ABSTRACT
Fast track land reform led to the restructuring of agrarian relations in Zimbabwe. This paper explores the emerging forms of local agency on selected A1 farms in Goromonzi and Zvimba. It analyses how A1 beneficiaries have formed local farmer groups (LFGs) and the extent to which these have contributed towards relieving farm production challenges that include the unavailability of productive assets, limited household labour and unavailability of inputs. Through case studies of local farmer groups this paper manages to examine the internal dynamics of local agency, the nature of participation and the extent to which these formations actually provide a relief to members and provide the first line of defence of the newly found land rights. The findings provide important clues regarding local agency in a context where lineage forms of organisation do not exist and in most cases ‘strangers’ from different places have been resettled next to each other.
