Strangers, spirits, and land reforms : : conflicts about land in Dande, northern Zimbabwe / / by M. J. Spierenburg.

• Superior document: Afrika-Studiecentrum Series ; 3
• VerfasserIn: Spierenburg, Marja,
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden, The Netherlands ;, Boston : : Brill,, [2004]; ©2004
• Year of Publication: 2004
• Language: English
• Series: Afrika-Studiecentrum Series ; 3.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource.
• Notes: Revision of the author's thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Amsterdam, 2003.

This book describes efforts by the Zimbabwean government to enforce land reforms on African farmers in northern Zimbabwe. These efforts compounded rather than alleviated the problem of land scarcity for black small-scale farmers, a problem government now allegedly seeks to redress through invasions of white-owned farms. The book describes the similarities between the post-Independence land reforms and those attempted by the Rhodesian regime. The land reforms in Dande rendered a considerable number of farmers officially landless. The book describes the resulting internal conflicts over land within the communities in Dande as well as the more concerted forms of resistance of these communities vis-a-vis the state. Attention is also given to the role the spirit mediums of the royal ancestors (Mhondoro) played in this resistance.

Table of Contents

Intro -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- Preface -- List of Maps, Figures and Tables -- Acknowledgements -- 1 INTRODUCTION: OF NARRATNES AND LAND REFORMS -- 2 SETTING THE SCENE: A BRIEF HISTORY OF DANDE -- 3 STRANGERS AND LAND: LAND-USE BEFORE THE MID-ZAMBEZI PROJECT -- 4 THE MID-ZAMBEZI RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT -- 5 UP THERE, DOWN HERE: STRUGGLES BETWEEN PROJECT STAFF AND LOCAL RESIDENTS -- 6 MHONDORO MEDIUMS AND THE MID-ZAMBEZI RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT -- 7 A NEW MEDIUM FOR CHITSUNGO: RESISTANCE AGAINST TWO IRRIGATION PROJECTS -- 8 INTERNAL CONFLICTS: MIGRANTS, MHONDORO AND WITCHCRAFT -- 9 CONCLUSIONS -- 10 EPILOGUE -- References -- Index.