Whose land is it anyway? : a rationalization of and proposal for a devolved institutional structure for land administration in Zimbabwe

The main strategy is redistribution of former (mainly white) commercial farmland for the benefit of the black majority using two distinct models (A2 and A1 with variants). Like phase one (1980-98) the planning and implementation of the program is centralized and not accompanied by an institutional reorientation especially regarding structures for land administration. This is notwithstanding that starting with the Rukuni Commission, leading to the 1998 Donors" conference and the draft National Land Policy Framework Paper, among others, broadening spaces for citizen participation in land reform has been discussed as central to enhancing the performance of the reform program. This paper rehashes the rationale for and proposes a devolved institutional structure for land administration to foster attainment of land reform objectives, obviate the excesses of centralization and improve rural development and governance. The structure is based on fieldwork findings in Zimbabwe, a tour to Tanzania and Botswana as well as broader international experiences. (Author abstract)