International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue VII, July 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186
Kashiri Innocent Taurai1 and Mushaka Charles2
1Ministry Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development, Midlands Province, Zimbabwe
Cooperatives and SMEs Development Department
2Department of Development Studies, Zimbabwe Open University, Midlands Campus, Zimbabwe
Abstract: The premise of this study was anchored on vulnerability and resilience mechanisms faced by second hand clothes informal traders in the wake of covid-19 lockdown restrictions in Mkoba South, Gweru from 2019 to 2021. Its main objectives were: to explore the vulnerability of second hand clothes informal traders’ in adapting to the Covid 19 lockdown restrictions and to explore the resilience mechanisms utilized. An interpretive research paradigm triangulated by a phenomenological research design was adopted. Interviews and non-participant observations were used as the main data gathering instruments. The overall findings from the study revealed that the second hand clothes informal traders were vulnerable. The vulnerabilities included fear and stress; lack of government support; reduced profits and harassment by municipal and national police. Due to the above vulnerabilities, the second hand clothes informal traders developed resilience mechanisms which include selling from home; moving door to door; selling to familiar customers, friends and relatives on credit; use of Whatsapp to advertise; bribing municipal and national police; use of cross-border transporters/malaitsha for supplies and many more. The resilience mechanisms were all largely effective in in ensuring business survival and sustainable livelihoods. The study recommended that a wider multi-stakeholder consultation in the promulgation of policies to control health pandemics like the Covid 19 in the future be instituted. There is also need for capacity building to the informal traders on general business management and contemporary trends in business marketing using technology as well as helping the second hand clothes informal traders to move from the ‘informal’ tag to formality through registering of their businesses.
Key words: informal traders, second hand clothes informal traders, adaptation strategies, covid 19, vulnerability and resilience
I.BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic has devastated the world in all aspects. With first detected cases in the Wuhan Province of China late in 2019, Covid 19 has since then, rapidly spread around the globe (Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), 2020). The swift increase in Covid 19 cases to all corners of the earth prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to initially