In June 2020 the government of Zimbabwe issued a statement of intent towards embracing a developmental social welfare approach by changing the name of the Department of Social Welfare to the Department of Social Development. This has been a long-awaited move in the indigenisation of Zimbabwe’s social welfare services. However, despite such a strong and progressive commitment by the government, there is no clear framework on how the Department of Social Development plans to implement developmental social welfare services in Zimbabwe. It is this concern that we address as we take an ‘inside perspective’ on the work of the Department of Social Development towards explicating current programmes and services, and examine available information on how the Department intends to reorientate Zimbabwe’s social welfare system. We then offer recommendations that can be used by the DSD towards the creation of a developmental welfare state in Zimbabwe. Keywords: developmental social welfare, Department of Social Development indigenisation, social welfare, welfare state, social welfare services, Zimbabwe

This study explores one of the key factors influencing the struggle for social work professional identity, enunciating the impact of the effectiveness of the Council of Social Workers of Zimbabwe (CSW) in regulation of social work. This article, as such, focuses on abuse of the social work title in Zimbabwe’s government departments. It examines how non-social workers abuse the title, together with related effects and possible interventions. The researchers used a qualitative approach and employed a phenomenological design. Participants were recruited through snowballing and the researchers reached data saturation after 17 semi-structured telephone interviews. The collected data were analysed through thematic analysis. Findings of the study reflect that government departments employ non-social workers as medical social workers and probation officers, and this generally affects proper service delivery and the social work profession in particular. The study further established that the CSW has to ensure the recruitment of qualified social workers and rigorous monitoring of – and improved collaboration with – government departments. The researchers then suggested that if the CSW is to make future changes in protecting the social work profession in Zimbabwe, it should, inter alia, review its current legislative framework and draw lessons of best practices from other countries.

This qualitative study explores the factors affecting mental health services delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic at Ingutsheni Central Hospital. A descriptive phenomenological design was used. Data were collected from 16 participants using interview guides and were analysed through interpretative phenomenological analysis. Participants underlined several factors affecting mental health management and these were, inter alia, the congestion of wards and lack of resources. In riposte, they recommended several solutions towards curtailing these challenges. Based on the findings, the research then elucidates roles that psychiatric social workers can take towards improving mental health services delivery during the pandemic period.

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