This dissertation examines the application and effect of Article 1 of the First Protocol to the ECHR in relation to Scots land law reform. Chapter one will reflect on why existing rights to property have come to be challenged. Chapter two sets out the human rights paradigm and scrutinises what rights and whose rights are engaged. Chapter three traces the development of A1P1. Chapter four applies the human rights paradigm to contemporary reforms. Chapter five considers the broader effect A1P1 has had on domestic property law. This dissertation submits that the problem to be overcome is that, in many instances, Scots land law reform has been reduced into a simplistic struggle. A1P1 has been held up as either a citadel protecting landowners or as an ineffective and unjustified right to be ignored. At the core of this debate are competing claims between liberal individualist rights to property and socially democratic, egalitarian goals. This dissertation argues that it is important to move beyond this binary debate. This is not about finding some mysterious "red card" or eureka moment that conclusively shows compatibility or incompatibility. Instead, compatibility will be determined by following a rule-based approach that values rational decision-making and the best available evidence, as well as the importance of democratic institutions. As such, it will be illustrated how future challenges are likely to focus not on the underlying purpose of land law reform but on the macro or micro granularity of Ministerial discretion. In coming to this conclusion, it will be argued that A1P1 has a pervasive influence on the entire workings of all public bodies and, like a dye, permeates the legislative process.

Text in English / This qualitative study presents an onomastic perspective on the changing linguistic landscape of Zimbabwe which resulted from the post-2000 land reforms (also known as the Third Chimurenga). When veterans of Zimbabwe’s War of Liberation assumed occupancy of former white-owned farms, they immediately pronounced their take-over of the land through changes in place names. The resultant toponymic landscape is anchored in the discourses of the First and Second Chimurenga. Through recasting the Chimurenga (war of liberation) narrative, the proponents of the post-2000 land reforms endeavoured to create a historical continuum from the colonisation of Zimbabwe in 1890 to the post-2000 reforms, which were perceived as an attempt to redress the historical anomaly of land inequality. The aim of this study is to examine toponymic changes on the geo-linguistic landscape, and establish the extent of the changes and the post-colonial identity portrayed by these place names. Within the case study design, research methods included in-depth interviews, document study and observations as means of data generation. Through the application of critical and sociolinguistic theories in the form of post-colonial theory, complemented by geo-semiotics, political semiotics and language ecology, this study uncovers the richness of toponymy in exposing a cryptic social narrative reflective of, among others, contestations of power. The findings indicate that post-2000 toponymy is a complex mixture of pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial place names. These names recast the various narratives in respect of the history of Zimbabwe through the erasure of colonial toponyms and resuscitation older Chimurenga names. The resultant picture portrayed by post-2000 toponymy communicates a complex message of contested land ownership in Zimbabwe. There is a pronounced legacy of colonial toponymy that testifies to the British Imperial occupation of the land and the ideologies behind colonisation. This presence of colonial toponymy many years after independence is an ironic confirmation of the indelible legacy of British colonialism in Zimbabwe. The findings show a clear recasting of the discourses of violence and racial hostility, but also reveal an interesting trend of toponymic syncretism where colonial names are retained and used together with new names. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (Linguistics)

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African government started the restructuring process of the state’s forest assets in 1998. The privatisation process includes all the assets of the South African Forestry Company (SAFCOL) and half of the former homelands’ 150 000 hectares of forest. In August 2000 SAFCOL released their “Operational Plan for Implementing Exit from Forestry in the Southem-Cape Portion of the Western Cape Region”. This plan identified only major land uses (agriculture, forestry, and conservation). A more detailed and intensive land evaluation study was required to specify land utilisation types that are tailor-made to each land unit of the study area. The main intention of this research study is to develop a more detailed evaluation process that elaborates on the land uses proposed by SAFCOL, which is site-specific in terms of the type of agricultural system to be used on specific areas, or the type of indigenous vegetation to be restored in conservation areas. La Motte plantation was taken as the case study and the SAFCOL digital database for the study area was used as the input data. The Automated Land Evaluation System (ALES) was the computer software package used to build the expert system to evaluate land according to the method presented in the FAO 1976 report. The ALES model built in this research study had 15 decision trees (one per land utilisation type) resulting in a total of 1678 branches, which relate land characteristics to severity levels of land qualities. During the computation of an evaluation ALES attempts to place each map unit into one of the four severity levels of land qualities within each landutilisation type. Physical suitability of each land unit for each land utilisation type was determined by the maximum limitation method. ALES is not a GIS and does not by itself display maps. The evaluation result matrix was exported into ArcMap for further optimisation and geographical analysis to enable the spatial representation of the results. After completion, taking into account the theoretical background, optimal terrain units were identified for the different land uses considered and the results are presented as tables and maps. Fynbos is the most suitable alternative land use for the study area followed by Pears, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay vines. Pinotage, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vines were least suitable as alternatives. The study found that the SAFCOL’s database is not sufficient to meet the requirements of a detailed site-specific land evaluation process. The polygon attribute table of the soil coverage only provided a subset of the land characteristics necessary to build and run the model. Data fields like soil form, depth, drainage, wetness, terrain type, aspect and climatic information had to be created because most of the data provided were in a non-digital form. The database was not complete and more precise data are needed to improve the system. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering het in 1998 met die herstruktureringsproses van die bosboubates van die Staat begin. Die privatiseringsproses het al die bates van die Suid-Afrikaanse Bosboumaatskappy (SAFCOL) en die helfte van die vorige tuislande se 150 000 hektaar ingesluit. In Augustus 2000 het SAFCOL sy Operasionale Plan vrygestel vir die implementering van sy onttrekkingsprogram van bosbou uit die Suid-Kaap gedeelte van die Weskaap-streek. Hierdie plan het slegs die hoof landgebruike geidentifiseer, bv. landbou, bosbou en natuurbewaring. ‘n Meer gedetaileerde en intensiewe grondgebruikstudie was nodig om geskikte gebruikstipes te identifiseer wat optimale altematiewe gebruike spesifiseer vir elke landeenheid in die studie-area. Die hoofdoel van hierdie navorsingstudie is om ‘n meer gedetaileerde proses te ontwikkel ter uitbreiding van die altematiewe landgebruike wat deur SAFCOL voorgestel was. Hierdie voorstel moet meer ligging-spesifiek wees in terme van die tipe landbougewas of die tipe inheemse plantegroei wat in natuurbewaringsgebiede gevestig moet word. Die La Motte-plantasie is as voorbeeld gebruik om hierdie gevalle-studie te doen en die inligting is vanaf die SAFCOL digitale databasis verkry. Die rekenaar sagteware-pakket wat gebruik is om die land-evalueringstelsel te bou, is die “Automated Land Evaluation System” (ALES). Dit berus op die metode wat in die verslag van die FAO in 1976 voorgestel is. Die ALES model wat in hierdie navorsingstudie benut is, het 15 beslissingsbome (“decision-trees”) (een per landgebruikstipe) wat ‘n totaal van 1678 vertakkings lewer. Landeienskappe word hierdeur in verband gebring met verskillende geskiktheidsvlakke vir verskillende gewasse. Gedurende die berekening van hierdie evaluasie, het ALES elke gebiedseenheid in een van die vier geskiktheidsvlakke per grondgebruikstipe geplaas. Fisiese geskiktheid van elke landeenheid vir elke grondgebruikstipe is bepaal deur die maksimum beperkingsmetode. ALES is nie ‘n GIS nie en op sy eie vertoon dit nie kaarte nie. Die uitslag van die geskiktheidsmatriks is na ArcMap uitgevoer vir verdere optimisering en geografiese analises ten einde die resultate ruimtelik voor te stel. Na afhandeling, met inagneming van die teoretiese agtergrond, is optimale terrein-eenhede gei'dentifiseer met inagneming van die verskillende landgebruike en is die resultate in tabel en kaartvorm aangebied. Fynbos is die mees geskikte altematiewe landgebruik vir die studiegebied gevolg deur Pere, Sauvignon Blanc en Chardonnay wingerde. Pinotage, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon en Cabernet Franc wingerde is minder geskikte altematiewe. Die studie het bevind dat die SAFCOL databasis nie voldoende was om aan die vereistes van ‘n gedetaileerde liggingspesifieke landevalueringsproses te voldoen nie. Die poligoon-attribuuttabel van die grondoorleg het net ‘n subversameling van die landeienskappe verskaf wat benodig was om die model te bou en uit te voer. Datavelde soos grondvorm, diepte, dreinering, vogtigheid, terreintipe, hellingrigting en klimaatinligting moes geskep word, omdat meeste van die data wat verskaf is nie in ‘n digitale vorm beskikbaar was nie. Die databasis was nie volledig nie en meer presiese data word benodig om die stelsel verder te verbeter.

