The Memorandum of Understanding between Mberengwa Rural District Council and Mberengwa Community in Zimbabwe: A Conflict Resolution Perspective

This article is motivated by a gap in existing scholarship on the compensation given to communities whose lands are expropriated for public use by the Government of Zimbabwe by examining the case of Mberengwa community. The article examines the extent to which the compensation provided to Mberengwa should be considered adequate and whether the community was satisfied by it. The paper uses a qualitative methodology. The central research question is: Does the Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) between Mberengwa Rural District Council and the Mberengwa community represent fair and adequate compensation for the expropriated Mberengwa communal land? The findings reveal that the MOU did not provide alternative plots of land that adequately compensated for the expropriated lands. Furthermore, their means of livelihood were neither rehabilitated neither were alternatives provided. The paper recommends a competent project management strategy to ensure comprehensive planning for stage-based delivery of the agreed compensation outcomes. We also recommend in-depth problem-solving workshops involving all affected community members to increase the chances of success.