Formal Cattle Marketing in Rural Zimbabwe in Light of Covid-19: Implications for Sustainable Livelihoods and Development

Abstract

In rural Zimbabwe, selling of cattle has for a long time been one of the most dependable sources of income that has sustained livelihoods for decades. Informal cattle marketing which involves door to door or gate sales has been the most predominant system for the last three decades. However, the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic followed by the imposition of lockdowns has exposed the vulnerability of rural communities that are regressing into poverty due to a lack of alternative sources of income. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to delineate how formal cattle markets could be used as a sustainable source of income for rural communities’ livelihoods during and post the COVID-19 pandemic era. This qualitative research study relied on secondary data from published journal articles, online publications, and reports to understand the COVID-19 pandemic and also understand how it has impacted the livelihoods of people in rural Zimbabwe. The findings show that the current informal cattle marketing system is no longer suitable for rural communities as it exposes them to infections due to the challenges in ensuring compliance with the World Health Organisation (WHO) precautionary measures. It is recommended that formal (public) cattle markets be reintroduced in all rural areas as there is the certainty that WHO health guidelines will be enforced since they are organised by local and central government institutions. Since formal cattle markets offer competitive market-related prices this will then guarantee the flow of regular income thereby reducing the vulnerability of rural communities to poverty and inequalities.

The Covid-19 Pandemic: Limited Water Access and the Precarity of Women Fishers at Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe

“…It specifically fills the lacuna that exists in our understanding of the intersections between Covid-19 pandemic and fisheries livelihoods. Previous literature has shown the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on various livelihood sectors such as agriculture (Mhlanga and Ndhlovu, 2020; Muvhuringi et al, 2021; Rukasha et al, 2021; Tom, 2021) and informal cattle marketing (Munyede, 2020), with some documenting the specific peasantry (or agriculturalists) responses to the novel virus and lockdowns such as farm owners using their own labour in situations where hiring of casual labour became difficult due to social distance and travelling restrictions (Tom, 2021). Other scholars have documented the impact of the pandemic on vulnerable groups such as the aged, orphans and the physically challenged people, and women (see, for example, Chazovachii, 2020); although women are included in these studies, none has focused on the vulnerability of women ‘fishers’ and their agency during the lockdowns.…”