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VULNERABILITY AND RESILIENCE IN CRISIS: URBAN HOUSEHOLD FOOD INSECURITY IN HARARE, ZIMBABWE GODFREY TAWODZERA Thesis Presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Environmental and Geographical Science University of Cape Town May 2010 i ] Declaration I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text. Godfrey Tawodzera ii VULNERABILITY AND RESILIENCE IN CRISIS: URBAN HOUSEHOLD FOOD INSECURITY IN HARARE, ZIMBABWE By GODFREY TAWODZERA Thesis Presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCES May 2010 Main Supervisor: Dr. Bruce Frayne Co-supervisors: Dr. Jane Battersby-Lennard Prof. Jonathan Crush iii "There is a communion of more than our bodies when bread is broken and wine drunk. And that is my answer, when people ask me: Why do you write about hunger, and not wars or love?" M.F.K Fisher (1943) in ‘The Gastronomical Me’ iv Abstract Within the context of demographic growth, rapid urbanization and rising urban poverty which characterizes much of Sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st Century, this thesis examines the urban poor’s vulnerability to food insecurity and analyses the strategies that households adopt to enhance their resilience in this challenging environment. Harare is the study site, providing an acute example of a city (and country) ‘in crisis’, and a context in which formal food markets have failed to meet the needs of the urban poor, within a generalized collapse of the economy. The central question, then, is how do the urban poor meet their food needs under such conditions of extreme material deprivation? In addressing this question, the study usefully combines qualitative and quantitative research methods, consisting of in-depth household case studies and key-informant interviews, and a standardized survey questionnaire. The literature on food security and livelihoods has mainly focused on the rural sector, with limited attention being paid to those strategies that poor households use to feed themselves under conditions of adversity in the urban environment. This thesis therefore locates itself within the nascent urban livelihoods literature, and contributes to the emerging field of urban food security in the following important ways: First, the persistence and vitality of the informal sector underpins the household urban economy, thereby challenging orthodox development perspectives that consider this economy as ‘saturated’. Second, urban-rural remittances no longer dominate the social economy, and the predominant flow of resources is now from rural to urban households in Harare. This is creating ‘new’ forms of linkages where food and even money transfers from the rural area have become key to the survival of households that are vulnerable to economic fluctuations in the urban environment. Third, urban households employ demographic coping strategies to reduce their food requirements by sending some members to the rural areas, despite the more limited availability of social and physical infrastructure outside the city. Fourth, international migration is an important new survival strategy for urban households that traditionally have not been known to have strong linkages with the outside world. These linkages facilitate the movement of goods, food and monetary remittances, which are increasingly becoming important safety valves for urban migrant households. Thus migration has become a key dimension of urban livelihoods, with household members moving both domestically and internationally. Fifth, in light of these findings, the study makes a methodological contribution by engaging in the discourse on re-defining the concept of the household, particularly with relevance to food security. In contrast to the view of a monolithic co-resident household of shared tasks and decision-making theorized by earlier writers, the struggle for survival and livelihood in the city has split the urban household into separate, but mutually supportive units whose activities, composition and location remain highly fluid – it is this fluidity which enables the household to construct multi-spatial livelihoods that are key to survival of the urban poor. v Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible without the generous scholarship availed to me by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) through the Programme in Urban Food Security (PUFS) at the University of Cape Town. For this support, I am eternally grateful. I am indebted to the Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences for providing me with a home for the duration of my study at the University of Cape Town. I owe a debt of gratitude to the many individuals who inspired me and contributed in making this thesis a reality. While it is difficult to mention all these people by name, I would like to assure those whose names I fail to mention here that their various contributions, in whatever form, are deeply appreciated. Any mistakes, omissions or errors in this work however remain my responsibility. My heartfelt gratitude goes to Dr. Bruce Frayne, for his enthusiasm, unparalleled expert advice, unwavering support and continuous guidance through all the stages of writing this thesis. I also extend my sincere appreciation to Dr. Jane Battersby-Lennard, for her constructive criticism and useful suggestions that contributed immensely to shaping this thesis. I am deeply indebted to Professor Jonathan Crush, for his incisive comments, as well as the informative signposts that he expeditiously rendered. Professor Sue Parnell, your advice, suggestions and constant encouragement helped me to remain focused. I am humbled by the concern shown by all my supervisors and will forever remain grateful. I also extend my appreciation to all the members of staff in the Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences (EGS) at UCT who, either singly or collectively helped me in many different ways for the duration of my study. In particular I would like to thank Dr. Pippin Anderson, the post-graduate co-coordinator, for her constant encouragement and Sharon Adams as well as Shahieda Samsodien for their efficient handling of various administrative issues. To Ndeyapo Nickanor and Mutale Chileshe, our various discussions enlightened me more than I could ever acknowledge. In Zimbabwe, I would like to thank the following: Dr. Lazarus Zanamwe and staff of the Department of Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Zimbabwe, for providing me with institutional support while I was conducting my fieldwork in the country; Mr Kizito Muhomba, the Executive Secretary of Epworth Local Board, for facilitating my smooth entry into the field and tolerating my numerous requests for information; Mr Psychology Chiwanga of the City of Harare for helping with information at various stages of this research; and my research assistants: Gift Mudozori, Godfrey Mutowo and Babra Masunga, for their invaluable assistance in household data collection and for making fieldwork an interesting endevour. To my family: Mazvita, Alma and Sean - your love and patience are unparalleled. Thank you for the support and for simply being there. But, above all, I am grateful and appreciative to all the survey respondents who set aside their valuable time to entertain my questions and supply me with important information during my field work. Without their kind cooperation, this study would not have been a success. vi Dedication To the memory of my late mother, Alma Sewa Tawodzera – gone too soon, but will always be remembered; To my father, Albert Mutizwa Tawodzera – parent, teacher and philosopher – a rare combination indeed; To my wife Mazvita Cecilia – For walking with me into the future - believing that all things are possible – as surely as they have been! And to my children: Alma-Nyasha-Vimbiso and Sean-Themba-Takudzwa You are the reason - now and forever; May the guiding hand of the LORD be with you ALWAYS! vii Table of Contents Declaration ...................................................................................................................................... ii Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... vi Dedication .................................................................................................................................... vii Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... viii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ xii List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. xiii Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................... xiv Glossary of Terms .......................................................................................................................

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