The Socio-cultural Dynamics in Smallholder Irrigation Schemes in Rural Zimbabwe: A Case Study of Rupike Irrigation Scheme in Mavingo South

Abstract

This treatise argues that instead of being the panacea to food security quagmires bedeviling communities, irrigation at Rupike is marred with a plethora of challenges due to differential lifeworlds. This has resulted in an impasse, which can only be solved by considering irrigation as a social issue. The study examines the socio-cultural dimension of irrigation and the politics of production, situating the sociological approach to irrigation. Although it interrogates the flaws associated with the technological and managerial approaches that are coalescing against the objectives of this program, it does not advocate a paradigm shift to irrigation. Accordingly, it values an interdisciplinary perspective that accommodates the perceptions and interests of all stakeholders. It opines that unless an interface analysis is adopted to bridge the impasse, the goal of sustainable development will remain elusive. The study was grounded in qualitative methodology and the Interface Analysis was utilized as the theoretical framework.