From a Pre-colonial Dzimbabwe Capital to a Colonial Fort and Beyond: Understanding Masvingo City’s Governance Traditions and Growth Patterns

Zimbabwe’s urban history and governance traditions are not fully told without Masvingo’s story. The city’s rich and unique governance and growth stories draw on its proximity to Great Zimbabwe and related tourism assets, being the oldest urban settlement and having hosted the first colonial Fort and the socio-economic structure of its hinterland. Unfortunately, Masvingo City’s political, social, and economic importance in Zimbabwe is often inadequately understood. This denies Zimbabwe’s urban planning and governance some critical lessons. Drawing on the literature, key informant interviews, focus group discussion (FGD) sessions, and a household survey targeting Old Mucheke and Victoria Ranch households, this paper discusses lessons based on the city’s governance and spatial growth. Characterising the city’s colonial and post-colonial urbanisation and local governance processes surfaces lessons for urban Zimbabwe and other parts of Southern Africa. The uniqueness of the city’s policies and strategies from the perspectives of urban sustainability and resilience is revealed. Its distinct transition and impacts on urban policy, both in need of further inquiry, are partially illuminated.