COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AND ASSET-BASED GOVERNANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: EVIDENCE FROM ZIMBABWE
Authors: Marshall Nkosana Dzidzai Nhachi, Jabal Tarik Ibrahim and Rahayu Relawati
Marshall Nkosana Dzidzai Nhachi: Department of Agribusiness, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, Indonesia.
Jabal Tarik Ibrahim: Department of Agribusiness, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, Indonesia.
Rahayu Relawati: Department of Agribusiness, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, Indonesia.
ABSTRACT
The need to combine endogenous resources and institutional support in the form of integrated governance strategies to achieve sustainable local development in resource-constrained communities has been underspecified in terms of how such mechanisms create social impacts. This study examines the social outcomes and community resilience arising from Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) and government support, with community leadership positioned as a mediating mechanism, in Ward 23, Murehwa South District, Zimbabwe. The study used a mixed-methods design which involved a structured survey of 180 respondents that was analyzed with the aid of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and qualitative interviews and focus group discussions. Quantitative results indicate that the adoption of ABCD and government support have a significant positive impact on social capital, livelihood diversification and access to services and community leadership has the most significant direct impact on social well-being and adaptive capacity. Mediation analysis shows that leadership mediates the two relationships partially, enhancing the conversion of assets and public support into long-term community initiatives. Qualitative findings recognize leadership-mediated asset mapping, collective action, and co-designed extension services as critical processes yielding community gardens, micro-enterprises and improved coping strategies that strengthen resilience. The research provides an empirically tested model that sustainable development in vulnerable environments depends on leadership-based, asset-based governance, providing evidence-based information to enhance institutional capacity and social cohesion in similar situations elsewhere in the world.
Keywords: Asset-Based community development, Community resilience, Community leadership, Government support, Community development