This paper looks at the effects of government policies on resource depletion and land degradation in Botswana and Zimbabwe. The paper develops by looking at tenurial arrangement since the colonial era. Policy incentives aimed at boosting agricultural production during this period are also looked at. In Botswana, land alienation, Tribal Grazing Land Policy (TGLP) and Arable Lands Development Programme (ALDEP) are considered while in Zimbabwe, land alienation, post independence land reforms, and marketing policies are discussed. These are then related to land degradation. It is argued that inequality and individualisation of land and emphasis on boosting small scale agriculture, have put pressure on the land. Overuse of land, monocroping and extensification of land use have resulted in soil exhaustion, overgrazing and deforestation in places. It is concluded that if sustainable development is to occur, land policy must be tailored in a manner which does not promote inequality and poverty.
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