The Socio-Economic Effects Of Development Induced Displacement: Case Of Porta Farm

ABSTRACT

This research put its focus on the effects of development induced displacement. It however

narrowed down the research to the socio-economic effects that arise due to Development

Induced Displacement (DID). Of note is that the document was mainly focusing on

involuntary displacement. The research took a case study of Porta Farm. Porta farm is a

council owned farm that is just about 20km south of the Harare CBD. Porta Farm was created

to be a temporary holding for the people who were taken from various parts of the town in a

bid to clean the city in preparation for the coming of the Queen to the Congress of Head of

States in the early 1990s. People were taken mainly from Mbare in Tagarira Flats and some

came from Epworth. Thu study also then revealed that some people also came from

Chirambuhuyo in Chitungwiza in preparation for another development. Some of the people

were also taken from around town as they were the homeless and streets vagabonds. The

population however grew as it was uncontrolled and the City Council was also not

completing its task of moving all the people to their final respective places like Dzivarasekwa

Extension. Some of the people were taken to neighboring farms and some were moved as far

as Churu Farm which is in the opposite direction of the town, about 25km. The remainder are

however now facing forced eviction again as they are now deemed illegal settlers. Worse is

the fact that the City Of Harare now has plans of expanding and extending the Morton and

Jeffrey water works plant at the very place. The people are therefore again forced to leave to

pave way for this development. All these displacements however have effects which this

study did take a closer and magnified look unto.