Harare, (New Ziana) – A renewed push for orderly, sustainable urban development is gaining momentum as government called on spatial planners to take greater responsibility in transforming the country’s settlements, with a strong emphasis on accountability, innovation and proactive planning.
Speaking during a Spatial Planners’ Interface on Monday, John Bhasera, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, challenged planners to play a central role in delivering the country’s Vision 2030 aspirations.
He said the sector had already laid important groundwork through the Government Spatial Planning (GSP) Transitional Standardization Programme, noting that they were now in the last lap setting the tone and foundations for the final phase towards Vision 2030.
He stressed that achieving an upper-middle-income economy goes beyond economic indicators, requiring well-planned settlements and quality infrastructure.
“We cannot achieve Vision 2030 by numbers alone… we have to fill it with proper planning, quality developments and organized settlements,” Bhasera said.
He said that the Ministry had directed all local authorities to capacitate and upskill planning departments to ensure structured urban growth. However, he did not shy away from highlighting shortcomings within the sector.
“The reason why we have unplanned and irregular settlements… is us. We are failing to deliver planning as a commodity,” he said, urging planners to introspect and improve service delivery.
Bhasera called for a shift from reactive to proactive planning, underpinned by modern approaches such as smart cities, renewable energy integration and efficient public transport systems.
He emphasized the need for planners to embrace innovation and ensure developments respond to growing urban demand.
On informal settlements, he advocated for a “reorganization” approach rather than “regularization,” warning that the latter could encourage illegal land occupation. He proposed an “end beneficiary pay principle,” where occupants contribute towards the costs of restructuring settlements.
Bhasera also underscored the importance of private sector participation, highlighting frameworks such as joint ventures and build-operate-transfer models as critical to financing urban transformation.
“We must correct the path on how the private sector participates in development. These frameworks are there to support regeneration and planned growth,” he said.
In addition, he called for a cultural shift among citizens, particularly around land ownership and settlement patterns, while urging planners to take leadership in guiding communities towards sustainable urban practices.
New Ziana
