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Zimbabwe: A socio-economic, demographical and political brief
Zimbabwe is a land-locked country in the Southern part of Africa. Its geographic coordinates are 20 00 S, and 30 00 E. It is one of the fourteen Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries. Zimbabwe shares its borders with South Africa in the south (225 km); Botswana in the west (813 km); Namibia in the north west (0 km, i.e. at the quadripoint where Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia share a common border point); Zambia in the north (797 km); and Mozambique in the east (1 231 km). That Zimbabwe is land-locked is significant in that its access to overseas markets greatly depends on its relationship with its neighbours and the political milieu obtaining in these countries. For example, Zimbabwe faced problems during the debilitating civil war in Mozambique (1980 – 1990). It also had economic problems before South Africa became independent in 1994. However, this does not mean that all its economic problems can be attributed to this geographical setup. Some, if not most, of them are due to poor economic policies and ineptitude in the management of the national economy. The other problems are attributed to the political environment in the country, where political leaders have become insensitive, unresponsive and tend to ignore the rule of law (Mattes, Bratton, Davids and Africa, 2000:6).
The total surface area of Zimbabwe is about 391 000 square kilometres. Of this area, about 387 000 square kilometres is land mass while the remaining 4 000 square kilometres is water. Zimbabwe has a tropical climate. Its temperature ranges between 5 degrees Celsius and 38 degrees Celsius. Its rainfall is between November and March and ranges between 450 mm and 1200 mm. The land is made up of Savanna grasslands with high plateaus and low velds. The highest point is 2 592 metres at the Nyanga mountains and the lowest is 162 etres above sea level at the confluence of the Save and Lundi rivers in the southeastern part of the country (www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/zi.html,15 June 2001:1-2).
The population of Zimbabwe is about 11 million people (1998 estimates) of whom 98,8 percent are blacks and 1,2 percent are of European origin, Asians, and mixed races. Sixty five percent (65%) of Zimbabwe’s population is rural based, hence the paramountcy of RDCs. The two main ethnic groups are Shona (71%) and Ndebele (16%). Other smaller groups like the Tonga, Sena, Hlengwe, Venda and Sotho make up 11,8%. As indicated above, the other 1,2% is that of Whites, Asians and Coloureds or Basters (mixed races). The population growth rate has been relatively high at 3% per annum since 1980 although the 2001 indications are that this has dropped to 1,12% due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Forty-four percent (44%) of Zimbabwe’s population is between 0 – 14 years; 54% is between 15 – 64 years; and 2% is 65 years and above. This places the country’s life expectancy at 39,19 years (www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/zi.html, 15 June 2001:2-3).
Zimbabwe is very much dependent on mining and agriculture. Minerals such as coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin and platinum are found. There is a lot of crop and animal farming by both black and white farmers. Apart from South Africa, Zimbabwe has the largest number of whites in sub-Saharan Africa, about 250 000 at independence in 1980 and an estimated 112 000 in 1998 (www.nationamaster.com/country/zi/people, 15 June 2001:1). Although this number seems to be negligible, its significance lies in the fact that it controls, together with foreign companies, about 75% of the country’s wealth through its ownership of commercial farms, the commercial and industrial sector, and the mines. It also makes a fairly large contribution to the country’s senior managers in the private sector, professionals like lawyers, doctors, accountants, economists and technicians. The significance of these xplications is that there is an unhealthy distribution of resources between the races. This means that the pre-independence situation of skewed resource distribution has not changed fully and yet it was one of the rallying points of the liberation struggle between 1965 and 1980. For example, this can be illustrated through the assertion that early in 2002, about 4 400 whites owned 32% of Zimbabwe’s farmland (News.bbc/1/zi/world/Africa/594522.stm, 8 August 2002:1).
However, although the latest land distribution figures are not available, one should hasten to say that the rather irrational land redistribution policies introduced in 2000 by the Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ) have changed theland ownership outlook. These are irrational in the sense that most white farmer have been evicted from their land and replaced by black farmers. The eviction process has not been constitutional to say the least. It has violated individual ights, particularly the right to own property and to be protected by the law and the state.
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
THE RESEARCH QUESTION
IMPORTANCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
ORGANISATION OF THE RESEARCH
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER TWO METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
METHOD OF RESEARCH
TYPES OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
THE RESEARCH DESIGN
DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS
DATAANALYSIS
ETHICS, RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY
DATA COLLECTION PLAN
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER THREE DECENTRALISATION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND EVOLUTION IN ZIMBABWE
INTRODUCTION
DECENTRALISATION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT THE EVOLUTION OF RURAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN ZIMBABWE
WHITE RURAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE COLONIAL ERA
THE TRANSITIONAL ERA (1980 – 1993)
THE AMALGAMATION (RURAL DISTRICT COUNCILS) ACT
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER FOUR THE PROFILE, STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS OF THE BEITBRIDGE RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL
INTRODUCTION
BEITBRIDGE DISTRICT PROFILE
THE ORGANISATION OF THE BRDC
PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION AND EMPOWERMENT
THE PROVISION OF SERVICES
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER FIVE DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
RESPONSES ON DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION
THE STATUS OF SERVICE PROVISION IN THE BRDC
MANAGERIAL CAPACITY IN THE BRDC
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
INTRODUCTION
CONCLUSION
RECOMMENDATIONS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDICES
