2.5 Concluding Observations It is the informed opinion of the mission that the Government of Zimbabwe has to come to terms with rapid urbanization; that rapid urbanization is not only inevitable but brings with it equally rapid social and economic changes; that the scale and pace of rapid urbanization are attributable only in part to rural-urban migration; and that there are no known sustainable means of reversing these trends in a democracy. The physical manifestations of rapid urbanization are often chaotic. They are symptomatic of profound and far-reaching demographic, social and economic transformations affecting the entire continent, indeed the entire developing world. They require pro-poor gender-sensitive policies that are applied, and perceived to be applied, by all stakeholders in an inclusive and consensual manner. There is an urgent need on the part of all stakeholders and the Government of Zimbabwe to harmonise policies and strategies vis-à-vis the informal economy and housing for the majority of the urban population. It is equally imperative that the Government of Zimbabwe, in consultation with local authorities and stakeholders, reform its Regional Town and Country Planning Act and the Housing Standards Act as a pro-active instrument of enablement and empowerment rather than exclusion. Similarly, urban local authorities have a critical role to play in an increasingly urbanising and globalising world. Government needs to recognise that cities, as engines of economic growth, are in the best position to mobilise and put to good use the human, technical and natural resources within their respective jurisdictions. As the sphere of government closest to the people, they are also in the best position to strike a balance between demand and supply for housing, infrastructure and basic services. Lessons learned from successful practices in meeting the social, economic and aesthetic challenges of rapid urbanization and globalisation indicate that positive and sustainable outcomes are indeed possible. They depend, to a large extent, on recognising that housing and urban development is a process, however imperfect, that is best managed through socially inclusive dialogue and participatory decision-making. To be effective, local authorities need to be delegated with the power to make policies and the means to implement them without undue interference and control from central government. UN-HABITAT has been working to help UN Member States devise internationally agreed norms and principles on decentralization and the empowerment of local authorities. The Zimbabwean urban crisis has made this exercise all the more urgent. 27