Rethinking social protection in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe: towards the development of a social protection framework.
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Date
2022
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Abstract
The biggest problem I have found during my research is that poverty and precariousness
persist despite the presence of several social protection programmes the world over. The
problem of insufficient social protection in addressing vulnerabilities in Masvingo Province
and the rest of Zimbabwe follows from this. In this research focus on social protection, I
believe and am adamantly convinced that the country must give priority to the provision
of social protection to Zimbabwe's poorest populations. The purpose of this research is
to develop a comprehensive social protection framework and identify strategies for
improving Zimbabwe's social protection system. To effectively execute social protection
efforts, the government and other pertinent parties must rethink their strategy and develop
a transition winning plan. Based on the state welfare theory, this study found that there is
a marked asymmetry in the distribution and use of resources in Zimbabwe (necessities
like hospitals and food packages), which is concealed by the widespread belief that the
government, through the responsible ministry, provides welfare to the underprivileged
citizens. According to the study's results, social protection in Zimbabwe is so miserably
inadequate that the government cannot meet the needs of all its citizens who need welfare
assistance to have access to essentials like food, free healthcare, and good housing. I
interviewed carefully chosen recipients of social protection schemes in a total of eighteen
interviews. Each of the recipients who were interviewed was the primary provider for their
households. Assessments and desktop research were conducted to ensure the study's
richness, breadth, and depth. The topics covered in this thesis inductively evolved from
the data after it was subjected to thematic analysis, which was then utilized to examine
the data. For this qualitative research, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were
used to interview the targeted participants in the selected neighbourhoods. This study
discovered that ineffective recipient selection criteria, partisan service distribution, a lack
of awareness of welfare program availability, and a lack of capacity building are impeding
the efficient administration and distribution of welfare services to citizens even at the
community level. I also suggested an extensive system of social protection that covers
everyone without exception, from the local committee up to the central government. The
main takeaways from this research politics should not lead development hence
policymakers should not be politicians who are by nature biased towards their parities.
Description
Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.