Urban land grabbing and dispossession in Zimbabwe

What is it about?

Article uses archival data and field evidence to explore processes of urban land grabbing, irregular and fraudulent transfer of public land into private ownership of large corporations. The processes are largely invisible and flourish in a context of socio-economic crisis in which institutions of state and local governance are compromised, abused and corrupted. These processes and forces that underpin them are important to grapple with in seeking understanding of the transformation of cities and society in neo-colonial Africa.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Debates on land grabbing in Africa are dominated by a focus on rural land and large scale cases. This paper highlights the importance of largely neglected urban land grabbing in Africa where what may appear small pieces of land should be included in the debates given their significant value as public open spaces or sources of revenue for local authorities.

Perspectives