Decentralized natural resources management in the Chiredzi district of Zimbabwe: voices from the ground

State-level and other external actors often turn out to be the ones defining the nature and extent of power to be assigned to lower level actors in most decentralization interventions. Such interventions predictably fall short of thoroughgoing empowerment because state-level and other external actors tend to retain meaningful sets of power. The aim of this study was to use empirical evidence from a decentralization initiative, which appeared to be largely demand driven, to test the generalization that decentralization is likely to result in more complete empowerment if it is demand driven. Should states retire themselves entirely from the business of the local, and can the local go it alone? This study reveals that decentralization, even if it is demand driven, is still no panacea for the problem of empowering local communities. Even armed with a clear road map of how they can initiate decentralization processes at the local level, rural communities cannot go it alone. They still need assistance in one form or the other from the district-level organizations from whom they are trying to emancipate themselves and other external stakeholders. It is, therefore, imperative that the district-level organizations should be active facilitators of decentralization at the local level but not hijack the process from the locals.