City of Harare’s social services provision in addressing multidimensional poverty in Hopley district of Harare

Author

Chikanda, Tadiwa.

Title

City of Harare’s social services provision in addressing multidimensional poverty in Hopley district of Harare

Abstract

Urban poverty in Zimbabwe particularly in informal settlements continues to worsen as a result of weak governance, poor infrastructure and fragmented service delivery. The research explored how the City of Harare provides social services in addressing multidimensional poverty in Hopley district one of the largest and fast growing informal settlements in Harare. A qualitative research design was used to investigate the lived experiences of Hopley residents in relation to their access to essential services. A purposive sampling technique was used to select thirteen (13) participants inclusive of 10 residents and 3 City of Harare employees stationed in Hopley district. Semi structured interview guides were made use of as data collection tools which enabled participants to narrate their experiences with freewill whilst permitting the researcher to ask probing questions. Thematic analysis was used as it allowed the identification of recurring patterns and the interpretation of meanings from the narratives of participants. The findings discovered that poverty multidimensional poverty in Hopley district manifests through limited access to potable water, substandard housing and overcrowding, shortage of primary education facilities, and inadequate healthcare access. The researcher unearthed how challenges such as political interference and bureaucratic discrepancies, systematic corruption and resources constraints limit the provision of social services by City of Harare. Intervention strategies which include the implementation of the enterprise resource system (ERP), decentralization of power from head departments to district offices and the enhancement of multi-stakeholder partnerships were formulated as mechanisms to facilitate the betterment of social service delivery in Hopley district by City o Harare.

Date

June 2025

Publisher

BUSE

Keywords

Hopley

City Of Harare

Social Services

Multidimensional Poverty

Supervisor

Mr. Nyamaka,