Dube, Buhle and Gumbo, Trynos (2022) African Cities in the Post-COVID-19 World: Interrogating the “Forgotten Priorities” of the Pandemic in the Informal Sector in Bulawayo Metropolis. Mobility, Knowledge and Innovation Hubs in Urban and Regional Development. Proceedings of REAL CORP 2022, 27th International Conference on Urban Development, Regional Planning and Information Society. pp. 37-49. ISSN 2521-3938
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Text (African Cities in the Post-COVID-19 World: Interrogating the “Forgotten Priorities” of the Pandemic in the Informal Sector in Bulawayo Metropolis)
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Abstract
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has reached every corner of the world despite being essentially an urban crisis. The combined effect of weaker urban systems, a plethora of perennial urban problems, and the sprouting informality have exacerbated the scourge of coronavirus impact in most African cities. The introduction of restrictive measures to restrain the spread of the virus had brought about dramatic changes herein referred to as the new world order emanating from the assertion that with coronavirus impact, cities will never be the same again. Very little has been studied and documented about this mantra. This paper interrogates the revival of the “old order” within the informal sector (street trading) by evaluating the changes in implementing the COVID-19 control measures during the peak and off-peak periods. The study adopted a case study research design. A mixed methods approach was applied to gather qualitative and quantitative data through interviews with traders and critical informants in Bulawayo. Triangulated quasilongitudinal survey data, desktop review data, and geospatial data were analysed using content analysis to create themes on the changes that have been experienced. The results reveal that for the majority of city residents, most of whom are struggling to survive economically, livelihoods and survival strategies are a matter of priority compared to concerns about coronavirus dangers. Consequently, the short-term and reactive measures to curb the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic do not feed into the long-term, transformative, structural changes in city systems in most African cities. Urban studies scholars need to explore the pro-poor urban resilience strategies in tandem with the cityscapes that are bedevilled with fierce urban contestations without worsening the residents' socio-economic status. Comparative studies assessing the relationship between the “old order” and the “new order” in the Global North and South contexts are critical.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Old order, New order, COVID-19, Transportation, Informal economy |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HJ Public Finance |
| Depositing User: | The CORP Team |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Nov 2022 17:27 |
| Last Modified: | 18 Dec 2022 14:00 |
| URI: | http://repository.corp.at/id/eprint/936 |
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