Agricultural collective co-operativisation: A case study of the socio-economic viability of the Makoni District Union OCCZIM collectives. Part II MDU management and overall recommendations.

Abstract

The Makoni District Union (MDU) represents today in Zimbabwe one of the most active and well grounded district unions - in terms of political mobilisation, goals and support Services to primary agricultural producer collective co-operative unions. It is a constituent district arm of the Organisation of Collective Co-operatives in Zimbabwe (OCCZIM) and its Manicaland provincial committee. This pioneer union has, in fact, provided case material to OCCZIM which has used the MDU experiences and problems in its efforts to develop methods of promoting other nascent district unions. The MDU has, of course, been riddled by many problems, including its late registration by Government. In this context, it is interesting to note how the MDU managed to proceed to carry out a variety of activities, despite the constraining co-operative legal framework and its own lack of legal status until its registration by the Ministry of Co-operatives in May 1987. Until then, its operations were sanctioned by the bye-laws of its parent organisation, OCCZIM.