Understanding the Dimensions of Resilience for Food and Nutrition Security Among Informal Traders During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Zimbabwe

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in some unprecedented economic and labour market shocks that have caused food and nutrition insecurity, particularly for the informal traders. Yet there is a dearth of scientific evidence on the dimensions of food and nutrition security resilience among the informal traders during the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe. This study applied ethnographic research among informal traders in purposively selected provinces of Harare and Masvingo in Zimbabwe in a period of 20 months since the beginning of COVID-19 in March 2020. In addition, documentary analysis and key informant interviews with policymakers, civil society organisations, academia, development partners, and the private sector were also conducted to supplement ethnographic research. The study found that COVID-19 disproportionately impacted on the income and livelihood strategies of most informal traders in Zimbabwe than the rest of the people, because of the hash implementation of the measures to reduce the spread of the pandemic. This paper recommends that it is crucial for the government to strengthen its social protection systems and build resilience capacities of the informal traders. These resilience capacities may be in the form of business rescue packages, infrastructure and other assets, social safety nets, and the enhancement of traders' networks with suppliers, service providers, and customers. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.

COVID-19‘s Impacts on Cities: Insights on the Provision of Safe Water, Sanitation and Waste Management in Zimbabwe

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the inadequacies of local authorities' planning frameworks and systems in the provision of potable water, sanitation and waste management in cities. Cities have been hotspots of COVID-19 due to rapid urbanisation and rising informal activities. Zimbabwean cities have struggled with water shortages evidenced by water shedding, incapacitation to acquire chemicals for water treatment, burst sewer outbreaks and blockages and inconsistent municipal waste disposal. Yet, the new normal apart from social distancing and wearing of masks calls for constant washing of hands and efficient waste management systems which help mitigate further spread of the virus. This chapter seeks to provide an overview of the impacts of COVID-19 on water provision, sanitation and waste management in Bulawayo, Masvingo and Mutare. This was a qualitative study which involved interviews with local authority officials, Department of Physical Planning officials, Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA). The impacts of shortcomings on the provision of quality water, sanitation and waste management give a wakeup call to the local authorities on the need to adopt more environmentally friendly and sustainable management strategies. The chapter recommends improvement in water provision through adopting other sources such as water harvesting on a larger scale, recycling of waste water, centralised waste management strategies, conversion of waste into energy as well as improved urban planning and design approaches towards sanitation and waste management. The chapter further anticipates high lighting that COVID-19 crisis is instead an opportunity for planners, designers, engineers, policy makers and other stakeholders to transform Zimbabwean cities towards resilient, sustainable and smart cities. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.

Sex Workers and Livelihoods under the COVID-19 Pandemic in the City of Masvingo, Zimbabwe

Pandemic diseases have always disrupted the livelihoods of people. “Key populations” such as commercial sex workers (CSWs), who are not legally recognized in Zimbabwe, have been affected during pandemics and disasters through loss of their livelihoods. The study sought to determine the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the livelihoods of sex workers in the city of Masvingo, Zimbabwe. A mixed methods approach was adopted for this study where both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Quantitative data were collected through 200 questionnaires out of an estimated population of 600. The study used expert and purposive sampling and employed unstructured interviews to capture the experiences of the target populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Quantitative data is presented in the form of tables and figures, and inferential statistics models are used to analyze quantitative data. A thematic approach was used to present and analyze qualitative data. Results of the study indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic aggravated the socio-economic situation of commercial sex work (CSW) through loss of income. Findings further indicate that as companies reduced the number of workers reporting for duty daily, contract workers who include sex workers were the first to be placed on forced leave, resulting in loss of their only source of alternative formal income. Many sex workers were restricted from accessing sexual and reproductive health and from collecting their medical supplies and contraceptives as security forces mounted checkpoints that denied people entry into town. It is recommended that Zimbabwean legal and labor instruments must recognize individuals engaged in commercial sex work so as to reduce their vulnerability during pandemics and other disasters. © 2021 Ulster Institute for Social Research. All rights reserved.