Role of Inter-Regional Linkages in Promoting Functional Development Between Harare Metropolitan Region and Murewa-Mutoko Districts:

Lessons From Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Interregional planning linkages distribute goods, food and services in space towards promoting growth and addressing disparities. In functional regions, interregional linkages present flows of labour, capital, commodities, and information between the node and periphery. However, the advent of Covid-19 pandemic affected these interregional linkages. This study interrogates the food, labour and information linkages between nodal regions and the periphery through the lenses of trade factor migration and cumulative causation in the face of Covid-19. Open-ended interviews, questionnaires, Focus Group Discussions and observations were utilised to collect data from key informants, farmers and traders selected through snowballing. Findings show the dominance of the nodal Harare Metropolitan Region on the food, labour and information flows from the peripheral Murewa-Mutoko Districts. Food produced in these two districts is largely sold in Harare, bypassing the Murewa and Mutoko Growth Points. As a node, the Harare Metropolitan Region presents a large market and buying power than the two district centres combined. In addition, labour movement from Murewa-Mutoko Districts prioritised working in Harare Metropolitan Region. Many farmers from these districts worked in Harare Region before resorting to farming after job lay-offs. Information flows between the node and periphery relays messages on the agricultural products required, the quantity and quality as well as the farm input requirements. As a result of these linkages, the Murewa-Mutoko Districts specialise in cash crop production for sale to Mbare Musika. In return, the Harare Metropolitan Region, through industrialisation and agglomeration, specialises in finished products and agriculture inputs that are sold to these districts. However, these synergies were impeded by travel restrictions and the resultant high transactional costs as farmers negotiated the Covid-19 restriction through bribes. The study recommends territorial development that reduces the dependence on Harare, and development of decentralised markets to decongest the Mbare Musika.