Veterans in Zimbabwe's Land Reform: Implications for Post-Colonial Political Economy in Africa

Abstract: The research focused on the role of War Veterans in Zimbabwe’s Land Reform and resulted in a reflection of the long-term implications for Post-Colonial political economy in Africa. The study objectives were (i) ‘To determine the character of the influence of war veterans in Zimbabwean Land Question’ and (ii) ‘To evaluate the tactics and processes used by war veterans to advance Zimbabwe’s land Reform’.  The study was conducted on the basis of a qualitative research design, and the main motivation was that it is a relatively new perspective without a baseline in a young discourse. Instead of traditional focus on the destructive nature of war veterans’ activities, the article looks at the empirical data that supports an important systematic dynamic in post-colonial Africa which warrants an empirical investigation. Data was collected using Interviews and document analysis sampling was purposive and judgmental. The study established that war veterans have a long held fixation with reclaiming lands that were forcibly taken and long standing revolutionary traditions spilled over into the post-colonial state. They used forcible occupation, lobbying, leverage in arms of government (including the security forces), international partnerships, statutory and constitutional instruments to accomplish the land reform. Most importantly, the enduring legacy of the liberation struggle saw them designing land reform to be a continuation of earlier wars of liberation. The researcher recommends that both in Zimbabwe and other countries, leaders and policymakers should take the influence of the war veterans seriously and seek sustained ways of addressing their grievances with a keen understanding of how they can shape Africa’s political economy in the post-colonial state.