The mystery of recurrent housing demolitions in urban Zimbabwe

This paper reflects on how to interpret the dearth of radical activism in Zimbabwe’s peri-urban areas: why urban ‘subalterns’ do not mobilize against recurrent heart-wrenching demolitions their informal settlements housing. It contributes understanding politics context is a major determinant and developments which working classes, middle elites state are actors. A significant proportion demolition victims aspiring risk-taking classes socially located double bind ruling ZANU (PF) party-state’s jambanja empowerment-disempowerment social contract within alternative uprising looks unfeasible. Intrinsically, about emasculation prevailing laws such that, when occur, both victim sympathizer undermined by illegality original housebuilding. Consequently, will persist for as long pervasive structural informality party-state endure.