Illegal Settlers on Urban Land Law and the Quest for Urban Development Sanitisation in Zimbabwe

Authors

  • Prof. Innocent Chirisa Office of the Vice Chancellor, Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University, Bindura, Zimbabwe; Department of Urban & Regional Planning, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa Author
  • Gamaliel Mabhodyera Department of Law and Legal Services, Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University, Bindura, Zimbabwe Author

Keywords:

enforceability, violation, illegality, illegal structures, urbanisation

Abstract

Rapid urbanisation has tumbled over the past decades and has led to settlement in the urban sphere being regarded as illegal. The article contributes to the on-going debate on which should override the other, the legalisation of illegal settlements or the quest for urban sanitisation. The article understands sanitisation to mean development, especially that of attaining an upper middle-income economy. Different governments have undertaken different ways of solving urban settlement challenges. They have hinted that such settlements should comply with the law. The study focuses on how the government has responded in times of urban illegal settlement. The purpose of the research is to contribute to the stock of knowledge on how illegal settlements have increased over the past years and the solutions needed to address the issue thereafter. The article draws inferences also from the position of the law regarding illegal settlements.

Author Biographies

  • Prof. Innocent Chirisa, Office of the Vice Chancellor, Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University, Bindura, Zimbabwe; Department of Urban & Regional Planning, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

    Innocent Chirisa, the Vice Chancellor of the Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University (ZEGU) is a Full Professor in Urban and Regional Planning. Has a keen interest in urban and peri-urban dynamics. Currently focusing on environmental systems dynamics with respect to land-use, ecology, water and energy. Holds a DPhil in Social Sciences. Prof Chirisa is also currently a Research Fellow with the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, South Africa. He has also served as a Visiting Professor at the Chinhoyi University of Technology (Zimbabwe). He is an external examiner for the Department of Geography, Bindura University of Science Education (Zimbabwe) and the Department of Regional and Urban Planning, University of Venda (SA). He has also served in the same capacity with the Great Zimbabwe University. Membership of Professional Associations: Fellow of the Pan-African Scientific Research Council (FPASRC); Member of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS); Member of the American Association of Geographers (AAG); Member of the American Political Science Association (APSA); Member of the Global Land Programme (GLP); Member of the Research and Development Committee of the Health Professions Committee (R&D-HPA (of Zimbabwe)); Member of the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH); Member of the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP); Member of the Organisation for Social Science Research in Eastern & Southern Africa (OSSREA); Member of the Zimbabwe Institute for Urban and Regional Planners (ZIRUP) 

  • Gamaliel Mabhodyera, Department of Law and Legal Services, Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University, Bindura, Zimbabwe

    Gamaliel Mabhodyera is an accomplished young academic with deep knowledge within the broad fields of Constitual law , Contract and commercial law . He has expressed deep interest in writing on Environmental planning and management as well as Banking and Finance. He is a Legal Practitioner , a recent Graduate of Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University with a Bachelor of Laws Honours Degree. He also holds numerous certificates in Business Management, Accounting and Finance ,among other credentials.

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Published

2024-10-10

Issue

Volume 2, Issues 1 and 2 (2023)

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Illegal Settlers on Urban Land Law and the Quest for Urban Development Sanitisation in Zimbabwe. (2024). Lighthouse: The Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University Journal of Law, Economics and Public Policy, 2(1 & 2), Pages; 159 - 173. http://journals.zegu.ac.zw/index.php/lh/article/view/107