Rural Economies and Human Development: The Case of Nkayi District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Although development theory has provided numerous insights into what development means, the ideological contrasts between theories have meant that solutions have swung from one extreme to another. This has been resolved in part through Amartya Sen's conception of ‘development as freedom' which places humans at the centre of development. Starting from this premise, the paper considers the various economies which people in Nkayi District - an area in rural Zimbabwe- resort to fashion their version of development. Economies are not construed in strictly economic terms but span across socio-economic boundaries. The paper reveals that although residents rely on diverse economies, contribution of livelihood components is varied and inconsistent across farming (45%), labour (24%), mining (12%), assets (13%), pensions (4%) and loans (2%). The shallow spread calls for more inclusive policies as well as a rethink on how best to ensure that rural areas achieve broad-based, inclusive development.