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Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
Midlands Province has come up with provincial development induced relocation policy to address challenges relating to relocating and compensating rural communities displaced by development projects.
Gweru District Administrator Mr Jorum Chimedza, who was representing the Provincial Administrator Mr Abiot Maronge, said there was need for a clear and legitimate policy framework that addresses the challenges faced by villagers, especially when they relocate to pave way for development.
Mr Chimedza was addressing Districts Administrators, planners and chief executive officers from the eight districts of the Midlands Province during the launch of the development induced relocation policy research paper titled, “Challenges to Relocation and Compensation of Rural Communities Displaced by Development Projects in Zimbabwe” at a local hotel in Gweru.
The guidelines and recommendations which have resulted in this new policy were produced by a Midlands Working Group, which had representatives from the Government and the eight rural district councils in the province, and was supported by Centre for Conflict Management and Transformation (CCMT).
“As a province we need a viable, a feasible relocation model in the wake of devolution which we know is going to trigger development,” said Mr Chimedza.
“We have minerals and other natural resources which will attract development and will see the surge in development induced relocations.
“So I am happy that we have agreed on a provincial development induced relocation policy that will address such matters for a win-win situation between the affected people and the developers.”
Mr Chimedza said the issue of compensation was vital for socio-economic development adding that a policy which should be approved by the Government would result in companies or developers knowing beforehand what they ought to do or pay in compensation of the people who will be relocated to pave way for development.
“We should look at development as all-encompassing so that we move away from thinking that development only benefits the investor at the expense of those people who would have been relocated. CCMT has come up with guidelines and a research paper which should be used to guide this process so that conflict is avoided and communities prosper as they develop,” he said.
Midlands State University lecturer in the faculty of Arts, Dr Terrence Mashingaidze said a development induced relocation policy should be all encompassing since there are various forms of displacement triggered by factors such as growth point expansion, urban expansion, mining developments, dam constructions or road construction.
“So I think we need to have that policy and if we are to come up with that it needs to be adopted at State level so we need to engage Parliamentarians, we could engage various strategic interest groups such as the Chiefs council because this is not just a provincial matter but a national matter,” he said.
Midlands Provincial Crop and Livestock officer Mrs Madeliner Magwenzi said CCMT should be commended for bringing peace to Mberengwa District where villagers and the RDC had been embroiled in a bitter war over relocation for 21 years. CCMT director Mr Phiri said the purpose of his organisation is to bring stakeholders together to discuss, to agree to disagree but above all to ensure that there is no divisive approach towards development.
“We exist to make sure that we minimise negative effects in development induced relocations,” he said.
Online Reporter