A ‘translation’ perspective on socio-ecological displacement: insights from the 2014 Tokwe-Mukorsi flood in Zimbabwe

Abstract

With socio-ecological displacement increasingly becoming an existential threat to many communities worldwide, there is a need for deepened understanding of salient socio-political dynamics that complicate displacement processes. Such understanding is crucial for reducing the risks associated with relocation as well as enhancing relocation management and building resilience among victims. This article utilises the concept of ‘translation’ in Actor-Network Theory (ANT) to examine the socio-political dynamics that characterised the 2014 Tokwe-Mukorsi forced displacement of over 3000 rural households in Southern Zimbabwe. Drawing on the narrations of victims in focus group discussions and of government officials (key-informants), as well as on relevant secondary data, the article engages the shifts in position by the dominant actor in the displacement and relocation processes, not to mention the imposition of new interpretations of reality, including the redefinition and distribution of roles, with a view to highlighting the ultimate determinants of resettlement outcomes. The paper found, in the main, that the power struggles between protagonists and the impact of those struggles on the relocation process, as well as the state’s dominance, ultimately exacerbated the victims’ distress.