situation of the workers on the farm which has been designated and partially occupied is of concern. Because of reduced production 450 workers were let go, and the remaining workers have been put on a 2-3 day working week, which has resulted in a loss of approximately 33% of total household income for that group. Less than 0.5% of those laid off from this farm have been given land under the resettlement process; some are squatting on the farm while seeking other work; some skilled workers have got employment elsewhere; and some are assumed to have gone to communal areas. A large number, however, cannot be accounted for. For those remaining workers, they have not been able to replace lost income and are facing food deficits in the range of 5-20%, while expenditure on non-food items and services (including children's education) has been cut back significantly.
The situation on the farm facing imminent closure is similar to the designated and occupied farm above. Again, some workers are working a 3-day week and are trying to cope with the effects of that lost income. Those unemployed have been able to remain on the farm in their homes, and have sought piecework on neighbouring farms as a main coping mechanism. However they are also earning an inadequate income and are experiencing food deficits. This situation will have changed since the time of the fieldwork, as the farm was due to close on March 31st, and the workers would have had to leave the farm and their homes.
As a result of these findings, the main recommendations are that:
- More consideration needs to be given to the status of farm workers in the "fast-track" process
- There is a need for more clear and transparent information to be given to farmers and workers regarding the time lag between designation and actual resettlement, to assist them in adapting to their changing situation
- The question of service provision for new settlers needs to be addressed
- NGOs and other interested agencies should network further to share information on the status of workers, particularly regarding their locations after they have to leave farms
- Further research is needed on the impact of the resettlement process on labour opportunities in communal and other areas beyond the commercial farms
|
|
Related documents