To redress past discrepancies in land tenure, the ANC government acknowledged that land needs to be made accessible to the previously disadvantaged, announcing that commonage would be a pillar of their land reform programme. Municipal commonage is land granted by the state to municipalities for urban households to use. Presently many urbanites in South Africa seek a livelihood from commonage. However, there has been no livelihood valuation of the contribution commonage makes to previously disadvantaged households. Thus there is a need to calculate the benefits of the commonage programme. Through a two phase approach, this thesis investigated firstly, the proportion of township households which use commonage; and the main characteristics of those households. Secondly, the thesis looks at the extent to which commonage contributes to users' livelihoods and the dominant livelihood strategies pursued by user households. Data was collected for three towns in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa; Bathurst, Fort Beaufort, and Grahamstown. Firstly it was found that between 27-70% of households used commonage, with the largest town having the lowest proportion of users, and vice versa for the smallest town. In terms of household characteristics, each study town was unique. Both Bathurst and Grahamstown user households were poorer than non-using households, however all Fort Beaufort households were considered poor. To assess the benefits of the commonage programme, the marketed and non-marketed consumptive direct-use values of land-based livelihoods on commonage were calculated via the 'own reported values' method. Commonage contributions to total livelihoods ranged between 14-20%. If the contributors from commonage were excluded, over 10% of households in each study town would drop to living below the poverty line. Additionally, commonage was being used productively, with the productivity at each study town being worth over R1 000 per hectare and over R4.7 million per commonage. Finally, a typology of subsistence/survivalist commonage users is presented, with four types being identified. Overall, results suggest that commonage use has increased over the last decade. Moreover, due to food inflation and urbanisation the use of commonage is expected to increase further, highlighting the need for holistic commonage management plans to be created, which should include strategies such as sustainable grazing regimes and natural resource management.

Submitted by Johnny Rodrigues (johnnyrodrigues@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-08-30T17:07:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MIRIAN FARIAS DA SILVA - DISSERTAÇÃO PPGCS 2012..pdf: 1539409 bytes, checksum: d91a4ebd2b51328209262946b68f953b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-30T17:07:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MIRIAN FARIAS DA SILVA - DISSERTAÇÃO PPGCS 2012..pdf: 1539409 bytes, checksum: d91a4ebd2b51328209262946b68f953b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-09 / A partir de meados dos anos 1990, os instrumentos até então consolidados de tratamento dos conflitos agrários no país, que se orientavam para o assentamento de famílias de trabalhadores rurais sem terra via desapropriação de áreas improdutivas, passam a ser questionados pelos propositores do que se convencionou chamar de “Modelo de Reforma Agrária de Mercado (MRAM)”, sob o patrocínio determinante do Banco Mundial. Sob esta nova orientação, no final do primeiro e durante o segundo mandato do Governo FHC (1995-2002), foram criados os programas: Reforma Agrária Solidária do Projeto Piloto São José (PSJ), no Ceará, em agosto de 1996; o Projeto-Piloto de Reforma Agrária e Alívio da Pobreza (ou Cédula da Terra PCT) em agosto de 1997, que operou até o final do mandato FHC na região Nordeste; o Banco da Terra (BT), criado em 1999 e que funcionou até 2003; e o Crédito Fundiário de Combate à Pobreza Rural (2000-2002). Em 2003, já no Governo Lula (2003-2010), é criado o Programa Nacional de Crédito Fundiário (PNCF), que deveria ser complementar a outras ações com vistas à reforma agrária. No Cariri paraibano, e em particular no município de Sumé, o que se vivenciou ao longo da década de 2000 foi o abandono da estratégia de assentamento de famílias via desapropriação de antigos latifúndios improdutivos e a adesão aos novos instrumentos do PNCF, sendo criados, entre 2003 e 2008, 30 projetos de assentamentos (541 famílias em 16.842,95 hectares) na microrregião do Cariri Ocidental e Oriental, dos quais nove projetos apenas no município de Sumé (133 famílias em 4.054,590 hectares). Essas 30 operações são exclusivamente da linha Combate à Pobreza Rural (CPR) do PNCF, e 29 propostas aprovadas são referentes ao Cariri Ocidental. A análise será sobre a linha de CPR que tem promovido transformações nas formas de mobilização de famílias sem terra e nos atores sociais responsáveis pela mediação entre famílias, proprietários e poder público. Esta dissertação analisa estas transformações e revela como as elites locais acabam impondo