In 1997 (Mbiba 1997) , I argued that communal lands do not offer secure tenure for the people living on them, and that while this insecurity prevails, the inhabitants of communal areas in Zimbabwe will largely remain development victims rather than development agents. Following visits in Zimbabwe in early 1998, I engaged with professionals and various institutions involved in land matters and was challenged to elaborate on the theme of development victims, and if possible to illustrate my position with detailed examples.