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Discoveries in Agriculture and Food Sciences - Vol. 10, No. 3

Publication Date: June 25, 2022

DOI:10.14738/dafs.103.14353.

Muromo, F., & Mafongoya, P. (2022). Emerging Dynamics in Mkwasine Sugar Estate after the Land Reform in Zimbabwe.

Discoveries in Agriculture and Food Sciences, 10(3). 1-10.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Emerging Dynamics in Mkwasine Sugar Estate after the Land

Reform in Zimbabwe

Francis Muromo

Tugwi Mukosi Multidisciplinary Research Institute (TMMRI)

Midlands State University

Paramu Mafongoya

University Of Kwazulu Natal

School of Agriculture, Earth and Environmental Sciences

ABSTRACT

Using secondary as well as descriptive data collected from a sample of 45 farmers

in Mkwasine Sugar Estate in Chiredzi District in Zimbabwe’s south eastern lowveld,

this study examined the dynamics that have emerged in Mkwasine Sugar Estate in

the aftermath of land reform. The estate, formerly owned by the multinational- between Tongaat Hullet Group (THG) of South Africa was compulsorily acquired for

the resettlement of black farmers in an attempt to redress the colonial imbalance of

land ownership between whites and blacks. The study highlights reconfigured land

ownership structures, tenure regimes, tensions and conflicts between the THG and

the farmers as well as amongst the farmers themselves. Findings from the study

established the reconfiguration of the once centrally managed estate into

individually run farms of 10-20 hectares by over 400 black sugarcane farmers. The

study recommends the resolution of contestations by all the stakeholders for the

sustenance of the sugar industry.

INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study examines the dynamics that have emerged in Mkwasine Sugar Estate after land

reform in Zimbabwe to highlight the reconfiguration of the land ownership structure and

tenure regimes in the sugar estate. Although there had been white sugarcane out growers

linked to Mkwasine Estate during the colonial era, the uneasy relationship between the out

growers and the core estate has not been as pronounced as now. The black farmers resettled in

the aftermath of land reform are experiencing different challenges from those faced by their

white predecessors of the colonial era. Whereas white out growers in the colonial days enjoyed

loan facilities from financial institutions as well as economies of scale from the large

landholdings they owned and managed, the black farmers were allocated fairly smaller farms

ranging from 10 to 20 hectares each (Jackson and Cheater, 1994; Watts, 1994). The freehold

tenure system for white farmers provided them with collateral security of tenure when

applying for loans from financial institutions. However, this was replaced by, a 99-year

leasehold tenure given to the black farmers following the proclamation in 2001 by government

that all commercial agricultural land in Zimbabwe was state land.

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Discoveries in Agriculture and Food Sciences (DAFS) Vol 10, Issue 3, June- 2022

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This dramatic transformation of Mkwasine Estate has not been subjected to a detailed analysis

although Scoones et al (2010) and others have nuanced some developments which occurred in

the sugar industry in the aftermath of land reform. This study therefore attempts to give a

comprehensive analysis of the dynamics that emerged as a result of these developments. . The

findings from this study contribute to the broader debates on land reform in general and

Zimbabwe in particular. It is also hoped that the findings from this study will inform the

government, the resettled farmers and other stakeholders in the sugar industry in their future

planning endeavours.

CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND

Premised on the nucleus estate-out grower model, Mkwasine sugar estate is one of the three

sugarcane producing estates in Chiredzi District in Zimbabwe’s south eastern lowveld, apart

from Triangle and Hippo Valley. Just before the topical and historic compulsory acquisition of

the whole estate by the government under the Fast Track Land Resettlement Programme in the

year 2000 and beyond, Mkwasine was co-owned by THZ ‘s subsidiaries-Triangle and Hippo

Valley sugar estates. Since its inception in 1968 to present, the estate has gone through

profound changes in terms of ownership and crops that were grown in it. From being privately

owned by the Stockhill Brothers in its formative years, the estate has evolved through public

ownership through the then Sabi Limpopo Authority in the colonial era and then private

ownership through the government’s land redistributive thrust after independence.