uma lógica própria às ações do programa, instituindo o que chamam de uma “reforma agrária racional”, que quer dizer sem conflitos, atualizando o debate sobre clientelismo no semiárido nordestino. / In the late 1990s, the instruments to treat land conflicts in Brazil, which were aimed at the settlement of families of landless rural workers via expropriation of unproductive areas, are being questioned by proponents of what came to be called "Market-Based Land Reform”, under the auspices of the World Bank. Under this new guidance, the end of the first and during the second term of the Cardoso administration (1995-2002), some governmental programs were created. In 2003, already in Lula's government (2003-2010), it created the National Land Credit Program (PNCF in portuguese), which should be complementary to other agrarian reform actions. In Cariri region, Paraíba state, and in particular in the city of Sumé, which was experienced throughout the 2000s was the abandonment of the settlement strategy to families via expropriation of unproductive properties. Between 2003 and 2008, 30 settlement projects of PNCF (541 households in 16,842.95 hectares) in the Cariri region were created, of which nine projects in Sumé (133 families in 4054.590 hectares). These 30 operations are exclusively in a special line of PNCF to rural poverty reduction (CPR in portuguese). The analysis will be on the CPR line that has promoted changes in the forms of mobilization of landless families and social actors responsible for mediating between families, owners and government. This dissertation analyzes these changes and reveals how local elites impose its own logic to the actions of the program, instituting what they call a "rational land reform", which means without conflicts, updating the debate on clientelism in the semiarid northeast.

ANDRADE, Tânia Márcia Oliveira de. Mediação e conflitos em espiral: encontros e desencontros do estado e dos movimentos sociais no Pontal do Paranapanema. 2006. 421f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Sociologia) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Departamento de Ciências Sociais, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Sociologia, Fortaleza-CE, 2006. / Submitted by Maria Josineide Góis (josineide@ufc.br) on 2011-10-27T15:57:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2006_Dis_TMOAndrade.pdf: 7638211 bytes, checksum: 661ab1fa97a5838a6ea434af57cc52cc (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Josineide Góis(josineide@ufc.br) on 2011-10-27T15:58:40Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2006_Dis_TMOAndrade.pdf: 7638211 bytes, checksum: 661ab1fa97a5838a6ea434af57cc52cc (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2011-10-27T15:58:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2006_Dis_TMOAndrade.pdf: 7638211 bytes, checksum: 661ab1fa97a5838a6ea434af57cc52cc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Rural collective conflicts and agreements conceived to its pacification within a process of state mediation is the subject of the present work. It is introduced by the history of 150 years of frauds and illegal land appropriation in Pontal do Paranapanema, follows the landholders struggle of resistance transformation into huge land occupation process led by Movimento Sem-Terra (MST), within a collective conflict of great proportions, registered in national and international headlines in the 1995 news. Then, it traces a historical profile of the central social actors in field – landless workers, farmers and State agents – and rescues the circumstances that led to the construction of a Plan for Government Action, based on negotiated proposals among these three actors, which included the reclaiming of those land due to the State that were under the farmers possession, and the gradual settlement of the camped families. That Plan, intended to be peacemaker, started a spiral of conflicts and agreements that seemed to stretch till infinite. In the effort to understand this process, the new way of state action, initiated with the execution of that plan, and the resulting social dynamics, were reconstructed in its minor details, by the actors speeches and images that pictured the main episodes. The narrative goes on until the year of 1996, when the first thousand families that took place in those conflicts are definitively settled in rural settlement and the situation turns to normality. The Plan of Action fulfilled its objectives of pacification, at last. In the final part, the work analyses the several plans in which these conflicts were developed, with simultaneous factors related to personal and collective issues; to honor, prestige and charisma aspects; to economic and politic power aspects; to beliefs and moral codes shared by the social groups; and to the showing off and scenes directed to external public, when press acted key rule. It also analyses the action developed by state in mediation, the mediators’ practices and the dilemmas related to the duality of the state agent in the dual rule of mediator-executor