Zimbabwe needs to diversify funding for social protection programmes as fiscal constraints and rising humanitarian needs put pressure on the government’s ability to support vulnerable communities, Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Mercy Dinha has said.
Speaking at the Social Protection Conference in Bulawayo on Thursday, Dinha called for financing mechanisms that draw on multiple sources while ensuring assistance remains sustainable and responsive to the needs of beneficiaries.
She said competing public expenditure priorities, debt-servicing obligations, constrained domestic revenue and unpredictable development assistance were placing increasing pressure on national budgets.
“Competing public expenditure priorities, debt-servicing obligations, constrained domestic revenues, declining or unpredictable development assistance and increasing humanitarian needs have placed significant pressure on national budgets,” Dinha said.
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She said demand for social protection was growing as climate-related emergencies, food insecurity, unemployment and economic shocks pushed more households into vulnerability.
“We must instead develop financing arrangements that are nationally owned, diversified, efficient, transparent and responsive to changing needs,” she said.
Dinha called for stronger partnerships between government, the private sector, development partners, civil society, faith-based organisations, academia and communities to mobilise resources and improve service delivery.
However, she said such partnerships should align with national priorities and have clearly defined responsibilities and measurable outcomes.
“Our challenge is not simply to find more money for social protection. It is to build a financing architecture that converts available resources into reliable protection, measurable improvements in human wellbeing and lasting development outcomes,” she said.
Dinha said social protection should be treated as an investment in people and economic development rather than an expense incurred when households face hardship.
She said programmes could also incorporate skills development, financial inclusion, agricultural support, entrepreneurship and employment opportunities to help beneficiaries who are able to pursue sustainable livelihoods.
However, she cautioned against expecting all beneficiaries to become self-reliant, noting that some groups would continue to require long-term assistance.
“Older persons, people with profound disabilities, individuals with chronic support needs and other vulnerable groups may require long-term or lifelong assistance. For them, sustained social protection is not a failure of empowerment; it is a necessary expression of dignity and social justice,” she said.
Dinha said Zimbabwe’s social protection financing strategies should contribute to Vision 2030, poverty reduction and inclusive economic growth.
She challenged conference participants to produce practical recommendations with clear priorities, resource requirements and monitoring mechanisms.
“The true test of our work will not be the number of recommendations we adopt, but whether vulnerable people receive the support needed to live with dignity,” she said.
The conference was held under the theme, “Reimagining Social Protection Financing: Emerging Challenges, Fiscal Constraints, Shifting Trends, and Strategic Opportunities”.
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