Social protection for the elderly in Zimbabwe: issues, challenges and prospects.pdf (original) (raw)
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Social protection for the elderly in Zimbabwe: issues, challenges and prospects
2013
This article was mainly based on a review of secondary sources of data and assesses the efficacy of existing social protection measures in averting the syndrome of poverty in old age. This is inspired by the view that the elderly have an inalienable right to social protection. The paper argues that existing anti-poverty measures, namely public assistance; the Pension and Other Benefits Scheme and other social welfare programmes are compromised by low coverage of the elderly among other vulnerable groups and the failure to provide adequate benefits. The use of the means-test in the implementation of the Older Persons Act (Chapter 17:11) of 2012 restricts the number of beneficiaries. In order to guarantee income and good health in old age, there is need to transform existing social protection measures in order to increase their coverage and to review the Older Persons Act so that it provides public assistance universally to the elderly. In addition the government should provid...
The social security policy of the Government of Zimbabwe : a policy analysis overview
2016
Social exclusion has become a cause for concern in contemporary societies. It has become a global phenomenon that requires the participation of several players. Adopting constitutional and legal frameworks that seek to promote inclusiveness of social protection programmes has become more imperative than ever before. More often than not economic shocks have left many people not only marginalised but also vulnerable to the hazards and vicissitudes of life. In order to provide social protection cover, it is incumbent upon governments to intervene by way of providing adequate social security to the citizenry. Post-colonial governments inherited social security systems lacking inclusivity. Rising unemployment levels, poor performing economies, natural calamities and the HIV/AIDS epidemic have forced progressive and responsible governments the world over to rethink on social security strategies. Social security systems that existed during the colonial era were purposely designed to exclude the natives. The Government of Zimbabwe inherited a social security system that was exclusionary. Formal social protection was a privilege of the elite hence soon after independence the need to address the imbalances of the colonial era became a priority. The introduction of a national social security system was to achieve social inclusivity through the establishment of more schemes catering for the different segments of the Zimbabwean community. The National Social Security Act [Chapter 17:04] of 1989 brought into existence a formal and compulsory social security policy which was to coexist with other social protection intervention strategies of the past. The purpose of this study is to provide a critical overview of the social security policy of the Government of Zimbabwe. The qualitative study established that the prevailing economic challenges triggered massive retrenchments which exposed the citizenry to social exclusion. The majority of the people have opted for the informal sector economy in order to earn a living. The problem with this traditional form of employment is that, currently, formal social security has not been extended to cover the informal sector. To establish the relevance of the existing social security systems, a review of literature on social protection strategies was adopted. Views of community members who are supposed to be the ultimate beneficiaries of the various social security schemes were established through the use of interviews and general discussions.
Paradigm in Social Security Measures: Impetus for Policy Reform in Zimbabwe
2021
This study was intended to address lack of knowledge regarding how the social security system in Zimbabwe is perceived by recipients and government employees and what policy reforms could be sought. The study explored perceptions of participants regarding the existing social security system in Zimbabwe. The welfare state theory guided the detailed inquiry. A qualitative case study research design was used to extract feelings, thoughts, and intentions of recipients of social security and government employees and to explore how the results could be applied to improve social security policy in Zimbabwe. Data were collected from a nonrandom purposefully selected sample of 20 recipients of social security and former government employees residing in Kadoma. Data analysis included using Yin’s five-phased cycle, and NVivo to identify themes. Perceptions that emerged involved sustainability of social security as a means of livelihood, changes in living standards resulting from inadequate soc...
Social protection is central to human development. To this end, all governments strive to provide their citizens with one form of social protection or the other. Zimbabwe is therefore no exception. The traditional form of social protection in Zimbabwe is the Public Assistance programme. The programme is guided by the statutory provisions of the Social Welfare Assistance Act chapter 17:06. The programme supports the elderly, persons with disabilities as well as other needy families after a thorough means testing. Due to the economic challenges that have been characteristic of Zimbabwean society for the past decade, the drive towards the delivery of social protection programmes had waned. The advent of the inclusive government in 2009 saw the introduction of the Harmonised Social Cash Transfer programme which is meant to augment the existing programmes. This paper notes that the Public Assistance programme lacks community participation, accessibility, as well as a clearcut monitoring framework. The Harmonised Social Cash Transfer programme derives its strengths from being holistic, rights rather than need driven and its ability to extend social protection provisioning beyond the Department of Social Services to include the private sector as well as nongovernmental organisations. Caution should be taken not to heavily rely on donor agencies as this has the effect of compromising the sustainability of programmes.
