Mobility and sustainable community building among the farm and mine compound dwellers in Zimbabwe: Mazowe District

This dissertation documents the history of farm and mine workers living in the compound communities in Mazowe district, Zimbabwe. The workers are mostly Chewa and Chikunda speakers from areas in Malawi and Mozambique close to the Zambezi River. They migrated to Mazowe and built village-like communities in their workplaces that eventually became the compounds. In this dissertation, I trace the origins of the compound community and document their history up to the post-colonial period. I discuss how the Chewa and Chikunda speakers became knowledgeable about the Mazowe District, their methods of migration, and their eventual settlement in the compounds. I also discuss the structure of the compound society and their way of life.

In general, the compound communities in Mazowe and Zimbabwe were marginalized in many ways during the colonial and post-colonial periods. Therefore, residents of the compounds lacked access to essential services, including health care, higher education, and adequate housing. I discuss how compound residents supplemented resources and brought vibrancy to their community. I show how reliance on relationship networks, Nyau cultural norms, and environmental knowledge enabled the compound residents to thrive in impossible situations. I discuss how they triumphed and pursued their goals despite the marginalization of their communities. I further show the resilience of compound communities as they continue to survive since the implementation of the Fast Track Land Reform Program in 2000. The Land reform program affected the operation of commercial farms and small mines. As a ripple effect, compound residents lost their employment. However, despite their loss, their communities remain thriving owing to their inherent survival methods.