National social protection vital: VP

via National social protection vital: VP | The Herald July 17, 2015 by Lovemore Mataire

Government has failed to realise full economic benefits from its investment in social protection due to lack of a coherent national social protection framework, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa said yesterday.

Officially opening a high-level four-day Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare workshop on the National Social Protection Policy Framework here, VP Mnangagwa said the national draft policy would result in the adoption of a single guiding policy on the protection of vulnerable people.

“Over the years, Government has invested a lot in the social sector. However, we have not managed to realise full returns on investment due to fragmentation of social protection programmes,” said Cde Mnangagwa.

He said the draft framework placed the State at the centre of provision of social protection and fully acknowledged that social protection was a human right.

VP Mnangagwa said the draft policy, which would soon be presented to Cabinet for adoption, would improve individuals and households’ participation in the mainstream economy.

“While emphasis has been placed on transferring the informal sector into formal sector, the fundamental issues of decent work have to some extent been peripheral. I am glad that the social protection policy framework recognises the need for exploring ways of strengthening employment based social protection interventions particularly pensions, health insurance schemes and skills development, among others,” said VP Mnangagwa.

VP Mnangagwa bemoaned that 16 percent of all households were unable to meet their basic food requirements. He said the figure was too high and unacceptable.

He, however, commended the Harmonised Social Cash Transfer programme administered by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare for making a positive impact on the lives of poor households in 19 districts in the country.

VP Mnangagwa urged the media to play an active role in highlighting social protection issues.

The Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Cde Prisca Mupfumira, said the policy framework was developed through a national consultative process, which started last year.

“While Zimbabwe has suffered declining economic fortunes and consequently worsening social indicators such as human development index (HDI) and income disparities, the country has a solid foundation for expanding and revitalising social protection mechanisms at all levels, including within communities,” Cde Mupfumira said.

Resident UNICEF representative, Mr Reza Hossaini, said social protection was not new to Zimbabwe as the country had a rich history of effective social protection mechanisms dating back to the 1980s.

“In fact, soon after independence, Zimbabwe blazed the trail in investing in health and education . . . at that time, this was not seen as expenditure, but rather as an investment that is paying off today in different ways,” Mr Hossaini.

He urged Government to ensure the policy was utilised as a lot of lives depended on it.

The workshop was attended by the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr David Parirenyatwa, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs for Matabeleland, Cde Cain Mathema and UNICEF officials.

The workshop, which started on Tuesday, ends today with the adoption of resolutions aimed at enhancing social protection services in the country.