Land rush leaves farmers scrambling for pasture

VUNGU, once a sprawl of 14 vibrant villages in Lower Gwelo of the Midlands province, has merged into a modern sprawl of housing development. Thatched huts, once separated by common fields, have merged and become courtyards separated by a patchwork of alleys and Mopani tree fences.

Some say it is a sign of rural development. But for Thabisani Nkala, the village’s beloved goat herder, Vungu has become a disaster. The open fields, once a lush buffet for his beloved flock, are now a labyrinth of fenced and concrete areas awaiting construction.

Nkala, a man marked with the wiry wisdom of the savannah, still owns a mile-wide strip, where he still cares for his goats: beautiful creatures displaying an array of browns, blacks and the occasional flash of white. For generations, his family has raised goats in the countryside and the animals have become part of the family identity.

With fields shrinking, Nkala’s once carefree routine has become a daily struggle. He wakes up to the bleating of his goats, a familiar alarm clock; he leads them out of the corral one by one to the other side of a cornfield. Leading them like tethered dogs, his hooves hitting a rhythmic counterpoint on the hardened ground, her heart aches.

Gone are the mornings spent watching the goats graze contently, their bells a relaxing melody amidst the birdsong. Now, his mornings are a wild search for green patches in his parents’ field.

The villagers, although understanding, are no strangers to the challenges of progress. Some offered solutions suggesting he should reduce his flock. Nkala, however, has insisted that village chiefs must find a better solution. These goats are his family’s legacy, a source of income for his wife and children. He will not allow their number to decrease. But he is losing hope.

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“During our childhood, we chose grazing areas for our goats, but now it is like we live under a big village from Mxotshwa to Mdubiwa,” Nkala told NewsDay.

“There are no grazing areas, it seems like everyone has a stand now. I am selling my goats at a rate I have never done before because there are no grazing areas and why should I keep them. We are as good as people who live in urban areas,” he opened his heart.

“The painful thing is that the new people who are given positions here are either gold diggers or people from outside Lower Gwelo. Some are from Chipinge, Zaka and Masvingo due to connection with their relatives on this side. I believe that anyone who has enough to bribe the village chiefs can get a place to build and stay in Lower Gwelo.

“The village chiefs are the most corrupt people in our area. They can approach gold diggers and make land deals because they benefit from the money. People who were given posts and went abroad 10 years ago without setting up a structure now return to find their posts sold to these gold diggers and anyone who can pay our village chiefs.

“It is now difficult to keep domestic animals such as goats, donkeys and cows due to the lack of grazing land,” Nkala narrated, pointing to some huts scattered along the Gwenjani River.

Chief Bunina Chisadza, born Jabulani Madubeko Moyo, acknowledged that Vungu district has become one big village. She said it is difficult to strike a balance between urbanization and preserving peasant agriculture and caring for livestock by ensuring they have adequate grazing land.

“I agree that in Lower Gwelo some areas that used to be grazing lands have been converted into residential areas. This is due to the increase in population and in the end we have no choice but to house our children. However, this is difficult for people who have their goats, cows and donkeys and cannot find grazing areas. Now it is as if Lower Gwelo is only for residential positions. It has become very difficult to strike a balance between population growth and the preservation of grazing lands,” she added.

Zanu PF Vungu MP Brown Ndlovu said migration from urban to rural areas was one of the main causes of the massive allocation of residential stands that has left livestock farmers stranded and in search of grazing land. .

Vungu Rural District Council chief executive Alex Magura said there is a high demand for land in rural areas, which has contributed to encroachment on grazing lands.

“The development is a symptom of overcrowding, which is a characteristic of many rural areas in Zimbabwe. The population is increasing and there is a continuous demand for land, which is a finite resource,” Magura explained.

“The demand for land has caused the invasion of grazing lands. Coupled with the increase in the livestock population, this has put a lot of pressure on the land. In my opinion, the long-term solution is to decongest the common areas.

“This can happen through an overall increase in employment opportunities in the national economy and a change in the view that all families should own land.”

Mugaru, however, advised farmers to adapt to modern ways of farming.

“A reorganization of the rural economy is also necessary to take into account the reality that there cannot be large tracts of land. Agriculture should be more intensive than extensive. It is also necessary to change livestock farming models; The traditional model is rapidly disappearing due to increasing pressure on land,” he added.

Venencia Magama, Councilor for the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) in District 8, longed for the distant era of vast green pastures dotted with happy domestic animals. She said the arrival of new residents, while undeniably beneficial, has put enormous pressure on the rural landscape.

Magama recalled the days of vast open fields from Mxotshwa to Mdubiwa village. Now, those same fields are occupied by houses, leaving small shepherds with shrinking pastures for their livestock.

“What I know is that in the past there was grazing land available, especially along the Gweru River. It was an agricultural area in which each family had their own fields. Now people have stopped farming because the land is being allocated for residential purposes. I know that the population has increased and the earth cannot stretch. In District 8, it is developing rapidly as the population grows rapidly,” she said, her voice dull with worry.