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Implications of peri-urban land reform programs on urban land markets: a case study of Harare, Zimbabwe

Author

Listed:
  • Johannes Bhanye

    (University of Cape Town)

  • Abraham R. Matamanda

    (University of the Free State)

  • Jennilee Kohima

    (Namibia University of Science and Technology)

  • Elmond Bandauko

    (University of Western Ontario)

Abstract

Zimbabwe implemented the Fast-Track Land Reform Program (FTLRP) in the year 2000. This program has had far-reaching implications on urban development, especially on urban land markets in cities and towns. This paper highlights the implications of the land reform program on urban land markets, using Harare as a case study. The paper is based on document review (policy, academic and development literature) and interviews with key informants with experience and knowledge of the land reform and its associated implications on urban land markets. Our analysis demonstrates that the land reform process in peri-urban spaces was complex and largely driven by political interests. The land reform process distorted the urban planning processes, leading to disparities in the land markets. Such disparities include informal and uncontrolled processes of accessing land and, ultimately, rapid development of informal settlements in the city. Political elites and land barons took advantage of the land reform program extorting money from desperate home-seekers. We conclude that the distortion of urban land markets by politically driven land reform processes negatively affects sustainable urban development. Overall, the paper makes a valuable contribution to the growing literature on land reforms and peri-urban development in Africa, demonstrating the complex and multidimensional implications of land reform programs on peri-urban land markets. Based on the study findings, the paper provides a set of policy recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness and equity of land reform programs in African peri-urban areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Johannes Bhanye & Abraham R. Matamanda & Jennilee Kohima & Elmond Bandauko, 2024. "Implications of peri-urban land reform programs on urban land markets: a case study of Harare, Zimbabwe," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:11:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-024-03500-9
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-024-03500-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Davison Muchadenyika, 2015. "Land for Housing: A Political Resource – Reflections from Zimbabwe’s Urban Areas," Journal of Southern African Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(6), pages 1219-1238, November.
    2. Bish Sanyal, 2018. "A Planners’ Planner: John Friedmann’s Quest for a General Theory of Planning," Journal of the American Planning Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 84(2), pages 179-191, April.
    3. Laurie, Charles, 2016. "The Land Reform Deception: Political Opportunism in Zimbabwe's Land Seizure Era," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199398294.
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    5. Abraham R Matamanda, 2020. "Battling the informal settlement challenge through sustainable city framework: experiences and lessons from Harare, Zimbabwe," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(2), pages 217-231, March.
    6. Henry Bernstein, 2003. "Land Reform in Southern Africa in World-Historical Perspective," Review of African Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(96), pages 203-226, June.
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