Development shadows: The afterlife of collapsed development projects in the Zambian copperbelt

10Citations
Citations of this article
12Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

This article is free to access.

Abstract

Communities that were once the target of postcolonial development schemes still contend with the legacies of these interventions, long after such projects have been abandoned. This article looks at the afterlife of Israeli-led agricultural cooperatives that were initiated in the Zambian Copperbelt during the 1960s. Although these schemes collapsed in the decade following their establishment, local communities are still coping with the history of their rise and fall. In the Kafubu Block and Kafulafuta, the physical, social, and economic landscapes resonate with the successes and failures of this modernist planning. The schemes continue to provide a fundamental and contentious point of reference in both individual and community lives. A long-term perspective on the communities’ continued engagement with the legacies of the abandoned schemes deepens our understanding of development’s complex “afterlife,” and demonstrates how the past retains its relevance by taking on different meanings over time.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Schler, L., & Gez, Y. N. (2018). Development shadows: The afterlife of collapsed development projects in the Zambian copperbelt. Africa Spectrum, 53(3), 3–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/000203971805300301

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free