Prospects for tobacco control in Zimbabwe: a historical perspective

Woelk, Godfrey; Mtisi, Sobona; Vaughan, J. G.

doi:10.1016/s0168-8510(01)00126-9

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Nelspruit's taxi rank, located on Andrew Street, was used for the study, and spaza shop vendors were selected from the largest residential township in Nelspruit: Kanyamazane. Musina was selected due to its proximity to Zimbabwe, the sixth largest tobacco leaf exporter in the world 10. The taxi rank is located on N1 highway and data collection for the spaza shop vendors was conducted in two of the largest neighbouring residential townships in Musina: Freedompark and Niceville.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…News reports describing cigarette ‘runners’ crossing the Zimbabwe border—the sixth largest tobacco exporter globally10—suggest that they carry an average of ZAR 12 900 (∼US$1300) worth of illicitly traded cigarettes per run 11–13. These reports have been utilised by the South African tobacco industry to argue against further increases in excise taxes,14 using advertising campaigns against the purchase of illicit cigarettes 15.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A comparative assessment of the price, brands and pack characteristics of illicitly traded cigarettes in five cities and towns in South Africa

et al. 2014

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ObjectiveThe prevalence of illicitly traded cigarettes in South Africa has been reported to be 40–50%. However, these estimates do not account for the more nuanced characteristics of the illicit cigarette trade. With the goal of better understanding contraband cigarettes in South Africa, this study piloted three methods for assessing the price, brands, pack features and smoker's views about illicit cigarettes in five cities/towns. Data were collected in June and July 2012.SettingA convenience sample of three South African cities (Johannesburg, Durban and Nelspruit) and two smaller towns (Musina and Ficksburg) were chosen for this study.Outcome measuresThree cross-sectional approaches were used to assess the characteristics of contraband cigarettes: (1) a dummy purchase of cigarettes from informal retailers, (2) the collection of discarded cigarette packs and (3) a survey of tobacco smokers.ParticipantsFor the purposes of the survey, 40 self-reported smokers were recruited at taxi ranks in each downtown site. Adults who were over the age of 18 were asked to verbally consent to participate in the study and answer a questionnaire administered by a researcher.ResultsThe leading reason for labelling a pack as illicit in each city/town was the absence of an excise stamp (28.6% overall), and the least common reason was an illegal tar or nicotine level (11.1% overall). The overall proportion of informal vendors who sold illicit cigarettes was 41%. Singles and packs of 20 were consistently cheaper at informal vendors. Survey participants’ responses reflected varied perspectives on illicit cigarettes and purchasing preferences.ConclusionsEach approach generated an interesting insight into physical aspects of illicit cigarettes. While this pilot study cannot be used to generate generalisable statistics on illicit cigarettes, more systematic surveys of this nature could inform researchers’ and practitioners’ initiatives to combat illicit and legal cigarette sales and usage.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparative assessment of the price, brands and pack characteristics of illicitly traded cigarettes in five cities and towns in South Africa

et al. 2014

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“…Tobacco farming in Zimbabwe dates from the colonial era (1888-1980), then known as Southern Rhodesia, with flue-cured Virginia leaf commercially produced on large tracks of farmland by 1910 [31]. The cash crop was grown in large quantities and proved so profitable that it was considered "as valuable as gold or diamonds" [32].…”

Section: Materials Capabilities: Bilateral Relationship With Zimbabwementioning

confidence: 99%

“All Weather Friends”: How China Transformed Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Sector

Fang

Souza

Wenham

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Recent research documents the globalization strategy of the Chinese tobacco industry since the early 2000s and risks posed to global health. There are limited analyses to date of how this strategy is playing out in specific countries. This paper analyses the expansion of the China National Tobacco Company (CNTC) in Zimbabwe, the largest producer of tobacco leaf globally, since the early 2000s, through document analysis. It applies a political economy framework—identifying material, ideational and institutional forces—to demonstrate how CNTC capitalized on the unique features of China-Africa development cooperation to pursue its expansion goals, which threaten global public health efforts to reduce tobacco supply. In a context of economic crisis, CNTC offered substantial resources to revive Zimbabwe’s tobacco industry, promoting a shift to contract farming of its preferred leaf. It benefited from perceptions of state friendship, which it fostered through corporate social responsibility initiatives. Through ties with the Chinese embassy and economic actors, CNTC embedded its interests in development institutions. While contributing to improved foreign exchange earnings and some farmers’ livelihoods, CNTC’s expansion has increased the dependence on China as a development partner and tobacco as a crop, benefitting its “go global” strategy, while contributing to public health and environmental challenges locally and globally. The expansion of the Chinese tobacco industry interests in Zimbabwe offers lessons for global tobacco control and efforts to support alternatives to tobacco growing.

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“…This unwillingness may also be connected with culturally determined gender norms, with small grains regarded as women's crops and hybrid maize seen as being a male crop. Tobacco used to be Zimbabwe's main national industry and foreign exchange earner, contributing 25-30 per cent of total earnings, and at least 6 per cent of total national employment (Woelk, Mtisi and Vaughan 2001). But since 2000 production has collapsed (from 200,000 to less than 50,000 ton per annum) with many of the large-scale white farmers leaving the country to farm elsewhere in the region.…”

Section: Box 7 Distorted Agricultural Output Marketsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vulnerability, Poverty and Coping in Zimbabwe

Bird

Prowse

2009

SSRN Journal

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This paper uses five life histories from three locations in Zimbabwe-one peri-urban, one urban and one rural-to provide a window on current processes of impoverishment and adverse coping. Each case and location highlight key aspects of Zimbabwe's recent economic and political turmoil. Together the cases suggest that, similar to Hoddinott's work on the persistence of the 1993-94 rainfall shock in rural Zimbabwe, above and beyond increased mortality rates and morbidity levels, current adverse forms of coping are creating widespread irreversible wellbeing losses. The persistent effects of the current crisis surely adds weight to arguments that the international community should be more, rather than less, proactive in delivering aid to the Zimbabwean people, despite the politicization of aid and logistical difficulties.

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Prospects for tobacco control in Zimbabwe: a historical perspective

Cited by 6 publications

References 1 publication

A comparative assessment of the price, brands and pack characteristics of illicitly traded cigarettes in five cities and towns in South Africa

A comparative assessment of the price, brands and pack characteristics of illicitly traded cigarettes in five cities and towns in South Africa

“All Weather Friends”: How China Transformed Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Sector

Vulnerability, Poverty and Coping in Zimbabwe

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