Chapter 6:
Settlement Programs
by
Florence Chenoweth, Jane Knowles, and Gertrude Ngenda'
I. Introduction
Zambia's market economy continues to penetrate rural and peri-urban areas of subsistence
cultivation. In this environment, where islands of commercial activity are surrounded by a sea of
subsistence agriculture, settlement schemes have served as a mechanism for the expansion of the
frontier of commercial agriculture.' Zambia has an abundant supply of uncultivated arable land. The
land market for private transfers and administrative allocations on newly opened lands will provide
the principal mechanism through which people can acquire land in agricultural areas. However, due
to historical factors and economic hardship, some segments of the population seeking land for farming
will be unable to effectively use these mechanisms.' The GOZ has a long history of settlement
programs which they have attempted to use to accommodate the land needs of these people; the
desirability of continuing or expanding resettlement depends on the scale and performance of past
schemes.
This chapter was undertaken to pull together what is known of the various resettlement
schemes. Information was sought on the extent of such schemes, institutions involved, number of
settlers, scheme size, area settled, scheme expansion over time, settlement costs, settler characteristics,
and scheme performance in terms of production, land use, investment, income, employment, and
resource access and use. Data are based primarily on archival research, secondary sources, and some
interviews with public officials. Prior to 1991 there were several government institutions responsible
for resettlement schemes, including the Zambia National Service (ZNS); the MAFF; the Ministry of
Local Government and Housing; the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM); and the
Department of Resettlement. Attempts were made to obtain data from all these institutions except
ZCCM. Officials repeatedly acknowledged the availability of data, but despite many informal and
formal requests, few data were ever provided due partly to information sanctions stemming from
political sensitivities, poor data management, lack of records, and dearth of quality research by outside
investigators. The findings in this chapter are thus superficial and, if anything, highlight the need for
exhaustive research involving fieldwork in this area.
In referring to the numerous schemes set up by the GOZ to settle people for agricultural
purposes, the term resettlement scheme is sometimes used while at other times, frequently in the same
document, settlement scheme is used. For the purpose of this chapter, all schemes are referred to as
1 Florence Chenoweth is an associate research scientist with International Agricultural Programs and Jane Knowles is
Associate Director of International Agricultural Programs, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Gertrude Ngenda is a
researcher with the Zambian Association for Research and Development.
2 Ray (1977a) uses the example of the Chifwile resettlement scheme in Northern Zambia to examine how such programs
can be used as a mechanism for expanding the frontier of commercial agriculture.
3 These segments of the population include the disadvantaged, urban people, and retiring or terminated civil servants.