Challenges of Sustainable Urban Governance in Africa, Urban Informality in Zimbabwe

The paper discusses the challenges associated with sustainable urban governance in Zimbabwe. Urban formality in Zimbabwe, while it has roots in the colonial period, intensified in the last decade of the 20th century with the adoption of Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) that sought to restructure the economy through massive cost cutting budgetary measures. It later exacerbated post-2000 with the decline of the formal economy which threw thousands into the informal economy. In the face of growing urban informality, the governement of Zimbabwe has exhibited a hostile attitude towards the informal sector, often inconsistent with the situtation obtaining on the ground. The argument advanced by this paper is that the behaviour displayed by \u27city fathers\u27 and central government departments frustrate efforts by the United Nations to create inclusive, safe, and resilient cities. In light of the challenges highlighted by the paper, the authors recommend a raft of measures to improve governance of cities and address challenges of urban informality within the broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework