Informal economy, Vulnerability and Marginalization in times of pandemic: Evidence from Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The COVID-19 epidemic affected all facets of human life, particularly among vulnerable groups in the Global South. This pushed most governments to devise various contingent measures to safeguard citizens. As part of Covid-19 containment measures, the government of Zimbabwe imposed a total lockdown that saw the closure of businesses, schools, and national borders, and restricted human mobility. Though the total lockdown was noble, little was done to cushion vulnerable categories whose livelihoods entirely depend on mobility .Hence, we focus on ways in which Covid-19 measures exacerbated existing social inequalities and vulnerabilities among people who operate in the informal economy in Masvingo Province. Drawing from a three-district survey (Masvingo Urban, Chiredzi and Gutu) we examine how the livelihoods for people in the informal employment changed in response to the containment measure implemented by the government as well as the effectiveness of government-initiated safety net measures.