Page 1 of 5

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 01 Issue 09

October 2015

Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 316

Some Contemporary Challenges Faced by Ngos in Disaster

Induced Relocations at Chingwizi Transit Camp, Zimbabwe.

Kudzayi Savious Tarisayi

Foundation Training Institute, Zimbabwe

kudzayit@gmail.com

Abstract

This conceptual paper is based on the

desktop research carried out on the

contemporary challenges curtailing NGOs

in Zimbabwe in general and during the

humanitarian crisis in the Tokwe-Mukosi

basin in particular. The humanitarian

emergency that followed the Tokwe-Mukosi

flooding in Zimbabwe has been widely

covered in the media. The humanitarian

crisis that always follow natural hazards

such as floods have been subjected to

various researches, however they have

been mainly assessing the impact of floods

on livelihoods. This study revealed that a

plethora of challenges face NGOs at

Chingwizi in their endeavour to ameliorate

the humanitarian emergency.

Keywords: Non-governmental

Organisations, challenges, disaster-induced

relocations, Chingwizi, Zimbabwe.

1.0 Introduction

There is always apparently extensive media

coverage of humanitarian crisis that follow

any disaster, be it earthquake, floods,

cyclones amongst others around the world.

This has been the case for the Tokwe- Mukosi floods in Masvingo province,

Zimbabwe. International trends indicate

that disasters are increasing in intensity,

complexity and magnitude and Zimbabwe

has not been spared from this trend

(Allardce, 2009). Gwimbi (2009:71) states,

“The increasing occurrence of disastrous

flooding events and the mounting losses in

both life and property values in Zimbabwe

have drawn attention to the flooding

situation in the country, especially the rural

areas.” Hardly, a month passes without

media reports of a disaster in Zimbabwe or

around the world (Allardce, 2009).

Fundamentally, all these disasters are

human-made, for, a catastrophic event,

whether triggered by natural phenomena or

human activities, adopts the status of a

disaster when the community or society

affected fails to cope. Thus, it can be argue

that a tropical cyclone is not a disaster in

and of itself. Hewitt (1997) argues that

natural hazards such as tropical cyclones,

floods, earthquakes and droughts tend to

spring to mind when the word ‘disaster’ is

mentioned but a disaster is correctly

defined on the basis of its human

consequences, not on the phenomena that

caused it.

The humanitarian crisis that always follow

these natural hazards such as floods have

been a subject of various researches mainly

assessing the impact on livelihoods in

Ghana (Fredrick et al, 2010) , in India

(Afro, 2009) and in Zimbabwe (Tarisayi,

2014) among others. The rallying point of

all these researches has been mainly the

impact of flooding on people especially the

poor who are the most vulnerable.

However, there is an apparent gap in

literature in as far as the challenges faced by

NGOs assisting in these humanitarian

crisis. There is always evidently quick

apportioning of blame from various

quarters on the NGOs actions or lack

thereof without due cognisance of the

Page 2 of 5

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 01 Issue 09

October 2015

Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 317

challenges curtailing their operations. This

scenario has been glaringly revealed by the

humanitarian emergency faced by families

in the Tokwe-Mukosi basin in Zimbabwe in

January/ February 2014 and the subsequent

forced relocations. The media was

flabbergasted with articles insinuating

failure of NGOs to assist the flood victims.

The most pronounced and tellingly headline

being, “NGOs turn a blind eye on

Chingwizi” (Murwira and Maponga, 2014).

These media articles aptly reveal that

challenges facing NGOs in responding

humanitarian emergency have been elided

by researchers, media among others.

1.1 NON-GOVERNMENTAL

ORGANISATIONS: Towards a

definition

Tarisayi (2014) states that the term NGO

encompasses a wide-ranging spectrum of

organizations and they have been referred

to using various terms in different quarters

in different parts of the world. Rahman

(2003: 44) listed at least 40 similar

terminologies used in the literature to refer

to NGOs. Gupta (2011:01) states these

organisations have been, “Variously

referred to as Non-Profit Organizations

(NPO) and Voluntary Development

Organizations (VDOs), Non-Governmental

Organizations (NGOs) are non-profit, non- governmental organizations that an

individual joins by choice”.

NGOs come in a multiplicity of shapes and

sizes, and thus the definition of an NGO and

the choice of terminology is in itself the

subject of much debate and limited

agreement. The World Bank (1995)

defines Non-Governmental Organisations

as private organisations that pursue

activities to relieve suffering, promote

the interests of the poor, protect the

environment, provide basic social

services, or undertake community

development. In another dimension,

Liebenberg (2000) refers NGOs to

autonomous, privately set up, non-profit- making institutions that support, manage

or facilitate development action by

providing socio-economic activities to the

needy. The above definitions have shared

reiteration of the centrality of these

organisations being private and privately

set up. From a legal perspective, Anheier

(2001) defines an NGO as a legally

constituted institute created by natural or

legal persons with the aim of functioning

independently from any government. Thus,

this legal approach emphasises the notion

of operating independent of the

government. In addition, NGOs can be

reasoned to be registered, private,

independent, non-profit organisations that

facilitate development to needy

communities among others. However, there

is confusion due to the recent sprouting of

organisations which have been classified as

Government NGOs or rather government

funded or aligned NGOs.

2.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This study utilised a qualitative research

method which entailed utilization of

secondary research or desktop research.

This involved gathering data that already

exist from various sources such as the

media, free access data on the internet and

academic literature. Hall (1990) defines a

desktop research as referring to seeking

facts, general information on a topic,

historical background, study results that

have been published or exist in public

documents. This information can be

obtained from libraries, newspaper

archives, government, university,

websites, NGOs and CBOs. In addition,

data was also captured from websites of

NGOs operating in Masvingo province.

References were made to secondary sources

Page 3 of 5

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 01 Issue 09

October 2015

Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 318

such as journal articles and books on the

activities of NGOs to alleviate poverty.

3.0 CHALLENGES FACED BY NGOs

IN DISASTER INDUCED

RELOCATIONS

The context in which NGOs operate in the

disaster-induced relocations at Chingwizi

reveals a number of challenges. These

challenges emanate from within the NGOs

while others are external.

3.1 RELATIONS WITH THE

ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT

The Zimbabwean government has been

blamed for curtailing the space within

which NGOs operate in assisting people

affected by disaster-induced relocations.

The NGOs have to channel all their

assistance through the office of the

Provincial Affairs Minister’s office without

directly interacting with the intended

beneficiaries. Tandon (1989) and Bratton

(1989) concur that governments establish

the legal and political context within which

NGOs work and their relations with the

state may take many forms. NGOs/ state

relations may take the form of outright

animosity or lack of trust. In Zimbabwe,

NGOs and government relations are aptly

captured by sentiments made by politicians

and government officials. Chanakira (2011)

highlights NGOs and government relations

by quoting the Zimbabwean President,

We have now a phenomenon of

NGOs, or shall I call them

phenomena, for they really are a

type of government in the

background of a formal

government. I don't know whether

this creature is for the better or for

the worse, but in our country we

have seen a situation where they

have exceeded their terms of

reference, and perhaps we might

have to reconsider the advisability

of having NGOs.

Thus, the relationship between the NGOs

and the government can be argued to be

poses a challenge in the role of NGOs in

disaster-induced relocations. Ulimwengu

(2007) concurs that African states generally

mistrust NGOs and other non-state actors

for a variety of reasons. Hence, due to this

mistrust by government of the motives of

NGOs in assisting people affected by

disaster-induced relocations at Chingwizi

NGO programming is curtailed.

In addition, there have largely been frosty

relations between the NGOs and the

government in Masvingo. This is revealed

by the banning of 29 NGOs in February

2012 by the Masvingo governor Titus

Maluleke (www.newzimbabwe.com).

While the ban was lifted in early 2014, the

gulf created by the ban is yet to be filled.

NGOs that were formerly banned in 2012

were recalled by the new Provincial Affairs

Minister in January 2014, hence giving

them just a couple of weeks to

operationalize before disaster struck. Thus,

it can be reasoned that they were not fully

operationalized after the lay-off of two

years.

3.2 CIRCUMSCRIBED FOCUS

NGOs reaction or lack thereof to the

Tokwe-Mukosi floods and the subsequent

relocations of the people to Chingwizi can

be attributed to their circumscribed focus.

Flooding and disaster-induced relocations

can be argued to be a relatively new

phenomenon in Zimbabwe. Generally,

NGOs have mandates that restrict them

from reacting to new phenomena such as

flooding, which lies outside their usual

domains. Salamon (1987) argues that NGO

particularism can also be a sectorial