Reclaiming Africa: Scramble and Resistance in the 21st Century (Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development)

This book presents the findings of research conducted by scholars and activists associated with the Agrarian South Network, based mainly in Africa, Asia and Latina America. The research articulates a Southern perspective on the "new scramble" for Africa, with a view to strengthen tri-continental solidarities. The book explains the significance of the new scramble in terms of the economic structures inherited from the late-nineteenth-century scramble and the subsequent post-independence period. The renewed competition for Africa's land and natural resources and the resumption of economic growth at the turn of the millennium have revived concerns regarding the continent's position in the world economy and the prospects for its development in the twenty-first century. In this regard, the book addresses two related issues: the character of the expansion of Southern competitors in relation to the more established Western strategies; and the impact of the renewed influx of investments in land, minerals, and associated infrastructure. The findings are presented with empirical rigor and conceptual clarity, to enable the reader to grasp what really is at stake in the twenty-first century - an epic struggle to reclaim Africa from the monopolies that exercise control over its land, minerals, labour, and destiny.-- Provided by publisher Preface 7 Overview of the Chapters 8 Contents 13 About the Editors 15 Introduction 16 1 The Scramble for Land and Natural Resources in Africa 17 Introduction 17 Historical and Systemic Dynamics of the Scramble for Africa 19 Systemic Crisis and Transition 19 Antecedents of the Current Scramble 22 The ‘Third Wave’ of Land Alienation 25 Overall Patterns of Land and Resource Grabs in Africa 26 The External Agents of the Scramble and the Compradors 30 Western Investors in the New Scramble for Africa 30 Semi-peripheral and African Investors 32 Structural Transformations Towards Accumulation ‘from Above’ 35 Renewed Extroversion of the Agrarian Economy 35 Competing Modes of Agrarian Accumulation 37 Structural Transition and the Challenges of Pan-Africanism 40 Conclusion 41 References 42 New Competitors for Africa’s Land and Natural Resources 45 2 Chinese Expansion in Africa in the Twenty-First Century: Characteristics and Impacts 46 Introduction 46 Chinese Foreign Policy Towards Africa 48 Trade, Investments and Financial Flows 51 China–Africa Trade 51 Investments 53 Impacts on African Growth 57 Conclusions 59 References 60 3 South Africa and the New Scramble: The Demise of Sub-imperialism and the Rise of the East 63 Introduction 63 Framing Imperialism, Africa and South Africa 65 Positioning South Africa in the World Economy 68 South Africa’s Record 70 Post-apartheid South Africa: Scrambler or Scrambled? 72 Looking East and the BRICS 78 References 82 4 The Scramble for Africa’s Agricultural Land: A Note on India’s Excursus 85 Introduction 85 Contextualising Indian Acquisitions in Africa: The Global Picture 86 India and Foreign Investments in African Agriculture 89 Extent of India Investments in a Global Context 89 Policy Framework for Investments 93 The FAO Guidelines 93 The Regulatory and Institutional Framework in India 94 African States and the Land Rush: Some Case Studies 95 Ethiopia 96 Mozambique 98 Tanzania 99 Investments and the Accelerated Process of Semi-proletarianisation 101 Conclusion 103 References 105 5 Brazil’s Re-encounter with Africa: The Externalization of Domestic Contradictions 107 Introduction 107 Brazil’s Re-encounter with Africa 110 The White-Settler Colonial Legacy 110 White-Settler Colonial Recalcitrance 112 The Neocolonial Transition 114 Brazil–Arica Cooperation: Agriculture, Trade and Direct Investment 117 Cooperation in Agriculture 118 Trends in Trade and Foreign Direct Investment 122 Conclusion 126 References 127 National Experiences in West, East & Southern Africa 131 6 Land Grabbing, a Virus in the Fruit of Food Sovereignty in West Africa: A Case Study from ‘Office du Niger’ Zone in Mali 132 Introduction 132 The Challenge of Sustainable Natural Resource Management 133 Agricultural Land in Mali 135 Access to Land in Mali 138 The Issue of the Office du Niger 140 Means of Land Management at ON Zone 140 Massive Land Cessions in the ON Zone 141 The Case of Malibya 149 Conclusion 152 References 152 7 The Scramble for Agricultural Land in Senegal: Land Privatisation and Inclusion? 154 Introduction 154 Agricultural Land Grabbing 155 What Is Land Grabbing? 