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

Land reform programs have gained significant attention, particularly in Africa, where land access was historically controlled by colonial governments. Land is a highly valued resource, serving as a means of production, power, and domination. In urban areas, its scarcity and high price make it central to development narratives, often with elites dominating access while marginalizing the poor. Land reforms aim to redress inequalities, but their implications on urban land markets—economic hubs driven by capital accumulation and transactions—are significant. Urban land markets involve complex interactions among various stakeholders, and in Zimbabwe, they face challenges due to historical inequities, political influences, and economic instability. The formal market is often undermined by inefficiency and corruption, leading to a parallel informal market. While many studies have examined Zimbabwe's land reform, particularly the FTLRP (2000), focusing on rural areas, there's a lack of research on its impact on urban land markets. This paper addresses this gap by examining how peri-urban land reform programs have impacted urban land markets in Harare, Zimbabwe, and their implications for sustainable urban development. The study argues that effective peri-urban land reform should prioritize the functionality of land markets, a critical component of urban development, ensuring inclusive, sustainable, and resilient human settlements.

The literature review establishes the importance of urban land markets in urban development, particularly in African cities where land is a valuable and often contested resource. Land's immobility and finiteness mean transactions involve rights and entitlements, determined by plot size and location. The increasing rate of urbanization, especially in the Global South, drives demand for peri-urban land, even without essential services. Land markets are crucial for allocating ownership and rights, enabling economic use of land and assets, facilitating land value capture, and taxation for national and local economies. Formal land markets have defined processes, legal frameworks, and protected property rights, often with land vested in the state. In contrast, informal land markets operate outside official channels, often due to institutional collapse, corruption, and political influence. The review then explores the nexus between land reform and urban land markets in post-colonial Africa, where land reforms aim to redistribute land to address historical inequalities. The state often plays a central role, but the process can be manipulated for political agendas, leading to land grabbing and informalization of markets. The review highlights the potential for land reforms to disrupt formal market processes and create an imbalance between the needs of the poor and the availability of affordable housing options.

This study employs a qualitative case study research design focusing on Harare, Zimbabwe, to analyze the nexus between land reform programs and urban land markets. The case study approach allows for an in-depth analysis of the complexities involved from multiple perspectives. Data collection involves triangulation of primary and secondary sources. Secondary data included Zimbabwe's Constitution, the Regional Town and Country Planning Act of 1996, the Land Acquisition Act of 1992, and relevant academic literature. This provided historical and legislative context. Primary data were gathered through semi-formal unstructured interviews with purposively selected key informants (land use planning professionals, war veterans, land valuation experts, city officials, and a ministry official). Interviews were guided by an interview schedule, lasted approximately 60 minutes, and were recorded with consent. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of the Free State Ethical Committee. Data analysis involved content analysis for secondary data and thematic analysis for interview data. The thematic analysis focused on identifying recurring themes and patterns to understand the implications of peri-urban land reform programs on Harare's urban land markets.

Harare's development history reveals a colonial legacy of spatial segregation and unequal land access. The first phase of land reform, guided by the Lancaster House Agreement, involved a willing-buyer-willing-seller approach, with limited impact on urban markets. The second phase, the FTLRP, significantly altered the landscape. The FTLRP disregarded existing laws, leading to illegal land occupations, particularly of peri-urban farms. This resulted in multiple competing claims over land and the emergence of informal settlements, such as Hopley Farm. Political elites and land barons exploited the situation, engaging in informal land transactions and profiting from desperate home-seekers. The FTLRP's chaotic nature exacerbated urban sprawl, strained infrastructure, and undermined urban planning efforts. While the program had positive aspects, such as increased land access for some low-income families, the negative implications significantly outweighed the benefits. The FTLRP undermined the formal urban land market, with land transactions largely driven by political patronage, particularly during election times. The ruling party, ZANU-PF, used land allocation to consolidate political support, while the opposition MDC (now CCC) utilized its urban council control for more transparent land allocation, although facing political challenges from ZANU-PF.

The findings reveal how politically driven land reform significantly distorted Harare's urban land markets. The initial promise of addressing historical inequalities was undermined by the FTLRP's chaotic and often illegal implementation. The study highlights how political power dynamics, rather than planning principles, shaped the land allocation process, resulting in informalization of the market, increased urban sprawl, and the rise of land barons. The volatile macroeconomic environment, weak land administration, and traditional land allocation systems further contributed to the growth of informal land markets. These factors exacerbated existing inequalities, making it challenging to achieve sustainable and inclusive urban development. The study's findings illustrate the need for a balanced approach in land reform that prioritizes the functionality of land markets while addressing the needs of the poor.

This study demonstrates the complex and multi-faceted implications of politically driven land reform on peri-urban land markets. While the FTLRP in Harare achieved some positive outcomes in terms of increased land access, the negative consequences, such as the informalization of land transactions and the rise of land barons, significantly outweigh the benefits. The case study highlights the critical need for future land reform programs in Africa to prioritize transparent, equitable, and well-planned approaches that avoid the pitfalls experienced in Harare. Future research should focus on comparative studies of land reform initiatives across different African contexts, examining the long-term impacts on urban development and exploring alternative mechanisms for ensuring equitable land access.

The study's limitations include its focus on a single case study, which limits generalizability. The reliance on interviews with key informants may also introduce bias, although triangulation with secondary data mitigated this to some extent. Access to data was constrained by privacy concerns, preventing a more comprehensive analysis of certain aspects of informal land transactions.