The Political Economy of COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned from the Responses of Local Government in Sub-Saharan Africa

The local governance of COVID-19: Insight from Lesotho’s response and mitigation

“…Lesotho was furthest behind to report positive COVID-19 cases in Africa, with the first case identified on 13 May 2020 (Matamanda et al 2021). However, the challenges faced within the local governance and health systems created interesting manifestations in addressing the pandemic.…”

“…Though such a possibility was already widely spread on media platforms and those in decision making power had swiftly deliberated on it beforehand, it still instilled distress within the nation as non-essential public spaces and facilities shut down. The reality of the pandemic really sank in among the locals with the first positive case recorded mid-May, from a native student studying in Saudi Arabia (Kali 2021, Matamanda et al 2021). The capital city, Maseru, remains the hub of infection with a 50% infection rate during the 2020-2021 period.…”

“…Pandemics are deemed accidents of history, and their impacts span over economic, social, geopolitical and ideological considerations (Matamanda et al 2021). This applies to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has overshadowed the world since December 2019, and will likely remain in the near future.…”

“Leave us alone”: ‘right to the city’ of street vendors along Main North 1 Road, Maseru, Lesotho

“…Considering the socio-economic woes characterized by high unemployment, rising poverty levels, and deteriorating living standards in Maseru, many citizens are left with no option but to engage in street vending (World Bank, 2019 ). The COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated the living conditions among many urbanites who have engaged in street vending (Matamanda et al, 2022 ). The response of the government towards the street vendors in Maseru is characterized using force, violence, and repression to control the street vendors that are considered a nuisance in the city (Setšabi & Leduka, 2008 ).…”

“…For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in authorities’ immense victimization of street vendors (Coletto et al, 2021 ). Notwithstanding the need to observe the COVID-19 regulations, some were solely directed at penalizing street vendors for using the pandemic as a scapegoat for such injustices (Kiaka et al, 2021 ; Matamanda et al, 2022 ). Street vendors eventually develop strategies to access and negotiate claim rights to the city, as evident in Harare, Zimbabwe, where some have resorted to using different motorized vehicles for trading during the pandemic (Toriro & Chirisa, 2021 ).…”