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Land is central to the livelihoods of the majority of people in Zimbabwe who are resident in the countryside. Not only is the land important for food production and self-sustenance, but it also provides a sense of belonging to people while also providing raw materials for use in the manufacturing and industrial sectors. Land is thus critical for an agro-based economy like Zimbabwe where agriculture is the second highest export earner after mining (Chambati, Mazwi & Mberi 2016). The importance of land and agriculture cannot, therefore, be overemphasised enough.
Zimbabwe is one of the few countries in Africa to have experienced land dispossessions of the indigenous populace after the colonial conquest alongside Kenya, Namibia and South Africa (Moyo 2016). Such countries, also known as former settler colonies, were characterised by iniquitous land ownership patterns that pushed the majority of the black population to marginal lands while reducing some to farm laborers, thus setting a stage for armed struggles, which were led by various liberation movements (ibid). For Zimbabwe, the demand for land was one of the major driving issues for the waging of the liberation struggle, which eventually culminated in independence in 1980 (Habib 2011). However, it is important to note that at independence, the newly established black government led by former President Robert Mugabe could not address land inequalities inherited from colonialism due to constitutional
provisions requiring land transfers to be done under markets for the first 10 years after the onset of Independence (Moyo 1995). Such a clause was also inserted in the South African and Namibian constitutions, leading to the stalling of agrarian transformation. The other option to pursue land transfers would have been through a radical land redistribution exercise in defiance of the Constitution and the Lancaster House Agreement.
Binga district in Matabeleland North Province, Nsungwale Area, under Chief Sinakoma, experienced heavy rains which resulted in some life threating floods. The floods occurred in the early hours of Monday 10 February 2020. The flooded area is a confluence point of four rivers namely Simbwambwa, Siakanda, Namapande and Manyenyengwa. As a result the road connecting Binga and Siabuwa has been damaged and is currently closed. Chininga Bridge connecting Nsungwale and Siabuwa and linking with Karoi, Gokwe, and Kariba needs urgent rehabilitation IOM managed to support the DCP with a comprehensive registration of all affected individuals, along with officers from the PA, Red Cross, Save the Children, Action Aid. Through 16 focus groups discussions and HHs assessments, accurate and timely collection and dissemination of data was provided regarding the internal displacement in the affected area.
16 Villages were assessed (Maneta 1-2-3-4-5-6-8-10-11, Chinomba 2, 3 y 4, Simuchembu 9, Chinga 1, Siyakubulabula) Due to the heavy backlash a total of 215 HHs were affected (967 individuals). Out of the affected, 42% were adults (409) and 58% (588) were children. In addition, 53% (512) were females and 47% (455) male. Among the most vulnerable groups, 165 individuals were consider, 5% Disabled, 21% Widow, Single parents, 19% Orphans, 25% Children under 5, 6% Elderly and 22% Chronically ill. 33 were totally destroyed (15%), 34 partially destroyed (16%) and 148 HH (69%) had crops, fields and items affected. All the houses with damaged infrastructure are on the water way and in need of relocation, their field crops were also washed away. Main crops were: Maize, Sorghum, Millet, Beans, Cotton, Pumpkins, Groundnuts and Okra. Approximately 98% of the interviewed households do not have toilets and they are practicing open defecation.
Highlights: 215 HH affected, 33 totally destroyed, 34 partially destroyed, 16 villages assessed and 33 diarrhea cases
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Context
After the first infections in China at the end of 2019, the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has continued to spread across the world. No continent has been able to escape this virus, which has recorded average mortality of around 2.3% (According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention). To date, there have been nearly 54,207 deaths, with more than 1,030,324 people infected and 219,896 recoveries across 204 countries and territories around the world and 2 international conveyances: the Diamond Princess Cruise ship harbored in Yokohama, Japan, and the Holland America’s MS Zaandam cruise ship, worldwide, thus portraying the severity of the virus globally (WHO Situational Report 3 April 2020, 10:00 am GMT).
Declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020, COVID-19 has become a global emergency, given its impact on the entire world population and the economy. According to scenario simulations of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), global growth could fall by 0.5 for the year 2020. Several other sources are also predicting a fall in global growth due to the direct effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. The global economy may enter a recession at least in the first half of the year 2020, when adding the direct and indirect effects of the crisis (e.g. supply and demand shocks, commodity slump, fall in tourism arrivals, etc.). However, as the pandemic progresses slowly on the African continent, studies by international organizations have less addressed the economic impact on individual African countries. Indeed, Africa is not immunized from Covid19. As of today, according to Covid19 Surveillance Update: 3 April 2020 9:00a.m of Africa CDC, the spread of the virus has reached 50 African Union Member States: 7,028 cases, 561 recoveries and 284 deaths; and is showing no signs of slowing down. Africa, because of its openness to international trade and migration, is not immune to the harmful effects of COVID-19, which are of two kinds: endogenous and exogenous.
• The exogenous effects come from direct trade links between affected partner continents such as Asia, Europe and the United States; tourism; the decline in remittances from African Diaspora; Foreign Direct Investment and Official Development Assistance; illicit financing flows and domestic financial market tightening, etc.
• The endogenous effects occur as a result of the rapid spread of the virus in many African countries. On one hand, they are linked to morbidity and mortality. On the other hand, they lead to a disruption of economic activities. This may cause, a decrease in domestic demand in tax revenue due to the loss of oil and commodity prices coupled with an increase in public expenditure to safeguard human health and support economic activities.
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Final_-Land-Policy-in-Zimbabwe-Publication_vs4-1.pdf