Seeing like the state? Customary land pressures and fracturing tenure systems in rural Zambia

This paper explores mechanisms that render different state actors capable of exerting customary land pressures, land grabbing or facilitating conditions for doing so. Specifically, the paper examines provisions state actors rely upon in the acquisition of rural customary land and implications. Using the test case of a rural district of Mafinga in eastern Zambia, we collect qualitative data from policy analysis, multi-level semi-structured interviews, and group discussions with local actors. Results show that land conversion has been heightened by creation of new districts across the country, which has advanced an urgent need to open up rural lands. Whereas chiefs have been co-opted into councils as agents of development, winners are not always local. Land acquisition processes reveal state actors are active ‘land grabbers,’ all calculating, and all-seeing in acquiring and converting customary land to statutory land, drawing on multi-dimensional and multi-level elements to exert pressure on customary land spheres. Several policy and legal tools, formal and informal processes enable and are increasing relied upon by state actors to grab land – processes framed as development. Ultimately, this effectively shifts risks and burdens of neoliberal framings of development to rural customary spheres. Overall, this paper sets us to think about state’s power, influence and authority in driving land conversions and in fracturing tenure systems, which raise the need to strengthen informal capacities at local level.