Cold-Hearted, Negligent and Spineless? Planning, Planners and the (R)Ejection of “Filth” in Urban Zimbabwe

Abstract

The state bureaucracy played a prominent role in Zimbabwe's “Operation Murambatsvina/Restore Order”, the world-(in)famous urban “clean-up” operation. The planning system was in the forefront of the operation, conspicuously sharing the limelight with the security and law enforcement agencies. The paper examines how planners provided the operation's techno-legal articulation, which was liberally deployed by the state to explain, rationalize, and glorify the operation. The discussion critically analyses some of the most scathing criticism against planning, namely that planners were cold-hearted, negligent and spineless. Based on an interrogation of the evidence in light of the viewpoints of a cross-section of practitioners, victims and activists, the paper argues that it is difficult for the planning profession to dodge these accusations.

Notes

1. Murambatsvina is a pejorative Shona expression. It literally means “one who rejects filth” (muramba – one who rejects; tsvina – filth, including human excrement). It refers to a person who is overly and annoyingly concerned about his or her physical appearance.

2. It should be noted that the commission is viewed by many as an extension of ZANU-PF, by virtue of central government having appointed the commissioners who replaced the sacked opposition mayor and councillors.