Rethinking social protection in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe: towards the development of a social protection framework.

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.