Designing and Planning Dynamics: The Dande Irrigation Project, Zimbabwe

This monograph examines how the construction and implementation of the Dande Irrigation Project in the Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe,has and is perceived to affect the local people. The results show that the local valley people do not speak with one voice as ethnic affiliations,institutional dynamics and group interests appear to determine the success or failure of the proposed project. The findings also show that traditional institutions of authority especially the spirit mediums maintain a heavy presents and attain a lot of respect from the long-term valley residents, the Kore Kore, while at the same time, immigrants to the valley accord more respect to administrative and politico-legal institutions.The contention throughout the case study, as I hope to have shown, is that the project structure and organisation have not only to be feasible from the technical point of view but also must be sustainable in socio-economic and institutional terms. I conclude that smallholder irrigation development intervention that integrates the technical with the socio-economic and institutional dynamics, from planning to implementation, will be more effective and offer great potential for sustainability