Survival in the Period of Social Protection Delivery Disjunction in Zimbabwe: A Case of Public Assistance Beneficiaries in Norton and Mhondoro

Abstract

Zimbabwe is facing financial challenges which have weakened many organizations and social delivery systems. The liquidity crunch has rendered the government social services programmes redundant. The government and implementing partners are undertaking a programme face-lift of the former Public Assistance cased Monthly Allowances into Harmonised Social Cash Transfers (HSCT). HSCT are being rolled out in phases with other Districts still to be included. Currently the government has covered about 20 districts out of a total of 65. Monthly Allowances payment in areas where HSCT are yet to be introduced is practically not available as the assistance takes a long time before it is deposited despite government's undertaking to continue disbursing. In the case of Norton and some Districts who are yet to have HSCT programme the MA payment was last disbursed once in June 2014 and having distributed twice only in previous year in the month of February where it was paid for the month of January and February. This has left people deeply immersed in vulnerability. The paper looks at survival strategies these vulnerable groups are resorting to in the absence of the payment. Some of these survival strategies include, meal skipping where they skip a meal in order to serve. Either they eat in the morning and skip the afternoon to eat in the evening. Complete withdrawal of children from schools and seeking employment as maids and gardeners, in terms of health services some has adopted traditional medicine instead of allopathic medicine.