Traditional authorities as conduits of belonging: Exploring linkages between communal and resettlements in Zvimba District, Zimbabwe
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Abstract
This article investigates how and why beneficiaries of the A1 villagised model of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP) retain a sense of belonging to the traditional authorities of communal areas of origin. The extent to which beneficiaries of land reform who live in new communities have maintained a sense of belonging in communal areas governed by traditional authorities has received limited attention in the literature. The most common forms of belonging in communal areas highlighted in the literature include a sense of connection through familial relations, family graves and historical landscapes. Through a case study of Zvimba district, the paper shows that people who relocated to FTLRP resettlement areas maintain a strong sense of connection with the traditional authorities in their original areas through lineage and totemic ties.
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References
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