FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HRH PRINCESS EUGENE MAJURU PUBLISHES LANDMARK THREE-VOLUME SERIES HARARE: A CITY IN DECLINE

New trilogy examines Harare’s history, governance and urban challenges before presenting a practical vision for rebuilding Zimbabwe’s capital

6 October 2026 — Author, journalist and heritage advocate HRH Princess Eugene Majuru, Princess of Harare and Sovereign Custodian of the Mbari Clan, Royal Family of Harare, has announced the publication of her major three-volume series, Harare: A City in Decline.

The ambitious trilogy takes readers on a journey from the historical foundations of Harare through the challenges confronting the modern capital and ultimately towards proposals for its recovery and future development.

Rather than treating Harare’s present condition in isolation, Majuru argues that understanding the capital requires examining its history, the development of its institutions, the experiences of its people and the decisions that have shaped the city across generations.

The trilogy is organised around three fundamental questions: Where did Harare come from? What happened to Harare? And how can Harare be rebuilt?

VOLUME 1 — THE HISTORY OF HARARE

The History of Harare: The Land, the Kings and the Making of the Capital explores the historical foundations of Harare and the landscape that existed before the establishment of colonial Salisbury.

The volume examines the Mbari Clan and Shumba Gurundoro tradition, King Mbari and King Makombe, precolonial political and cultural landscapes, colonial occupation, the First Chimurenga, the development of Salisbury and the eventual transition to independent Harare.

It also raises wider questions about historical memory and whose histories are preserved when African cities tell the stories of their origins.

VOLUME 2 — THE CITY IN DECLINE

Governance, People, Infrastructure and the Urban Crisis brings the story into contemporary Harare.

The second volume examines local government, municipal administration, public accountability, infrastructure, roads, water and sanitation, housing, transport, traffic, the Central Business District, informal trading, employment, business, public spaces, urban expansion and municipal finance.

Majuru challenges simplistic explanations for the deterioration of the capital, arguing that Harare’s difficulties cannot be attributed to a single group or problem.

The book considers the relationship between governance, infrastructure, economic pressures, population growth, planning and the everyday experiences of residents.

Particular attention is given to debates surrounding vendors and the informal economy, the movement of businesses away from the CBD and the pressures created when urban expansion occurs faster than infrastructure and public services can accommodate it.

VOLUME 3 — REBUILDING HARARE

The final volume, Rebuilding Harare: Solutions, Opportunities and a Better Future for the Capital, deliberately shifts the discussion from criticism to solutions.

It asks what practical steps could be taken to reverse deterioration and create a better functioning capital.

The volume examines infrastructure renewal, maintenance, transport, housing, economic opportunity, public accountability, civic participation, heritage, traditional leadership and long-term urban planning.

At its heart is a practical recovery framework incorporating a proposed Ten-Year Harare Recovery Plan, implementation priorities, public accountability measures, performance indicators and the Harare Charter.

Majuru argues that Harare cannot be rebuilt through temporary clean-up campaigns, isolated projects or repeated crisis management. Sustainable recovery requires functioning systems, long-term planning and clearly defined responsibility.

“DECLINE DOES NOT HAVE TO BECOME HARARE’S PERMANENT STORY”

Speaking on the publication of the trilogy, HRH Princess Eugene Majuru said:

“I did not write Harare: A City in Decline simply to catalogue everything that is wrong with our capital. I wanted to understand how we arrived here, to recover parts of our history that deserve greater examination and, most importantly, to ask what we can actually do to change the direction of the city.”

“Harare belongs not only to those of us living in this generation but also to the generations who will inherit it. Decline does not have to become Harare’s permanent story. If we can identify the problems, establish responsibility and have the courage to consider serious solutions, then renewal is possible.”

Majuru also argues that the recovery of Harare should include greater recognition and investigation of the capital’s African historical and cultural heritage.

As Sovereign Custodian of the Mbari Clan, she has consistently advocated further research into the history of the Mbari, King Mbari, King Makombe and the precolonial landscape associated with present-day Harare.

The trilogy distinguishes between documentary evidence, historical interpretation, oral tradition and areas requiring further research, while arguing that African historical perspectives should form part of the continuing investigation of the capital’s past.

MORE THAN A HISTORY BOOK

Harare: A City in Decline combines history, contemporary urban analysis and proposals for the future.

Majuru says the books are intended not only for historians or policymakers but also for residents, members of the Zimbabwean diaspora, researchers, journalists, students, traditional leaders, urban planners, businesses and anyone interested in the future of Zimbabwe’s capital.

The third volume is particularly intended to encourage a wider conversation about solutions.

“We have spent enough time becoming accustomed to things that should never have become normal,” Majuru said. “A capital city must have functioning roads, water, sanitation, transport and public services. It must create an environment where businesses can invest and people can work. It must listen to its residents, protect its heritage and plan beyond the next political cycle.”

“The history has been written. The problems have been examined. Now we must talk seriously about rebuilding.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

HRH Princess Eugene Majuru is the Princess of Harare and Sovereign Custodian of the Mbari Clan, Royal Family of Harare, and a descendant of King Mbari and King Makombe of the Shumba Gurundoro tradition.

She is an author, journalist, publisher, media professional, cultural heritage advocate, Creative Arts Manager and events promoter. She is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of News of the South and founder and host of the Chosen Podcast.

A prolific writer, Majuru has published works spanning history, heritage, African royalty, biography, social issues, poetry and contemporary affairs. Her writing and heritage work place particular emphasis on Harare, African historical memory, traditional leadership and the preservation and recovery of Zimbabwean heritage.

Through Harare: A City in Decline, she brings together historical research, journalism, cultural heritage and contemporary urban analysis to encourage a broader national conversation about the past, present and future of Zimbabwe’s capital.

ENDS

MEDIA ENQUIRIES & INTERVIEW REQUESTS

HRH Princess Eugene Majuru
Author — Harare: A City in Decline Trilogy
Editor-in-Chief — News of the South
Email: editor@newsofthesouth.com
Tel: +44 7426 677734