​David Harvey’s accumulation by dispossession has inspired a wide range of studies in different places. But it has hardly registered in the area of urban land grabbing in Africa and the role of local capital in these processes. Using archival data, field observations and insights from key informant interviews in Harare, this paper examines how the 1990s neo-liberalism and post 1999 Zimbabwe crisis created new opportunities for accumulation of wealth through irregular and fraudulent transfer of public urban land into private hands including those of reputable corporate institutions. It speaks to the literature on contemporary land grabbing and raises questions and new insights for comparative understanding of the transformative role and nature of the state, postcolonial African cities, anti-capitalist struggles, the status and meaning of planning in different settings.
Mbiba, B
Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment\School of the Built Environment
Year of publication: 2017Date of RADAR deposit: 2016-12-15