COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AND ASSET-BASED GOVERNANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: EVIDENCE FROM ZIMBABWE

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.