Nature, processes and outcome of land governance in Harare: a case of Caledonia

Land is a critical asset underpinning global social, economic, and environmental activities. However, land governance in Global South cities, particularly in Africa, faces significant challenges due to colonial legacies, diverse populations, and competing tenure systems. Effective land governance – the rules, processes, and actors managing land access, use, and dispute resolution – is essential for equitable urban development. Weak governance exacerbates inequalities, disproportionately affecting marginalised groups like the poor, women, and vulnerable communities. This thesis focused on urban land governance in Caledonia, a peri-urban area near Harare, Zimbabwe, where rapid urban growth, unplanned settlements, and political struggles amplify governance failures. Using the political settlements theory as a framework, the study investigated how clientelist relationships and power dynamics influence land governance outcomes. In addressing the central question of the thesis, what is the nature, processes and outcome of land governance in Caledonia, the study adopted a qualitative research approach that included data collection from primary (in-depth interviews and FGDs, focus group discussions) and secondary data sources. Specifically, a qualitative, multi-scalar approach engaged 84 participants including informal settlers, state actors, and urban planners to explore the interaction of formal and informal institutions, land tenure systems, and political influences. Thematical data analyses took place to find significant patterns and insights while ensuring a thorough methodological process. The findings showed that the failures in Caledonia’s governance arose from poor coordination among institutions, overlapping roles, and a focus on and prioritising political patronage over effective governance. The Fast Track Land Reform Programme and conflicts between the central government and the opposition-led Harare City Council have solidified ZANU-PF’s control. Informal actors use violence and patronage to dominate land access under these conditions. This situation illustrates a political settlement where national power takes precedence over local authority, undermining equitable land governance. The main contribution of this thesis enhanced the understanding of urban land governance in politically contested environments like Zimbabwe. The thesis advanced the understanding of the political settlement theory by connecting national power dynamics with urban spatial politics and offers a replicable methodological framework for studying peri-urban land disputes. The study suggests the Urban Land Governance Assessment Framework to support the diagnostic analysis of urban land governance issues. This framework identifies governance challenges at the sub-national level through targeted governance pathways and provides context-specific recommendations tailored to local needs. It complements the political settlements lens by offering a structured tool for evaluating governance performance and proposing actionable reforms. The thesis recommends updating spatial governance laws, like the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act, to be consistent with the 2013 Constitution and the 2018 National Human Settlements Policy. This offers local planning authorities more independence and creates a clear land tenure system to formalise occupancy. By combining insights from both pre-colonial and post-colonial state development with political settlement analysis, the thesis concluded that integrated solutions should focus on reforming institutions and improving the political economy of land governance to address the urban land governance issues in Zimbabwe effectively.