105
District and provincial officers acknowledged that many more land concessions had been
granted in 1993. Our records indicate that over 125,000 hectares at the provincial level had
been granted for agricultural exploitation, in selected districts, in the last two years.232 We
suspect that concessions are also granted for hunting reserves and mineral exploration. The
figure of 125,000 hectares may represent 50 percent of the actual extent of provincial-level
allocations in the last two years. 233 Most of this land is in southern Manica and Gondola
districts and in northern Sussundenga District, near the corridor. At the same time, we heard
unconfirmed reports of land concessions being made (unofficially and often illegally) to
Zimbabweans and South Africans.234 Alexander (1994) reports two cases in which local
Mozambicans were fronting for Zimbabwean firms.
The population of the villages around the state farm had reportedly increased (rather than
decreased) as smallholders returned from refugee camps or self-displaced came from either
RENAMO-administered areas or other less favorable government-controlled sectors. We
found local residents, displaced families, and repatriated refugees living together in several
of the Vanduzi villages, including Almada Aldeia, Belas I and Belas II, September 25 Aldeia,
and June 25 Aldeia. There was no significant reduction in the populations of any of the
villages from 1992, and there were increases in a few. Since we did not perform standard
household surveys, we do not know details about the composition of the communities;
questions remain. We do not know, for example, whether the population did not decrease
because returning refugees are arriving faster than displaced families are leaving or because
repatriating refugees have temporarily settled elsewhere while displaced persons have not
moved back to their family lands. In the Belas villages, it was reported that no displaced
farmers have returned to family lands. Locality administrators said that the combination of
local residents, displaced families, and repatriating individuals was putting a strain on
lo5cations. resources in many
Some smallholders explained that they traveled several kilometers north each day to farm
(often on land that was borrowed) and then returned to the locality center in the evening.
They did this because they felt that the rural areas more distant from Vanduzi were still not
safe and because many more social services were available in Vanduzi and other locality
m2e3n6. centers. Women commented on the attraction of social services more frequently than
While we do not have statistical data, we deduce that some farmers continue to exploit either
family land or land that they held during the colonial period while others are simply
borrowing land for a short period of time.
232. See also Alexander (1994).
233. Alexander (1994) reported that about 50,000 of the 125,000 hectares granted in agricultural concessions
were registered to the provincial Government of Manica. This land is part of the IFLOMA State Enterprise
(forestry). The state is registering these concessions in order to legalize its intervention and facilitate their
alienation.
234. Given the nature of this topic, our sources asked to remain confidential. They asked that we not even
use their titles or positions.
235. Interview, Chief, Vanduzi Administrative Post, August 1993; and Secretary, September 25 Aldeia,
August 1993.
236. Interviews with smallholders, Vanduzi Administrative Post, August 1993.