A quote from Animal Farm Chapter 10
In the month of March, the easing of lockdown regulations after two months of stringent
restrictions laid bare the gross social inequalities existing in the country.
This was made worse by the fact that throughout 2020, lockdown restrictions had caused
consistent disruptions to economic activity.
The poor, hardworking citizens who live from hand-to-mouth and have no savings had endured
two months with no income or social support from government.
Urban households suffered the most, economically, and according to a January 2021 ZIMSTAT, 90
percent of nonfarm businesses, which skew toward urban areas, indicated that they faced a drop
in revenue or did not receive any revenue at all.
So, even as businesses began operating, the impact of the two months of lockdown had relegated
many into further poverty as reported in a World Bank country overview last updated on March 23
2021.
The pandemic and its impact disrupted livelihoods, especially in urban areas, and according to the
World Bank, added 1.3 million to the extreme poor.
World Bank estimates suggest the number of extreme poor reached 7.9 million in 2020, which is
about half of Zimbabwe’s population.
“Surveys indicate that nearly 500,000 households have at least one member who lost their job in
2020, causing many to fall into poverty and worsening the plight of the existing poor,” reads part
of the World Bank report.
The impact of the lockdowns also affected the education sector, and less than 30 percent of
school-going children in rural areas engaged in education and learning during pandemic-related
school closures, compared with 70 percent for urban children, according to the World Bank.
In the health sector, the unavailability of adequate medication, coupled with lack of investment in
health infrastructure, contributed to a decline in the coverage and quality of essential health
services.
The World Bank reports that decreases in the frequency and timing of antenatal care visits may
cause a further deterioration in maternal and infant mortality indicators.
According to the World Bank, the disruptions caused by the pandemic will continue to weigh on
economic activity in Zimbabwe, limiting employment growth and improvements in living
standards.
In light of this, ZPP, throughout the month of March, focused on assessing access to social rights
among Zimbabweans.
In addition to the poor civil and political rights record the country has registered over the past
year, the deterioration of the social services sector has become one of the biggest human rights
issues in Zimbabwe.
This is evidenced by the disparities in incomes between the elite and the general population.
For example, the general civil servant’s monthly salary – which is the benchmark of general
incomes for the ordinary workers in other sectors–is worth an equivalent US$200.
In the absence of affordable, adequate and accessible public healthcare services, many
Zimbabweans are forced to seek healthcare from private institutions whose charges are beyond
the reach of many.
For example, a local medical aid institution requires about US$60 in subscriptions per month per
individual and this is beyond the reach of many.
At the end of January, ZIMSTAT reported that the cost of living continued to rise and an ordinary
family of five now required an average of ZWL$24 935 to cover its monthly expenses.
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