One of the most common discussions amongst those living in the land reform areas today focuses on how will the next generation get land. Those who got the land during the land reform in 2000 are now getting older and many have died. The question of succession and inheritance is on people’s minds. This is also a big issue for younger people. Will they inherit the farm? Can they get a plot or a subdivision? Should they base themselves in the rural areas or in town?
As part of our new research initiative – Zimbabwe’s land reform after 25 years – we have been exploring these questions across our field sites in A1 (smallholder) land reform areas in Mvurwi, Masvingo/Gutu and Matobo, both through interviews and a survey of young people who are linked to the households that originally got the land. This ten-part blog series offers some of the preliminary results of this work.
This article is from Zimbabweland, a blog written by IDS Research Fellow Ian Scoones. Zimbabweland focuses on issues related to rural livelihoods and land reform in Zimbabwe.