Centre for Development Support

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Browsing Centre for Development Support by Author "Chinyemba, Bridget Ngambo"

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    Large-scale land acquisitions and their impacts on the livelihoods of displaced communities: a case study of the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone community
    (University of the Free State, 19-Feb) Chinyemba, Bridget Ngambo; Marais, Mark
    Large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) are on the rise in Zambia and throughout the Sub-Saharan region. LSLAs provide economic benefits to host countries and contribute to the reduction in rural poverty. A study was conducted to enhance the understanding of the impacts of LSLAs on communities, focusing specifically on a case study regarding the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ) in Zambia. The main research problem is that, although LSLAs come with positive benefits, these acquisitions have been known to have negative impacts on the livelihoods of communities that are dispossessed of their land to accommodate the LSLAs. A household survey was conducted using a simple random selective sampling technique to select 109 respondents from Lusaka South MFEZ. Two focus group discussions and 15 key informant interviews were also held with relevant stakeholders. The data was collected through personal interviews using semi- structured questionnaires and analysed using Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study found that the sample community was displaced by the Lusaka South MFEZ project, and were resettled in the Mphande Forest of Kafue District. The displaced community faces significant negative impacts on social and economic aspects, including reduced agricultural land, food insecurity, family disintegration, and reduced household incomes, among other things. The conclusion is that LSLAs will continue to take place in Zambia, and principles guiding compensation and resettlement must therefore be implemented and monitored so that the LSLAs benefit all parties, including community members. The main recommendation is that government or investors must put compensation and resettlement packages into place that benefit the affected community, as well as other supportive mechanisms for the communities to experience lesser negative impacts of LSLAs.