The political economy of Zimbabwean Urban informality since 2000 – A contemporary governance dilemma

ABSTRACT

The article explores the urban informality dilemma in Harare through the lens of a political economy theory. It examines the typologies of urban informality, the influence of political economy on urban informalities, and informs decision-making to address the urban informality dilemma. A qualitative approach was used where secondary data were collected through document analysis and primary data from interviews with 20 purposively selected key informants. Surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted with 585 individuals engaged in informal activities. It emerged that urban informality in Harare takes on different forms and aside from the economic crisis, politics played a role in the emergence and proliferation of urban informality. The article provides insight into, and raises awareness with regard to key areas of concern on how power influences decision-making relating to urban informality. Therefore, the article provides a basis for policy formulation and institutional reforms for effective measures to curb urban informality.

KEYWORDS:

• Political economy
• urban informality
• power-based model
• urbanisation
• Harare

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 The data used for this study were only a portion that was extracted from the data set that was meant for a bigger project. The focus of this data had been on themes related to power dynamics in urban informality.

2 The former First Lady, Grace Mugabe, affectionately referred to as Amai.