Report of the Rapid Situation and Needs Assessment at Chirundu/Beitbridge Borders in Zimbabwe

10 Mayo 2022
Report of the Rapid Situation and Needs Assessment at Chirundu/Beitbridge Borders in Zimbabwe
Informal cross-border trade (CBT) is significant in Southern Africa, accounting for between 30 and 40 per cent of total intra-Southern African Development Community trade, with an estimated value of USD 17.6 billion. Women make up approximately 70 per cent of informal traders, face gender-specific risks and are more susceptible to harassment, abuse and exploitation. The majority of female informal cross-border traders (ICBTs) are relatively poor, with low levels of education, yet they support some of the most fragile and impoverished communities. Accordingly, any threat to informal CBT poses a threat to the most vulnerable and least resilient. The outbreak of COVID-19 has led to significant challenges regarding the continuation of informal CBT as a result of the measures put in place to contain the spread of the virus, including border closures and travel restrictions. These changes have had a catastrophic impact on the livelihoods of ICBTs, as they are unable to conduct their routine trade. COVID-19 restrictions have hit informal trade harder than other sectors, with women hit particularly hard by economic losses. A rapid needs and baseline assessment was undertaken in four countries, namely Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe in order to understand the impact of COVID-19 on informal CBT. This report gives the findings and recommendations from the assessment done in Zambia. The assessment was conducted within the framework of a project supported by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
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- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of abbreviations and acronyms
- Executive summary
- 1. Introduction
- 1.1. Project background
- 1.2. Objectives of the assessment
- 1.3. Scope of the assessment
- 2. Methodology, assumptions and limitations
- 2.1. Assessment methodology
- 2.2. Assessment assumptions
- 2.3. Limitations of the assessment
- 3. Chirundu/Beitbridge borders
- 3.1. Description and location for Chirundu and Beitbridge
- 3.2. Demographics and main economic activities at the border
- 3.3. Trade and migration at the borders
- 3.4. Cross-border traders association and other informal cross-border trade-support agencies/organizations at the border
- 4. COVID-19: Challenges, impact and possible solutions
- 4.1. COVID-19: What it is; national, regional and global trends and statistics
- 4.2. COVID-19 at the border
- 4.3. Incidence of COVID-19 and its management at the border
- 4.4. Impact of COVID-19 on informal cross-border trade at the border
- 4.5. National response to COVID-19: health measures, lockdowns and others
- 4.6. National economic recovery plans and COVID-19
- 4.7. National strategies and action plans for informal cross-border trade in relation to COVID-19
- 4.8. Informal cross-border traders’ viable livelihood alternatives in response to COVID-19
- 5. Gender and COVID-19 management in national responses, strategies and action plans
- 5.1. Gender and COVID-19 management nationally
- 5.2. Gender and COVID-19 management at the border
- 6. Conclusions
- 7. Recommendations
- Annex 1. Terms of reference
- Annex 2. Sample of interviewed stakeholders and key informants
- Annex 3. Data collection tools
- Annex 3.1. Individual informal cross-border trade interview questionnaire
- Annex 3.2. Border post walk-through observation tool
- Annex 3.3. Border market walk-through observation tool
- Annex 3.4. Border stakeholder interview questionnaire
- Annex 3.5. Cross-Border Traders Association data collection tool
- Annex 3.6. National stakeholders: Ministry of Industry and Commerce interview questionnaire
- Annex 3.7. National stakeholders: Ministry of Women Affairs interview questionnaire
- Annex 3.8. National stakeholders: Ministry of Social Development interview questionnaire
- Annex 3.9. National stakeholders: Ministry of Health and Child Care interview questionnaire
- References