Harare, Zimbabwe. (News Of The South) -Poverty is most widespread in Matabeleland with 85% of people in Matabeleland North living in abject poverty whilst it is least prevalent in Harare whose percentage stands at 36%.
This is revealed in a recently launched Zimbabwe Atlas of Poverty released by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStats).
A dissection of districts in Matabeleland North reveals frightening levels of poverty with Hwange at 72% the least stricken district as Lupane, Tsholotsho, Binga, Bubi and Nkayi all stand at (96%), showing
a region struggling for survival.
After Harare, Bulawayo fares better with 37 percent.
The rest of the provinces in the country have poverty prevalence rates ranging between 65 percent and 76 percent.
The results of the Poverty Atlas indicate that poverty is most widespread in the wards located in rural districts while wards located in urban districts have lower incidences of poverty across Zimbabwe.
They however exist pockets of poverty in urban areas in places such as Epworth which has 72% poverty prevalence and Harare Rural with 60 percent.
Harare Rural consists of sprouting news suburbs such as Retreat Farm, Hopley Farm, Ushewokunze Cooperative, Southlea Park, Crest and Irvines Chicken Breeders.
Speaking during the launch of the Atlas Dr Misheck Sibanda, the Permanent Secretary for Macro-Economic Planning and Investment Promotion said it is a vital policy making tool.
“Detailed poverty data is crucial in monitoring and evaluating progress made by Zimbabwe towards achieving the goals of the Agenda 2030, known as Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)”.
“The Atlas can be used to target marginalised areas in need of food assistance in line with the Zero Hunger Challenge which is an international multi-sectoral call for action by the United Nations
Secretary General in 2012”.
“The ZPA will also form part of the important tools for monitoring the implementation of the Zimbabwe Food and Nutrition Policy which promotes food and nutrition security”, he said.
Dr Sibanda said that poverty maps reveal pockets of poverty which might be overlooked by economic planners and implementers and would assist in the drive towards inclusive growth.
“In pursuing inclusive growth poverty maps need to be updated to reflect the changing circumstances of households over time”, he added.
The Zimbabwe Poverty Atlas is a combination of poverty prevalence maps and figures across the country and shows poverty prevalence from ward level to national level.
It was produced using the 2011/12 Poverty, Income, Consumption and Expenditure Survey (PICES) data and the 2012 National Population Census data.
It is the first poverty atlas to be produced in Zimbabwe.
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