The Political Economy of Livelihoods in Contemporary Zimbabwe
Since the introduction of the fast track land reform programme in 2000, Zimbabwe has undergone major economic and political shifts and these have had a profound impact on both urban and rural livelihoods. This book provides rich empirical studies that examine a range of multi-faceted and contested livelihoods within the context of systemic crises. Taking a broad political economy approach, the chapters advance a grounded and in-depth understanding of emerging and shifting livelihood processes, strategies and resilience that foregrounds agency at household level.
Highlighting an emergent scholarship amongst young black scholars in Zimbabwe, and providing an understanding of how people and communities respond to socio-economic challenges, this book is an important read for scholars of African political economy, southern African studies and livelihoods.
Kirk Helliker is Director of the Unit of Zimbabwean Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa.
Manase Kudzai Chiweshe is a Senior Lecturer at Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe.
Sandra Bhatasara is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe.
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The Political Economy of Livelihoods in Contemporary Zimbabwe
Edited by Kirk Helliker, Manase Kudzai Chiweshe and Sandra Bhatasara
First published 2018
by Routledge
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2018 selection and editorial matter, Kirk Helliker, Manase Kudzai Chiweshe and Sandra Bhatasara; individual chapters, the contributors
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Names: Helliker, Kirk, editor, contributor. | Chiweshe, Manase Kudzai, editor, contributor. | Bhatasara, Sandra, editor, contributor.
Title: The political economy of livelihood in contemporary Zimbabwe / edited by Kirk Helliker, Manase Kudzai Chiweshe and Sandra Bhatasara.
Other titles: Routledge studies on the political economy of Africa ; 3.
Description: New York, NY : Routledge, 2018. | Series: Routledge studies on the political economy of Africa ; 3 | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017043837| ISBN 9781138574717 (hardback) |
ISBN 9781351273244 (ebook)Subjects: LCSH: IncomeZimbabwe. |
HouseholdsEconomic aspectsZimbabwe. | ZimbabweEconomic conditions21st centuryCase studies. | ZimbabweRural conditions. |
Land tenureZimbabwe. | Fast Track Land Reform Programme (Zimbabwe)
Classification: LCC HC910.Z9 I526 2018 | DDC 330.96891dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017043837
ISBN: 978-1-138-57471-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-351-27324-4 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Wearset Ltd, Boldon, Tyne and Wear
To Sam Moyo, your legacy will endure across generations of scholars, activists and policy makers.
Preface
This book has emerged out of the Unit of Zimbabwean Studies in the Department of Sociology, Rhodes University in South Africa. Though the Unit was formed only at the beginning of 2015, the Director of the Unit (Professor Kirk Helliker) has been involved in Zimbabwean-focused research projects at the university since 2009. As well as pursuing his own research, he has supervised many PhD and masters degree students from Zimbabwe. The other two editors of this book, Dr. Manase Kudzai Chiweshe and Dr. Sandra Bhatasara, both graduated from Rhodes University with doctorates under Prof. Hellikers supervision. All of the contributors to this book are either current or former PhD and masters degree students supervised by Prof. Helliker, and all the chapters (except one) draw upon their PhD and masters degree theses. In this regard, the editors would like to acknowledge any funding received from Rhodes University for these PhD and masters degree students.
As editors of this book, we have been influenced by a number of Zimbabwean scholars. Of particular importance is Sam Moyo, the former Director of the African Institute for Agrarian Studies in Harare until his tragic death in late 2015. He was also a member of the Advisory Board for the Unit of Zimbabwean Studies at the time of his death. Because of the way in which he has inspired us, we dedicate this book to Sam, the person, the activist and the scholar.
Contributors
Sandra Bhatasara is a Senior Lecturer in the Sociology Department, University of Zimbabwe. She researches and writes on agrarian issues, rural and environmental sociology and womens studies. Some of her recent publications include interrogating womens experiences in fast track land reform in Zimbabwe (Africa Review) and sociology of adaptation to rainfall variability amongst smallholder farmers in rural Zimbabwe (Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences).
Takunda Chabata is a holder of a Master of Science degree in Sociology and Social Anthropology and a Bachelor of Science honours degree in Sociology, both from the University of Zimbabwe. Currently, he is reading towards a doctoral degree in Sociology with Rhodes University. Since 2010, he has been with Womens University in Africa in Harare where he works as a Sociology lecturer and programme coordinator in Sociology. His research interests include natural resources management, rural livelihoods, family and gender studies.
Loveness Chakona completed an honours degree at the University of Zimbabwe and a masters degree in Sociology at Rhodes University, where she studied the position of women on fast track farms in Goromonzi District in Zimbabwe in the context of local patriarchal systems.
Tafadzwa Chevo is a Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare. He undertook his masters degree at this university and is now currently registered for a PhD in the Department of Sociology at Rhodes University where he is undertaking research on urban livelihoods in Zimbabwe.