of the agreements originated by the plan. In conclusion, the work presents some reflections about the conditions of possibility for a state practice in mediation on conflicts in Brazil. / Este trabalho trata de conflitos coletivos rurais e de acordos construídos para sua pacificação em um processo de mediação estatal. Inicia pela história de 150 anos de fraudes e grilagem no Pontal do Paranapanema, acompanhando a transformação da luta de resistência dos posseiros em grandes ocupações de terra lideradas pelo Movimento Sem Terra (MST), num conflito coletivo de grandes proporções que ganhou as manchetes nacionais e internacionais em 1995. A partir daí, traça um perfil histórico dos principais atores sociais envolvidos – sem-terra, fazendeiros e Estado – e resgata as circunstâncias que culminaram na elaboração de um Plano de Ação Governamental, construído a partir de propostas negociadas entre esses três atores, que incluía a retomada pelo Estado das terras devolutas estaduais em poder dos fazendeiros e o assentamento gradual das famílias acampadas. Esse Plano de Ação que se pretendia pacificador deu início a uma espiral de conflitos e acordos que parecia tendente ao infinito. Num esforço de compreensão desse processo, a nova forma de ação estatal, iniciada com a experiência de execução do Plano, e as dinâmicas sociais daí resultantes foram minuciosamente reconstruídas com recurso às falas dos atores e imagens que retratam os principais episódios. A narrativa prossegue até o ano de 1996, quando as primeiras mil famílias envolvidas naqueles conflitos começam a ser assentadas em lotes definitivos e a situação ganha ares de normalidade. O Plano de Ação enfim cumpria seus objetivos de pacificação. Ao final, o trabalho analisa os vários planos em que esses conflitos se desenvolveram, com fatores relacionados simultaneamente a questões pessoais ou coletivas; aos aspectos de honra, prestígio e carisma; aos aspectos de poder econômico e político; aos valores e códigos morais compartilhados nos grupos sociais; e aos jogos de cenas e espetáculos voltados ao público externo, em que a imprensa exercia papel fundamental. Analisa também a ação de mediação estatal desenvolvida, as práticas dos mediadores e os dilemas relacionados à dualidade do agente estatal na condição de mediador-executor dos acordos referentes ao Plano de Ação. Em conclusão, o trabalho apresenta algumas reflexões sobre as condições de possibilidade de uma prática estatal de mediação de conflitos no Brasil.

Worldwide, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) pandemic has proven to be a health care challenge from the perspective of testing and treatment, including how to create sustainable positive prevention, prevention after becoming HIV positive, that is culturally relevant and gender sensitive. South Africa has been severely affected by the HIV and AIDS epidemic and the agricultural sector is no exception. This statement is supported by the findings of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) study. According to an IOM study, the HIV prevalence rate among farm workers in the country is about 40%, the highest ever recorded in Southern Africa. A study conducted in Limpopo and Mpumalanga farms revealed that the prevalence of the twenty-three farms was 39, 5% which is twice the UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS) national prevalence percentage of 18, 1% in South Africa. The researchers of this study could not pin-point a single factor causing this high rate of HIV infection on these farms. A multitude of factors, such as multiple and concurrent partnerships, transactional sex, irregular condom use, presence of sexually transmitted infections and sexual violence. The research also showed that almost half of the women working on farms around these provinces are HIV positive, compared to only a third of the male workforce. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the role of culture and gender in the spread of HIV and AIDS among farm workers in South Africa; with the view of developing culture and gender sensitive HIV and AIDS prevention strategies. descriptive and explorative qualitative approach was adopted. In depth individual semi-structured interviews were used to explore and describe the role of culture and gender in the spread of HIV and AIDS among farm workers. Purposive and convenient sampling methods were used to select participants who met the inclusion criteria in the Tshitwani and Barota farming community in the Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Religious and cultural beliefs were believed to be fuelling the spread of HIV among farm workers. Multiple sexual partners and inconsistent condom usage was common among participants. It was evident that stigma and social isolation leading to non- disclosure had adverse repercussions as some participants stated that they would spread HIV intentionally. Powerlessness and lack of decision-making by female farm workers was common as they were dependent on their male partners to make decisions regarding sexual matters in their relationship. Conclusion: More HIV prevention programmes tailored to dispel fears about stigma and correct myths about HIV-transmission should reach ordinary men and women in order to curb the spread of HIV among farm workers. The researcher believes that the strategies that emanate from this study would be applied in other settings other than the farming community. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