Two Waves of Land Reform in Mkwasine Estate

Land reform in Mkwasine has been characterized by the following waves;

• The Chipiwa Settlement Scheme (CSS) of 1982.

• The A2 farmer Scheme introduced under the Fast Track Land Resettlement Programme

(FTLRP)

The Chipiwa Resettlement Scheme (CSS) of 1982 constituted the first wave of reforms in the

estate. It was the first land redistribution attempt by post-independent Zimbabwe in the first

decade of independence. The CSS was an out-grower scheme that aimed at redressing the

colonial imbalance in sugar production hitherto dominated by white farmers. The scheme

comprised of the first groups of 191 black farmers who were allocated 10-hectare sugarcane

plots by the government in the sugar estate. Under the scheme Mkwasine Estate shouldered the

costs of providing the necessary infrastructural requirements to the new farmers which

included putting up core houses for the farmers, preparing the land, installing irrigation works

as well as planting the first sugarcane crop for the new farmers.

The farmers were expected to repay the cost of these developments over a 15-year period from

crop proceeds after which they would acquire freehold title to their plots. The CSS also provided

for the transportation of the resettled farmers’ sugarcane to the mills at Triangle and Hippo

Valley. Mkwasine Estate also provided accounting services for the farmers. It also helped the

settlers in cutting their sugarcane as well as purchasing agricultural inputs for the farmers.

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Muromo, F., & Mafongoya, P. (2022). Emerging Dynamics in Mkwasine Sugar Estate after the Land Reform in Zimbabwe. Discoveries in Agriculture

and Food Sciences, 10(3). 1-10.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/dafs.103.14353

The second wave arose when increasing pressure for land across the country by the war

veteran movement in the second decade culminated in mass occupations of commercial farms

across the country. This resulted in the Fast Track Land Resettlement Programme (FTLRP)

which compulsorily acquired and officially transferred land from the THG by the government

for the resettlement of black farmers. Mkwasine Estate was not spared by this wave. Under the

FTLRP, over 4 000 hectares of land in the estate were compulsorily acquired and subdivided

into 20 hectares farms that were redistributed to over 200 beneficiaries known as A2 farmers

(Scoones et al. 20, Moyo, 2011).

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The study was carried out in three phases namely: i) the first phase involved the review of

literature on the sugar industry in general and Zimbabwe in particular, ii) the second phase

involved a preliminary visit to the sugar estate to sensitize the key informants of purpose of the

study (sugarcane farmers, community leaders, government officers and residents in general).

Subsequent trips were dedicated to information gathering from affected farmers and

government officers. The researcher used interview guides, questionnaires, focus group

discussions and narrative cases of specific incidences/experiences.

This data and information were captured in both audio and video forms with permission from

respondents. Research assistants were used to gather data. Analysis of all qualitative and

quantitative data was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and content

analysis.

STUDY FINDINGS

The study established tensions and conflicts between THZ and the resettled farmers and

between the resettled farmers themselves. These tensions emanated from land sizes allocated

to farmers and changes in tenure regimes. The sources of the tensions and conflicts were traced

to the Hippo Valley Agreement of 1957. The Agreement was the first piece of legislation in the

country to formalise the out-grower scheme in the sugar industry. The sequel to this legislation

was the Sugar Control Act of 1962 (GOZ, 1957).

The provisions of these acts gave core estates unparalleled powers over out growers in the

growing, processing and marketing of sugar in that they approved who had to be resettled in

the estates, what cane cultivars had to be grown, milling quotas for the out growers as well as

the distribution of proceeds from the sale of sugar products. These pieces of legislation were

not revised after independence despite the resentment of the out growers to the provisions of

the acts. Since the colonial period the colonial period resented the contempt with which the

core estates treated them. After land reform, the THG continued regarding the resettled farmers

as depending on them for survival.

On the other hand, there are tensions and conflict between the Chipiwa group of farmers and

the A2 farmers. The former allege unfairness on the part of government for not benefitting from

the FTLRP process. They argue that they paid for the 10 hectare plots they already possessed

whereas the A2 farmers did not. Land sizes between the CSS and the A2 farmers has created

animosity between the two groups. While the former was allocated 10 hectares each, the later