Zimbabwe Rural Development and Community Resistance:

Life is supposed to be a great teacher, but in the development field lessons have never been learnt because errors of decades ago continue being entrenched today, by more enlightened people. As a result, rural development continues to lag-behind because of lack of fit between policy and the actual practice. This book investigated why the Nyangavi community, in Guruve district, Zimbabwe mobilised against 'development' of a 250 million US$ irrigation that was intended to improve their standard of living. The book looks at the influence of decentralization, and identifies and describes the reasons why and how the Nyangavi community resisted development. The problem is centred on officials who circumvent policy that encourages active community participation in rural development. The officials see rural communities and their poverty instead of listening to what the people want. Development planners fail to recognise that rural life is a state of mind that conditions people to a survival mode. Hence, development is still perceived as the 'modernisation' of the 'traditional' society. This book should help all involved in rural development and policy makers and implementers.