This study looks at the construction of white identity within postcolonial conflict in Zimbabwe. Is it possible to be white and African? And how will the white African look when his identity as 'privileged' is stripped from his/her? This study also challenges the church to respond to the endemic violence by finding ways of bringing hope and healing. The role that trauma plays in our ongoing narratives is explored along with ways to exit these cycles without re-traumatizing large sectors of the community who are considered 'outsiders'. It ends with questioning the usefulness of 'white' and 'race', except as a political construction that benefits those in power to be able to tap into past historic pain and injustice. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology (Pastoral Therapy))

The present research has been aimed at investigating how imperialism and colonialism are located both in the biblical text (cf. Joshua 1-12) and in present day interpretive postcolonial contexts such as that of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. An investigation was made of the unequal power dynamics at play between the Israelites who are depicted as mercilessly conquering the indigenous peoples of Canaan in the name of the deity, and the Canaanites. How were/ are such power dynamics played out in the Katangese, Democratic Republic of the Congo’s context in the relations between the then colonizers, that is, the Belgians as well as the neo-colonial African rulers and the Congolese peoples? It is argued that the Belgians assumed the role akin to that of the Israelite invaders as they mercilessly invaded the “promised land”, that is, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ending with the brutal extermination of African peoples justified on biblical precedents. A conclusion is made that within the context of postcolonial biblical interpretation, the conquest narrative of Joshua 1-12 is one of the most traumatic stories in which violence is committed by one nation on another in the name of the deity. Postcolonial biblical criticism was found to be an appropriate approach in assisting the researcher to navigate through violent biblical texts with a view to coming up with a transformative reading of the texts in the (Katangese) context of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. / Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Biblical Studies)

The narratives about the postexilic Judean community are an ancient biblical account of the socio-economic and political experiences of the Judeans when they were finally restored back to Judah from Babylonian captivity. Although the Judean restoration was celebrated when they were restored by King Cyrus’ decree, real freedom did not prevail in the Persian province of Yehud; corruption, usury, greed, oppression, enslavement and loss of property impacted negatively on the poor. The leadership expropriated from poor citizens land, vineyards, and houses in exchange for food. In addition, the governors also charged heavy interest on money borrowed by poor members of society. Parents and their children were subjected to enslavement. In response to these corrupt practices, Nehemiah challenged the leadership to stop oppressing the poor. Nehemiah went further to provide food to the starving Judeans and other people from surrounding nations which served as a stimulus to strive towards alleviating poverty and starvation among communities. By employing an approach known as hermeneutics of appropriation, this thesis appropriates the experience of the postexilic Judean community to the post-independence Zimbabwean context. Between the years 1999 and 2008 many people lost their lives due to unemployment and lack of income, shelter, nutrition, and access to health-care facilities because of the economic meltdown following the controversial fast-track land reform programme in Zimbabwe. The majority of people are still experiencing the negative impact of the land reform as people strive to make a living in the absence of jobs and income scarcity. Corruption by the leadership has continued to further exacerbate starvation among the poor until today.This study attempts to employ the biblical Nehemiah’s social justice reforms (Neh 5) to challenge the Zimbabwean leadership to focus on rebuilding the country which was ravaged by a decade of both political and socio-economic crises. Lessons drawn from Nehemiah would be used to stimulate the leadership in the Zimbabwean government and members of society at large, to strive towards helping the poor and alleviating poverty. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Biblical Studies)