Land reform & changing social relations for farm workers in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This article assesses the problem of extending social, political and land rights to farm workers in Zimbabwe's commercial farming sector in the context of current debates and protests about land redistribution there. It contrasts traditional indifference to such workers with more recent attempts to address their needs and explores the difficulties which land redistribution could present for farm workers if their interests were not made part of the agenda of change. It argues for a holistic, transformative approach to redistribution and reform, an approach which contrasts markedly with ‐and goes well beyond ‐ nationalist, workerist and welfare strategies that have been put forward.