Cultivating beneficiary ‘entrepreneurship’ for environmental sustainability and justice in A1 farms of Chiredzi district, Zimbabwe. The new focus of 21st century African land reforms

Abstract

While FTLRP led to a land-use quagmire by resettling some communities in wildlife zones, reports of wildlife poaching masks innovative capacities of settlers to sustainably manage Human-Wildlife Conflicts (HWC). Using data collection methods inspired by phenomenological research, this study examined how ‘Fast Track’ had remade A1 settlers in Chiredzi district to be environmental entrepreneurs despite bearing the brunt of HWC. The objectives were twofold: (i) to check if environmental subjectivities towards wildlife changed with land access (ii) to discuss local initiatives to sustainably manage HWC. This paper argues that FTLRP was not only about land but people, especially remaking self-sufficient people who could sustainably manage HWC and associated environmental injustice by re-invigorating traditional knowledge and inventing sustainable methods. However, many of these local initiatives (e.g. night vigils) compromises setters’ right to a safe and secure environment (environmental justice) by exposing them to mosquitos, bad weather and/or confrontation with unyielding animals. In view of this, it is argued that, for FTLRP to realize its intended objectives of sustainable utilization of environment, Zimbabwean authorities should recognize wildlife as a land-use and potential source of livelihoods by fully implementing a wildlife land reform policy and shared environmental governance.