155 Controversies About the Extent of Land Grabbing 156 The Challenges 157 Land and Institutional Reforms in Senegal 160 Applicable Law on the National Territory 161 The LOASP 162 Doing Business 163 Agricultural Land Grabbing Mechanisms and Impacts in Senegal in the 2000s 164 Conclusion 170 References 171 8 Land-Based Investments in Tanzania: Legal Framework and Realities on the Ground 174 Introduction 174 Theoretical Legal Framework Governing Investment in Tanzania 176 From Independence to 1967 176 Arusha Declaration and Its Aftermath 176 Current Investment Legal Regime 177 Land Investment Laws 177 Context of Investment 178 Manifestation of External Forces for Investment in Tanzania 178 Agriculture for Food Security 179 Agriculture for Energy Security 180 Forest Plantations for Carbon Market 182 Investments in Mining Sector 183 Land Acquisition Procedures 183 Land Transfer 183 Access to Land Through TIC 184 Alternative Process Commonly Used to Access Village Land for Investment 184 Analysis of Land Investment Practices in Tanzania 185 Land Acquisition 185 Community Participation 185 Compensation 186 Impacts of Land Investments 187 Economic Impact 187 Impact to Livelihoods and Food Security 187 Social Impact 188 Environmental Impact 188 Conclusion 189 References 190 9 Accumulation by Dispossession and Resistance in Uganda 193 Introduction 193 The Political Economy of Land Enclosures in Uganda 193 Land Enclosure as Primitive Accumulation in Uganda: An Historical Perspective 196 Land and Agriculture in the Post-colonial Era 200 The Contradictions of Land Reforms in a Neoliberal Era 202 Political Responses from Below to Land Enclosures 204 Conclusions 208 References 208 10 Customary Land in Zambia: The New Scramble and the Evolving Socio-political Relations 212 Introduction 212 Land Policy and Tenure Reforms in Zambia 213 Bifurcation 214 Nationalisation of Land 215 Privatisation and Consolidation 215 Land Resources in Zambia: How Much Land Is Available? 217 Conversion of Customary Land to Leasehold Title 220 Drivers of Conversion of Customary Land 222 Key Drivers of Conversion 223 Tenure Security Perception 223 The Role of the Lands Act of 1995 224 Growing Middle Class 225 Speculation in Land Value 225 Impact of Conversion 226 Shifting Power Relations 226 Increasing Insecurity 227 Land Scarcity 228 Compromised Future Land Use 228 Weakening of Social Cohesion and Growing Conflict 228 Rent-Seeking 229 Conclusion 229 References 230 11 Land and Natural Resources in Zimbabwe: Scramble and Resistance 233 Introduction 233 Historical Context and Radical Reform in Zimbabwe 235 Western Monopoly-Finance Capital Against Re-radicalised Nationalism 237 The Structural Features of Primitive Accumulation 237 Land and Resource Control by Capital from the West 240 White Zimbabwe Farmers Scramble for Agricultural Land and Markets in the Region 243 The Look East Policy and Investments in Zimbabwe from the East and South 244 Radical Nationalism and the New Investments 244 Landed Interests from the East: China’s Rise? 245 Investments from the Wider South 246 The Indigenisation Policy Against the New Scramble for Natural Resources and Minerals 247 The Policy Context of the Resource Scramble 247 Struggles Over Wildlife Conservancies and Forests 248 The Scramble for Minerals by Foreign Capital Facing Indigenisation 250 Resistance to the Scramble 251 The Repositioning of State Capital in Joint Ventures 251 National Mobilisation for Land, Natural Resources and Mineral Control 254 Towards a New Policy of Non-alignment and Regionalism 257 Conclusion 258 References 259 Conclusion 262 12 Whither Africa in the Global South? Lessons of Bandung and Pan-Africanism 263 Africa in the Global South: The Basics 263 The Global Capitalist System 264 Political Milestones in Pan-African and Bandung Trajectories 266 The Pan-Africanist Trajectory 266 The Bandung Trajectory 268 Neo-Liberalization of Bandung and Pan-Africanism 271 Lessons of Bandung and Pan-African Spirit 273 References 274 Front Matter ....Pages i-xv Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 The Scramble for Land and Natural Resources in Africa (Sam Moyo, Praveen Jha, Paris Yeros)....Pages 3-30 Front Matter ....Pages 31-31 Chinese Expansion in Africa in the Twenty-First Century: Characteristics and Impacts (Valéria Lopes Ribeiro)....Pages 33-49 South Africa and the New Scramble: The Demise of Sub-imperialism and the Rise of the East (William G. Martin)....Pages 51-72 The Scramble for Africa’s Agricultural Land: A Note on India’s Excursus (Praveen Jha, Archana Prasad, Santosh Verma, Nilachala Acharya)....Pages 73-94 Brazil’s Re-encounter with Africa: The Externalization of Domestic Contradictions (Paris Yeros, Vitor E. Schincariol, Thiago Lima da Silva)....Pages 95-118 Front Matter ....Pages 119-119 Land Grabbing, a Virus in the Fruit of Food Sovereignty in West Africa: A Case Study from ‘Office du Niger’ Zone in Mali (Mamadou Goïta)....Pages 121-142 The Scramble for Agricultural Land in Senegal: Land Privatisation and Inclusion? (Abdourahmane Ndiaye)....Pages 143-162 Land-Based Investments in Tanzania: Legal Framework and Realities on the Ground (Godfrey Eliseus Massay, Telemu Kassile)....Pages 163-181 Accumulation by Dispossession and Resistance in Uganda (Giuliano Martiniello)....Pages 183-201 Customary Land in Zambia: The New Scramble and the Evolving Socio-political Relations (Horman Chitonge)....Pages 203-223 Land and Natural Resources in Zimbabwe: Scramble and Resistance (Sam Moyo, Walter Chambati, Paris Yeros)....Pages 225-253 Front Matter ....Pages 255-255 Whither Africa in the Global South? Lessons of Bandung and Pan-Africanism (Issa G. Shivji)....Pages 257-269