Zambia’s Covid-19 emergency cash transfer programme
Perceptions of political bias and implementation challenges
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21540947 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Hangala Siachiwena (0000-0002-7818-0668, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, corresponding author), Cleopas Sambo (0000-0002-1739-2202, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia), Jairous Joseph Miti (0000-0002-3358-7253, University of Zambia), Jairous Miti (University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-16 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-22 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Development Southern Africa (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0376-835X • E-ISSN: 1470-3637 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/0376835x.2025.2575830 |
| OpenAlex | W4415439396 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 13 |
In response to the economic impact of COVID-19, Zambia's government, with donor support, launched an Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) programme, targeting urban informal workers excluded from existing social protection interventions. Although designed as non-partisan, concerns arose that it disproportionately benefited ruling party supporters ahead of elections. Using a mini-survey and key informant interviews, this study examines whether political bias influenced beneficiary selection. While no evidence of deliberate politicisation by donors or technocrats was found, flaws in programme design and implementation, such as the lack of a registry of informal workers, weak donor–government coordination, and poor public communication, created conditions that fuelled perceptions of partisanship. The study contributes to debates on the politicisation of social protection by showing how institutional weaknesses can turn technical interventions into political controversies. It recommends a stronger donor–government coordination, transparent communication, and a comprehensive informal worker registry to enhance fairness and accountability in future emergency responses
Cash · Perception · Politics · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
International donors, domestic politics, and the expansion of social cash transfers in Malawi
The “Gray Spacing” of Market Vendors and Their Associations and Vendors’ Collective Agency in the Zambian City of Kitwe
Pandemic, lockdown and the stalled urbanization of welfare regimes in Southern Africa
Social protection responses to Covid-19 in Africa
The politics of beneficiary selection
Implementing a Public Policy to Extend Social Security to Informal Economy Workers in Zambia
Foreign aid withdrawals and suspensions
The politics of ‘institutionalising’ social protection in Africa
Political Financing and Vulnerability
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |