Social Policy in Africa Conference

Ainsi, les mesures de protection sociales restent très Based specifically on the data and analysis of Nigeria’s
exclusives. A titre d’exemple, les travailleurs du secteur flagship “In Care of the People” (COPE) conditional
informel, qui est le principal pourvoyeur d’emplois dans cash transfer (CCT) programme which commenced
les trois pays, ne bénéficient peu ou d’aucune mesure de in 2007/2008, and later expanded and renamed the
sécurité sociale. De façon globale, les politiques sociales Household Uplifting Programme (HUP) CCT in 2016,
des trois pays se caractérisent par une grande faiblesse the article provides nuanced analysis of cash transfers
de leurs fonctions de distribution, de reproduction et and the politics of distribution in Nigeria. The article
d’intégration. Elles ne se sont pas aussi arrimées aux mainly argues that whilst the cash transfer “revolution”
réalités locales ni aux demandes des populations. Or, in Nigeria represents a cardinal and new social policy
la prise en compte de l’environnement socioculturel et response aimed at supporting the welfare of poor and
économique propre à chaque pays est importante car elle vulnerable individuals and households, it emergence also
permet l’identification des besoins ; et conséquemment, produces renewed efforts by centrifugal state and non-
élaborer un plan de financement des politiques sociales state actors at the national and sub-national levels to
essentielles pour le développement économique. deepen neo-patrimonial networks using cash transfers.
Cette proposition présente les différentes périodes Hence, the politics of distribution around COPE/HUP
historiques des politiques sociales en éducation et en leads to multidimensional battles over the distribution of
emploi tout en analysant les retombées et les limites cash transfers among several state and non-state actors.
sociales et économiques en Mauritanie, au Mali et au Without much understanding to navigate the current
Sénégal. battles amongst different actors, the article notes that the
contentious politics of distribution around cash transfers
Co-Author(s): Dr Ndeye Faty Sarr, Professor Marie Fall, Dr in Nigeria is capable of derailing efforts to reach the poor
Adama Sadio, Dr Almamy Sylla, Professor Ousmane Wagué in Africa’s most populous country. In addition, given the
notable presence and influence of international actors
Dr Gbenga Shadare and stakeholders such as donors, the article also provides
much needed insights into how various stakeholders at
Centre for Social Protection and Policy Studies, the international and national levels are navigating the
UK cash transfer landscape in Africa. To this end, the article
includes relevant analysis and policy recommendations
E-mail: [email protected] on cash transfers on the African continent with special
reference to Nigeria where concerns over marginalization
Title of Paper: The governance of Nigeria’s social echoes across religious, ethno-cultural, regional, political
protection - the burdens developmental welfarism? , socioeconomic and class lines. Combined, this article
represents a pioneering critical analysis of the politics of
Abstract distribution and cash transfers in Nigeria and makes a
significant contribution to the literature on the emergence
The rapid spread of cash transfer programmes in the of “new welfare states” in the global south in general and
global south in the past two decades have been described Africa in particular.
as a “revolution” (Hanlon et al. 2010) producing “new
welfare states” (Ferguson 2015). With special reference to Dr Manchuna Shanmuganathan
Africa, the proliferation of conditional and unconditional
cash transfers to the poor and vulnerable is increasingly The University of Dundee Scotland, UK
considered one of the most effective anti-poverty social
policy tools. However, with limited financial capabilities E-mail: [email protected]
and fiscal space, determining eligibility for cash transfers
in many African countries is proving to be challenging Title of Paper: Social Policy for inclusive and Democratic
politically and operationally. In Nigeria, Africa’s largest Development in Africa
economy and most populous country, the determination of
who gets what, why, and how is a herculean task, not least Abstract
because of Nigeria’s reputation as a country with systemic
corruption and its recent relabelling as the ‘poverty This paper reviews the pragmatism of social policy in
capital of the world’ (Oxfam, 2019). Amongst other things, Africa, in the context of democratic development. As there
Nigeria’s federalism, ethno-cultural, religious-cum-regional are many themes addressed by Thandika Mkandawire,
diversity and divisions heighten concerns around the (in) where he had addressed these issues over a period of
equitable distribution of limited welfare resources without time by creating the notion that the social policy should
bias towards political, social, and economic alliances. directed towards development rather than recovery. Social
Consequently, to understand the state of cash transfers policy that includes development strategies will eventually
and the politics of distribution in Nigeria, this article utilizes eradicate poverty in democratic and social contexts.
primary and secondary qualitative and quantitative data
to analyze Nigeria’s experience with the cash revolution in
Africa.

2021 Social Policy in Africa Conference 49

Indeed, social development process brings social changes Dr Kenneth Simala
to the highest level, while incorporating international
systems that are important to economic developments Masinde Muliro University of Science and
(UNRISD, 2015). The reflection of Thandika Mkandawire’s Technology, Kenya
work and his legacy has contributed towards development,
which could possibly bring economic growth through social E-mail: [email protected]
policy inclusion. Further, he argued that social policy lack
theoretical and conceptual foundations and have suggested Title of Paper: Language, Social Policy and Sustainable
that it should somehow integrated with economic policy Development Discourse: Looking Back to the Future of Africa
concepts for development process. However, one factor
that still plays an important role in social policy is the Abstract
persistence of poverty despite the economic success
Africa had in the 1960s. Nevertheless, due to lack of This presentation is inspired by comments made by
contribution towards democratic developments based on Thandika Mkandawire at the London School of Economics
voters substantial demands have created the notion that and Political Science Africa Summit Research Conference
developing countries have emerged under the dark cloud held in 2017 on the theme ‘Built for Africa: African Solutions
of neoliberalism, especially in Africa. Where, Thandika to African Issues’. At a panel he chaired, Thandika decried
Mkandawire have indicated on the methodology which Africa’s linguistic dependence that is so often not critically
recognizes the importance of democratic politics and the examined and adequately addressed in the development
critical role of ideas, interests and structures that play in of the continent. Looking back at the intellectuals of
transforming African societies. Neopatrimonialism may be the generation of Cheikh Anta Diop and Mwalimu Julius
pointing towards social practices and social hierarchies in Nyerere, Thandika opined that there is urgent need to
Africa, only has little predictive value. reflect on African languages as strategic social institutions
that play an empowering role in African development and
Biruk Shewadeg democracy. Thandika’s views are similar to those held
by Claude Ake who in 1972 hailed Nyerere as one of the
Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, rare leaders of newly independent Africa who showed
Ethiopia much capacity and determination to deal imaginatively
with development challenges on the continent. Nyerere
E-mail: [email protected] identified language as a key factor in his quest for
sustainable development and democracy. Drawing on
Title of Paper: Rethinking Democratic Developmental State in the ideas of Thandika and other African intellectuals, this
Ethiopia paper critical reflects on the language factor in African
development and Pan-Africanism that has dominated the
Abstract continent for about six decades now. It argues that Africa’s
linguistic reality offers a compelling need for social policy
Ethiopia adopts a democratic developmental state following development that takes into account the ways in which
the success stories of the East Asian Tigers. Indeed, many language is an imperative agent and an intrinsic aspect of
of the exemplars of developmental state claimed to ignore sustainable development on the continent.
the democratic aspect of a developmental state. The
Ethiopian government, before the current reform, claims to Dr Almamy Sylla
fill the gap and attempts to implement developmental state
while incorporating democracy as well. An achievement of Université des Lettres et des Sciences
a fast and sustained economic growth for the past decade Humaines de Bamako (ULSHB), Mali
and half may not be contested. However, the paper,
cognizant of the tacit contradictions in an attempt of fully E-mail: [email protected]
realizing the given political economy argues for rethinking
of such a model. Heterogeneity of the constituents; and Title of Paper: Examen des politiques sociales éducatives et
ethnic federalism that is responsible for a bureaucracy de l’emploi au Mali
which appears to be ineffective and inefficient that can
carry the huge government initiatives; the loss of a nation- Abstract
wide public; and a limited elite commitment among others,
pose a formidable challenge for the absolute success of Les politiques sociales postcoloniales au Mali sont
democratic developmental state in the country. As a way héritières de la colonisation qui jeta leurs bases
of addressing the points thereof, the paper is basically institutionnelles. L’État providence du régime socialiste,
divided in to two sections of first an attempt is made to la libéralisation économique et l’ajustement structurel
conceptualize the ideals of developmental and democratic sous les régimes militaire et démocratique ont marqué les
developmental states and secondly the contradictions étapes et les orientations majeures des politiques sociales
between the rhetoric of erecting democratic developmental au Mali.
state and the objective realities in the Ethiopian case is
discussed.

50 2021 Social Policy in Africa Conference

L’examen de ces politiques permet de se rendre compte In addition, migration and remittances contribute to the
qu’elles ont été quelque peu exclusives dans la mesure accumulation of consumer assets, to access to basic utility
où leur spectre d’intervention cible plus le secteur de services, but do not significantly affect productive assets
l’économie formelle alors que la grande majorité vit ownership. Besides, self-employment is more likely to occur
de l’informel. C’est l’une des lacunes majeures que in households having a return migrant, while receiving
les politiques sociales ont du mal à circonscrire. Cette remittances decreases the probability of being self-
communication propose une analyse des politiques employed. Meanwhile, the effect of the presence of absent
sociales en matière d’éducation et d’emploi au Mali migrants in the household on self-employment decision is
de la colonisation occidentale à nos jours. Elle vise negative but insignificant.
la présentation des trajectoires historiques de ces
politiques, leurs situations actuelles, leurs postulats Dr Verena Tandrayen-Ragoobur
ainsi que leurs perspectives. L’avènement du Covid-19
est venu rappeler à l’État l’impérieuse nécessité de University of Mauritius, Mauritius
renforcer les politiques sociales par la prise en compte
des besoins et des spécificités des couches les plus E-mail: [email protected]
touchées (vivant des systèmes économiques informels,
femmes, jeunes diplômés et personnes en situation de Title of Paper: Vulnerability, Resilience and Social Policy
handicap). Ces nouvelles orientations politiques, bien Responses of African Economies in the midst of the Covid-19
que circonstancielles, n’occultent pas la défaillance de la pandemic
politique sociale, notamment la faible prise en charge des
besoins spécifiques des groupes vulnérables, les lacunes Abstract
dans la planification et l’opérationnalisation des politiques
sociales et leur défaut d’arrimage avec les réalités sociales, The objective of the study is to assess the vulnerability and
économiques et politiques. resilience of African countries to the Covid-19 pandemic
and analyse the social policy responses put in place to
Co-Author(s): Dr Adama Sadio mitigate the health, social and economic impact of the
crisis. The degree of exposure, risk and coping ability
Belmondo Tanankem Voufo differ across African nations but also within the African
society across different segments of the population with
Competitiveness Committee of the Ministry of the vulnerable ones being the most affected. In essence
Economy, Planning and Regional Development of differences in vulnerability and resilience will be assessed
Cameroon, Cameroon by first building a Covid-19 Vulnerability and Resilience
Index (COVRI) for a sample of African economies. Our
E-mail: [email protected] methodology rests on the use of macroeconomic data for
25 African economies from 1990 to 2020, to compute a
Title of Paper: Linking Migration and Household Welfare in comprehensive and multidimensional index and create a
Cameroon: Zooming into the Effect of Return Migration on dashboard to enable a comparative analysis across African
Self-employment economies. The arithmetic mean with equal weightage of
the different dimensions and the Principal Component
Abstract Analysis will be applied to generate the index. The study
will create an index and a ranking of the vulnerability and
This paper investigates the effects of migration on resilience of African economies to Covid-19 pandemic
household welfare and labour market participation (self- and compare the social policy responses used across
employment) in Cameroon. The Principal Component the region. The study fills an important gap by linking
Analysis is used to construct an asset index combining the vulnerability and resilience of African economies to
26 assets variables capturing ownership of household the coronavirus and the social policy framework and
consumer goods (TV, washing machine, radio, etc.), their specific social strategies put in place in the midst of
productive assets (land, agricultural equipment, livestock, Covid-19.
etc.), and access to basic utility services (potable water,
electricity, sanitation, etc.). The data used for the analyses Professor Gabriel Tati
were gathered from the survey on the impact of migration
on development in Cameroon conducted in 2012 by University of the Western Cape, South Africa
the Observatory on Migration of the African Caribbean
Organization, in collaboration with the Institute of E-mail: [email protected]
Demographic Research and Training. Making use of robust
identification strategies to handle the endogeneity and Title of Paper: Living on the fringes of public assistance in
selectivity issues, the study finds that having a migrant time of Covid-19 pandemic crisis: The plight of African forced
member or receiving remittances increases the households’ migrants in the city of Cape Town (South Africa)
per capita expenditures, and reduces the likelihood of living
below the poverty line. 2021 Social Policy in Africa Conference 51

This paper examines the increasing marginalisation of Framed within the Transformative Social Policy framework
forced migrants (refugees and asylum seekers) of African and using primary and secondary comparative data from
origin in the context of the multifaceted crisis generated Zimbabwe and South Africa, the paper investigates the
by the Covid-19. It also discusses the responses of these extent to which external and expert-driven management
forced migrants to the mechanisms of exclusion from ideas, administrative and institutional arrangements
institutional support which the local government is undermine ‘democratic’ means of decision making with
providing to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable policy outcomes detrimental to welfare of local citizens,
people in the city of Cape Town. The data to investigate particularly smallholder farmers. While Zimbabwe
the associated issues around the marginalisation are had dispensed with the IWRM definition of water as
derived from a diversity of sources, mostly qualitative, an economic good democratizing access to water to
supplemented by administrative. A purposive survey support its post-2000 social order, South Africa remained
of forced migrants is also used is used to highlight the steeped in neoliberal governance of water resources with
voices of forced migrants in various contexts. The results smallholder land reform beneficiaries settled on ‘dry’ land
reported in the article suggest that under the on-going excluded from IWRM water governance channels. I argue
Covid-19, there has been an increased difficult access to for autonomous endogenous policymaking processes in
employment for forced African migrants, even in the most the water sector based on democratic popular interests
precarious forms of it. Most of them are denied access to that speak to the lived realities of those affected by the
their unemployment insurance fund (for those who have policy outcomes.
been working and have lost their job), the basic income
given to unemployed south Africans are not given to them. Co-Author(s): Dr. B. Dube
Because of the incapacity to afford rental housing, most of
these forced migrants live in communal temporary shelters Professor Dzodzi Tsikata
with the increased risk of catching the corona virus. As
the issuing of refugees documents has been restrained, Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana,
some forced migrants have now reversed to illegality in Ghana
terms of status. Others cannot regularise their status for
the same reason. In large numbers, the mounting difficult E-mail: [email protected]
conditions are prompting some forced migrants to return
to their country of origin or to relocate in other countries. Title of Paper: Deepening Gender Equity in Transformative
In this situation of Covid-19 related crisis, the associations Social Policy: Social Reproduction and the Informal Economy
established by forced migrants are playing a major in
providing them with the needed social support. Overall, Abstract
the responses of the South Africa government have been
mostly ineffective in improving the deteriorating living Thandika Mkandawire’s prodigious scholarship has offered
conditions of both women and men forced migrants. a radical critique of the dominant social protection agenda
that is integral to economic liberalisation. This scholarship,
Dr Newman Tekwa which continues to shape the thinking of scholars of social
policy has acquired a new urgency in discussions about
University of South Africa (South African rebuilding Africa beyond Covid-19. A new continental
Research Chair in Social Policy), South Africa research effort, the Gender Equitable and Transformative
Social Policy for Africa’s post-Covid-19 Societies (GETSPA)
E-mail: [email protected] is explicitly anchored in Mkandawire’s agenda of
transformative social policy, while seeking to deepen
Title of Paper: ‘Global Policies versus ‘Local Realities.’ Water its attentiveness to gender equitable transformations
Policy Reforms in Zimbabwe and South Africa in social policy and social development outcomes. This
paper interrogates the notion of a gender equitable and
Abstract transformative social policy by engaging with one of the
functions of social policy - social reproduction (of self-
The concept of Integrated Water Resource Management employed workers in the informal economy). We argue
(IWRM), emanating from countries of the global north, that production, redistribution and protection are all
particularly temperate regions, morphed from a mere gendered processes that contribute to social reproduction
normative or prescriptive concept to a global policy as theorised and applied in the feminist political economy
discourse that led to homogenous re-writing of national literature (Mies, 1986; Folbre, 1986; Fraser, 2016; Naidu
water policies in many countries of the south drawing on and Ossome, 2016; Bhattacharya, 2017). The paper
the principles of IWRM. Despite similar colonial experiences examines the preoccupations and developments in the
that led to acute racial inequalities in access to water, theorisation of social reproduction, particularly the re-
Zimbabwe and South Africa have been described as the centring of non-market relations and activities involved in
leading adopters of IWRM strategy in Southern Africa at the reproduction of workers.
the behest of multilateral and bilateral donor agencies with
contradictory outcomes at local level.

52 2021 Social Policy in Africa Conference

We note that even at its most expansive, social policy did The paper argues that the care economy has long been
not prioritise social reproduction because its productivist unrecognised in the African continent and is a major
logic failed to appreciate the reproductive subsidies area for social policy development. At least since the last
enjoyed by market production within extroverted capitalism pandemic — HIV-AIDS — caring work has been severely
and the intersecting class, gender and generational undervalued and redistribution of caring work close to
inequalities that were entrenched as a result. We offer nonexistent. Beginning with a theoretical discussion of
some reflections on an agenda for gender equitable and care economy and related concepts relevant to Africa, the
transformative social policy. paper selects and reviews legislation and expenditure data
for each country of the continent, evaluating each along
Dr Marianne Ulriksen ten metrics argued to compose a ‘care economy index’.
For each metric, recommendations for the socialisation
University of Southern Denmark, Denmark of caring work, via state policies, are presented, based
on contextual analysis specific to the African continent.
E-mail: [email protected] The socialisation of caring work is argued to be central to
building holistic development in the continent.
Title of Paper: Bringing Theory to Life in Social Justice
Research Dr Anna Wolkenhauer

Abstract University of Bremen, Germany

Theories of social justice are important foundations for E-mail: [email protected]
our normative understandings of social policy. However,
it is challenging to apply the abstract theories to actual Title of Paper: Social Policy and State Formation:
social policy issues in Africa and elsewhere. Late Professor Comparative insights from the Social Cash Transfer and FISP in
Tessa Hochfeld made an eminent contribution in this Zambia
regard: Hochfeld positioned herself within the social justice
research tradition but was not satisfied with normative Abstract
ideas of utopian societies; rather theory was only useful
in its ability to present solutions and to highlight gaps Even though social policy constitutes one of the state’s
in states’ efforts to create just societies. This paper is core functions, the connections between social policy and
written in honour of Hochfeld’s life and work. In the state formation remain underexplored. After a period of
paper, we propose several characteristics of theory within neoliberal state retrenchment, since around the turn of
social justice-oriented research aiming towards positive the new millennium, states have assumed a more central
change, which Hochfeld through her methodological role, including in social policy. Yet, it is not clear what kind
approach and empirical investigations contributed to. of transformation and renegotiation states themselves
These characteristics of social justice theory are that it is (i) undergo while they carry them out. In this presentation,
instrumental, (ii) emancipatory, (iii) incomplete, (iv) paradox- I reflect on findings from my PhD research, in which I
sensitive, and (v) relational. We end by bringing these developed an answer to the question: how is the state
characteristics together to discuss some of the implications reconstituted within social policy after retrenchment?
for the epistemology of social justice research, for the My analysis is based on empirical research in Zambia,
nature of the state, and for the nature of social policy which spanned several years with the main data collection
solutions. conducted between late 2016 and early 2018. Through
a Grounded Theory analysis of qualitative data, I derived
Co-Author(s): Dr Sophie Plagerson several processes by which state formation occurs through
social policy. In this presentation, I give an overview of
Dr Salimah Valiani my findings with a focus on the differences between the
social cash transfer (SCT) and the farmer input support
Independent, South Africa programme (FISP). I argue that in both programmes, state
formation can be observed, by which I mean the expansion
E-mail: [email protected] of the central state into the peripheries of the country. This
happens through various ways: by increasing knowledge,
Title of Paper: The Africa Care Economy Index awareness and responsibilities; and by laying out avenues
for communication with marginalised citizens. Overall,
Abstract however, due to the enshrining of the neoliberal consensus
that states be reduced to a minimum, while expanding its
This paper offers a comprehensive evaluation of the reach, the state simultaneously manifests its boundaries,
performance of African states with regard to recognition too.
and redistribution of caring work. With the Covid-19
pandemic ongoing in Africa, there is rising interest in the
care economy, including by intergovernmental bodies.

2021 Social Policy in Africa Conference 53

Dr Nqobile Zulu The conclusion aptly foregrounds the context of BIG in
Namibia whilst also pointing to the likely scenarios that may
Studies in Poverty and Inequality Institute, happen if proper planning and execution is not put in place
South Africa to prepare for the future.

E-mail: [email protected] Co-Author(s): Guillermo Delgado Dandago

Title of Paper: Critical Reflections on Social Policy Responses Dr Kwashirai Zvokuomba
to the Covid-19 Pandemic: lessons from Namibia
University of Johannesburg/Zimbabwe Ezekiel
Abstract Guti University, Zimbabwe

The paper reflects on a crucial contribution to the Social E-mail: [email protected]
Policy discussion of Covid-19 using the response by
Namibia. Although it does not document the BIG process Title of Paper: Human Security and the State as a Security
extensively, it is based on critical reflections by Namibian Provider in the Post Fast Track Land Reform in Zimbabwe:
stakeholders and the likelihood of implementation in this Human Factor Approach Review
context. Its analysis and contextualization of the study
findings can be linked to South African historical ties which Abstract
plays a critical role in embedding the socio-economic and
political sphere of the two countries. This paper places Debates about how and why land reform are carried
Namibia as a case study from which lessons can be drawn out dominate both the academic and policy discourse
particularly the speedy manner in which the Emergency in agrarian studies in Africa and the world over. The
Income Grant was rolled out, reflecting how state systems same debates in Zimbabwean took and continue to take
can be made efficient if the political will is there. livelihoods and political economy perspectives focusing
The analysis of the role of the church and civil society and mainly on the ownership structures, inequalities in
their struggle to push a consistent and singular agenda on ownership patterns and livelihoods outcomes of land
Social Protection is reminiscent of some of the struggles reforms. Despite a plethora of land reform studies from
faced by civil society in South Africa when holding the state other perspective, there is a limited connectional analysis
to account for safety nets in budget policy. Drawing on of land ownership and human security in its broad context.
the many parallels between the two countries, the paper
is timely especially in the discussion of extension of BIG
in South Africa, in light of Covid-19 pandemic and the
dire effect it has had on the economy and subsequently
increasing the poverty rate.

54 2021 Social Policy in Africa Conference

The study utilises field based evidence to fill the gap by
developing new knowledge claims about human security
and land ownership. Deploying the narrative inquiry within
the broad qualitative research design in the context of
the human factor approach, the study gleaned the lived
experiences of beneficiaries of the Fast Track Land Reform
in Masvingo who are now owners of land and argue that
human security goes beyond the traditional meaning of
physical security in resettled spaces but also imply the
human well-being, human safety, dignity and social security.
Based on the evidence from the field, the study conclude
that the state leaves big gap in terms of providing human
security as citizens continue to experience insecurity
including weakened land tenure. As a consequence, there
is low investments in the farms years after the Fast Track
Land Reform, low productivity, a weak social protection
system and physical security especially during political
electioneering. The research article recommends that
the state as a provider and enabler of human security in
resettled communities ought to revisit its approach and
embrace human security from a broad perspective.
Co-Author(s): Dr Freedom Mazwi

2021 Social Policy in Africa Conference 55

Design and Meanings

Ideas reverberating through Africa.
Ideas as windows to the world.
Knowledge as egg to be protected.
Social Policy in Africa

DESIGN BY:

Tolulọpẹ Adesina
[email protected]
+27 81 249 3711

www.toluadesina.co.za