Living in an Emerging Settlement: the Story of Hopley Farm Settlement, Harare Zimbabwe

Abstract

A phenomenological research design guided the study that documented the daily lives of citizens living in emerging settlements. Hopley Farm Settlement in Harare, Zimbabwe, was used as a point of reference. The study argued that emerging settlements are neglected spaces in which residents improvise in their daily life activities to enhance the livability of the settlements. The theory of desperation, which puts into perspective issues of spatial (in) justice, exclusion, power, and oppression, formed the theoretical foundation of the study. Findings spotlight some of the dilemmas experienced by residents living in emerging settlements. These citizens experience multiple shocks and stresses, which include lack of basic services, disconnection from formal services and the urban core, political exclusion, and violation of their human rights. In this regard, households engage in various activities that fall between resilience and desperation as they try to navigate their way in claiming the right to the city. The study recommends politicians and the government to put aside political differences and consider the welfare of the people instead of advancing political agendas.