Challenges in the Era of Globalization - iaabd

Challenges in the Era of Globalization
Edited by Emmanuel Obuah
Pan-African position silently endorses the Zimbabwe Government's indigenous land acquisition program,
which is regarded largely as irreversible.
Implementation
Table 2 is a list of selected legislation used in the process of implementing the two models. In Model I,
through the Native Reserves Act of 1898 locals were moved from their natural settlements to make way
for the settler commercial farmers. The Land Apportionment Act of 1930 formalized Zimbabwe’s dual
economy. Herbst (1990) argues that overpopulation in the Reserves and consequent lack of opportunities
for peasant farmers turned Tribal Trust Lands into excellent labor reserves for the White economy. The
settlers had therefore created a system that now gave them access and control of all four factors of
production. The system worked so well that in the 1930s Southern Rhodesian Businesses were said to be
enjoying ‘the cheapest Black labor probably in the British Empire’” (Herbst, 1990), and up to
Zimbabwe’s independence the country was a major producer of agricultural products.
Table 2: Zimbabwe Land Distribution Implementation instruments
Model 1 Implementation Model II Implementation
Native reserves Act 1898:
Indigenization and economic empowerment Act
14:33
Forced black people into low potential areas now Legalized deliberate involvement of indigenous
known as “communal areas”
Zimbabweans in the economic activities of the
country, to which hitherto they had lost access, so
as to ensure equitable ownership of the nation’s
resources
Land Apportionment Act 1930:
Legalized the division of the country’s land and
prohibited members of either racial group from
owning land in areas assigned to the other, 50.8%
declared “European”, and 30% reserved for the
African population.
Land Acquisition Act 20:10
Defined land as anything permanently attached to
or growing on land, and any interest or right in
land. Legalized land acquisition by the government
and outlined an acquisition procedure that has an
option of eviction.
In Model II the Government of Zimbabwe used the control of state apparatus that independence had
brought to redress what was perceived as inherited imbalances. The Indigenization and Economic
Empowerment Act provided for support measures for the economic empowerment of indigenous
Zimbabweans. Reference to independence was contained in the definition of an indigenous Zimbabwean
as contained in the Indigenization Act as " Any person who, before 18 April, 1980, was disadvantaged by
unfair discrimination on the grounds of his or her race, and any descendant of such a person" (GOZ, 2007,
p.86.) This implementation focus is consistent with the objective of redressing imbalances as stated in
Table 2.
The Land Acquisition Act empowered the authorities to acquire land and other immovable property
compulsorily in certain circumstances. The land acquisition procedure as outlined in the Act includes
publication of preliminary notice, serving on the owner notice in writing, eviction if need be, registration
of land acquired and redistribution of land acquired
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