Urban farming disappears as houses eat up land in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean Herbert Nyahanana digs out weeds in a maize field on the outskirts of the capital Harare. Photo by Howard Burditt.

“I have been depending on urban farming for a long time but I can no longer do the farming because houses have taken over.”

By Fungi Kwaramba
The Zimbabwean
08 December 2010

CHITUNGWIZA – Despite the country being soaked with December rains, one feature has disappeared from the face of the ever-expanding town of Chitungwiza – maize fields.

New houses have taken over and urban farming has consequently vanished. Not so long ago people used open spaces in urban areas as mini-fields, but that has gone as urban expansion is increasing at neck breaking pace.

While for some urban farming was a hobby, there are many who relied on it heavily and even had barns in their yards.

“I have been depending on urban farming for a long time but I can no longer do the farming because houses have taken over,” said Ambuya Emilia.
New home owners have no sympathy for her – they would rather she went her rural home and did her farming there.

“Well there is space in rural areas and if she wants to be a farmer then she should go to her rural home. Urban areas are for houses and that is what the council has done,” said a new house owner, Cecilia Chipunza.

Understandably there is no love lost between the new home owners and the old farmers who think that the town fathers should have left ventilation gaps and open fields for recreation and farming.

Link to story here.