Strengths and weaknesses of Zimbabwe’s National Social Security Authority: a critical point of view
Ciências e Políticas Públicas / Public Sciences & Policies, 2016
Resumo O presente artigo foca o impacto dos sistemas de segurança social sobre os utentes pensionistas, realizando para esse fim uma análise das dinâmicas da Autoridade Nacional de Segurança Social (NSSA) no Zimbabué. Os autores realizaram uma análise de conteúdo da literatura empírica disponível com o objetivo de reunir e sintetizar resultados que permitam uma perspetiva crítica sobre a Segurança Social neste país. As perspetivas centradas na contestação do mandato da NSSA relativamente à proteção de trabalhadores são também analisadas. Os autores argumentam que o papel do sistema de segurança social será a prevenção e redução da pobreza entre pensionistas e desempregados. Deste modo, sugerem o realinhamento da NSSA com o seu mandato original orientado para a proteção dos trabalhadores na pobreza, garantindo ao mesmo tempo a sua dignidade.
2018
DOI: 10.21276/sjahss.2018.6.2.16 Abstract: The current desk research explored the available options of social protection on poverty alleviation in Zimbabwe. The country’s experience of social protection has been diverse and most of the debate has focused on expanding coverage and identifying more sources of finance in order to fight poverty. The social protection strategies available in Zimbabwe included labour market policies and programmes, social insurance programmes, social assistance and welfare service programmes, cash transfers, transformative and advocacy programmes, humanitarian aid in response to crises, micro and area-based schemes to address vulnerability at the community level, child protection to ensure the healthy and productive development of children and other instruments such as insurance, livestock and fee waivers. Although the country has institutionalized social protection system, some of the programmes were ineffective due to a number of factors including limit...
A Social Safety Net for the Chronically Poor? Zimbabwe’s Public Assistance Programme in the 1990s
The Government of Zimbabwe operated several social safety nets in the 1990s, most of them targeted at households temporarily impoverished through external shocks such as severe drought or economic restructuring. One social safety net was, however, designed specifically to help those who, by reason of age, infirmity, chronic illness or disability and lack of family connections, were chronically poor. This social safety net was called Public Assistance. This paper reviews the performance of Public Assistance and finds it was not effective in supporting those living in chronic poverty. Its disappointing performance record includes low levels of coverage of its target group and inadequate benefits for its clients. The paper examines the reasons for the disappointing performance of Public Assistance, including both programme design problems and the political marginalization of its clients, and draws out their policy implications. Key Words: Zimbabwe, social safety nets, chronic poverty, targeting, least eligibility
A Review of Social Protection Programmes in Zimbabwe: Lessons Learnt
Southern African Journal of Social Work and Social Development, 2017
This article makes an entrée into the social protection arena by exploring the political, technical, social, economic, legal and environmental dimensions of social protection using the ecology of human development as a foundation. As a point of departure, it argues that a clear understanding of the ‘total environment’ is critical in the design, formulation and implementation of social protection programmes. The method used for purposes of compiling this article is a desk study in which documents on social protection interventions used in Zimbabwe were reviewed. The key contribution of the article is a framework which may assist countries in the global south to understand social protection in general and to guide policy implementation and practice in particular. Some of the key lessons learnt from the Zimbabwean experience include the need to interrogate all interventions for feasibility, efficiency, effectiveness, dependency-reduction, appropriateness, sustain-ability, gender-sensit...
Ghana Studies, 2016
Ghana has ratified almost all international legislative instruments aimed at enhancing the welfare of the elderly. At the domestic level, the country has formulated and implemented policies that seek to improve the lives of elderly. Using mainly secondary data and also analysis of research conducted at Ga Mashie in the Greater Accra Region, the paper provides a narrative review of the existing legal framework and the role of state institutions in advancing the interest and welfare of the aged. Two flagship programs, the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) and National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), both of which have components intended for the vulnerable including the aged, were evaluated. The most striking similarity in both the LEAP and NHIS interventions (and also the newly introduced EBAN project) is the exclusion of the elderly between the ages of 60 and 64 from qualified beneficiaries. While people within that age bracket are constitutionally classified as elderly, interventions meant for the elderly do not cover them. Also, insufficient funds, poor targeting, and inaccurate implementation and evaluation of data make otherwise well-designed programs intended for the elderly lose their focus and merit. We make three recommendations. First, there is a need for a downward review of the age criteria for beneficiaries of social intervention programs meant for the aged. Second, a mechanism should be developed, going forward, to enable the elderly that have worked in the informal sector throughout their lives, to contribute to and also benefit from the SSNIT pension scheme. Finally, an adequate and reliable database on the elderly should be developed to help improve targeting, implementation, and monitoring of existing social protection programs aimed at the aged.