Escaping government resettlement plots for self-resettlement
Livelihood accounts of former Chingwizi residents from southern Zimbabwe
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6030846 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Elmon Mudefi (0000-0003-3448-5432, Walter Sisulu University, corresponding author), Thabisani Ndlovu (0000-0001-5592-7522, Walter Sisulu University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-17 |
| Publication date | 2025-02-06 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | African Identities (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1472-5843 • E-ISSN: 1472-5851 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14725843.2025.2451858 |
| OpenAlex | W4407192130 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 40 |
This article investigates the practices of reconstructing livelihoods by migrants in self-resettlement contexts. It draws on experiences of migrants who departed from their state-designated Chingwizi resettlement plots established in 2014 in southern Zimbabwe choosing instead to settle ‘elsewhere’ in Mwenezi district. The article is a reflection informed by researchers’ experiences while investigating how the displaced Tugwi-Mukosi community grappled with their livelihoods five years into their resettlement in Chingwizi. The first-hand livelihood accounts of four interlocutors encountered ethnographically and through referrals while conducting the main study are documented as they narrate their experiences both in the former Chingwizi resettlement area and the new ‘self-resettlement’ locations. In this way, the article provide insights into how self-resettlement differs from state-led resettlement in livelihoods reconstruction. Our findings revealed that in state-led resettlement, households were allocated small plots and lacked opportunities for diversification and the institutional support needed to rebuild and maintain their livelihoods. They were also denied land ownership rights and access to forest resources and grazing areas essential for rural livelihoods. However, many of these challenges were mitigated through self-resettlement. Despite challenges faced by both resettlement models, the article underscores significant policy considerations regarding the intricacies of livelihood reconstruction in resettlement settings
Agriculture · Archaeology · Development economics · Economic growth · Economics · Geography · Livelihood · Political economy · Political science · Socioeconomics · Hydropower, Displacement, Environmental Impact · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Urban and Rural Development Challenges
Gender, Politics and Land Use in Zimbabwe 1980-2012
Resettlement as climate change adaptation
The socio-politics of (Re)constructing home in a post-displacement context in rural Zimbabwe
Dam-induced displacement and resettlement
Skewed rural development policies and economic malaise in Zimbabwe
Critical Autoethnography
Changing money, changing fortunes
Compensation and the Human Security–Insecurity Matrix in Forced Displacement. Experiences from the Tokwe Mukosi Displacement in Zimbabwe
(Self-) Reflection / Reflexivity in Sensitive, Qualitative Research
Flood vulnerability and relocation readiness in Zimbabwe
Belonging and rural livelihoods
When Flood Victims Became State Victims
Forced displacement
Towards a critical geography of resettlement
Livelihood dynamics in planned and spontaneous resettlement in Zimbabwe
The effects of climate change on the geography and timing of human mobility
A theory of migration
The impact on rural livelihoods and ecosystem services of a major relocation and settlement program
A livelihood analysis of resettlement outcomes
The Nomads of Mykonos
Village market” formation and livelihood conundrums among displaced rural Zimbabwean flood victims
Isolation and Its Impact on Widows
Impoverishment Persistence in Hydropower Dam-Induced Resettled Communities
Extending the Grain Basket to the Margins
The Political Economy of Land Acquisition and Redistribution in Zimbabwe, 1990-1999
Resilience (Republished)
Migration and the Search for a Better Way of Life
Social Networks, Migration Trajectories and Livelihood Strategies of Migrant Domestic and Construction Workers in Accra, Ghana
The Day of Burning
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |