Understanding the Interplay Among Vulnerabilities, Livelihoods, and Institutional Dynamics in the Context of COVID-19: A Case Study Selected Rural Communities in South Africa

The ongoing Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic leaves a trail of destruction on all facets of societal life worldwide. COVID-19 is poised to increase relative and absolute poverty with implications for several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals' outcomes. While it is too early to quantify the pandemic's economic impact accurately, anecdotal evidence suggests that the poor, particularly those in the informal sector and those in rural areas, will be the most affected. We argue that the pandemic has overstretched the limits of pre-existing coping strategies of vulnerable rural communities. Virtually, COVID-19 is interacting with pre-existing rural vulnerabilities that could lead to significantly higher adverse outcomes than those in the urban areas. Although the government has implemented a suite of measures to cushion the pandemic's economic impacts, the bulk of these has been targeted at the formal sector (Ebrahim, 2020). Through the expanded unemployment insurance, government measures to registered taxpayers are unlikely to reach about 45% of the population (Bassier et al. 2020). Bassier et al. (2020) further note that "[U]nder existing measures, nearly 8 million workers, and the 13 million additional household members whom they support, will be left without relief." This is particularly telling for rural communities dependent on remittances as an essential income source and who themselves exist in poorly resourced rural-based municipalities whose revenue base is equally weak. Matatiele and Mbizana local municipalities (LMs), situated within Alfred Nzo district municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, are cases. Poor service delivery is a significant challenge in these municipalities that further undermine their livelihoods capacity and resources. Out of a total possible score of 10 for service delivery, Matatiele scores 3.11 and Mbizana, 2.73 (Cronje, 2014). 90% of the households in these LMs do not have safe and clean toilet facilities and while there have been notable improvements in the past few years, access to clean water, sanitation and electricity backlogs are still very high (Matatiele Local Municipality, 2020; Mbizana Local Municipality, 2020). These local municipalities also struggle with a limited revenue generation base and must rely on grant funding. Several other challenges such as access to healthcare, poor roads and transport, communication infrastructure and minimal access to the internet impact livelihoods in these municipalities (Matatiele Local Municipality, 2020; Mbizana Local Municipality, 2020). Being the sphere of government closest to the people, municipalities' core function is to render various basic but essential services to the community within their jurisdiction (Koma 2010:113). Several response mechanisms to COVID-19, including basic hygiene, communication, and transport, succinctly fall within South African municipalities' mandate as explicitly captured in crucial legislation and policies. Yet rural municipalities, among other things, are characterised by a limited revenue base, poor infrastructure, and weak human resources. Against this backdrop, critical questions arise. How are households and institutions in these municipalities responding to the pandemic's impacts and what social dynamics shape these responses? What are the drivers of households' vulnerabilities in these municipalities, and how are these being shaped by the pandemic? In the study, we seek to understand the impact of COVID-19 in two rural municipalities. More specifically, we want to explore i. the pre-existing socio-economic conditions of households in the municipalities before COVID-19, ii. the impact of COVID-19 on pre-existing socio-economic conditions, iii. how households and institutions in these municipalities are responding to the impacts of the pandemic, iv. the drivers of vulnerabilities of households in the municipalities and how the pandemic is shaping these, and v. how pre-existing conditions at a household and institutional level act as barriers/enablers of COVID-19 prevention strategies. This Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF). The SLF is widely associated with Chambers and Conway (1992) underpins this study. A livelihood is the set of capabilities, resources and activities needed for a means of living (Serrat, 2017). A livelihood is sustainable if it "can cope with and recover from stress and shocks, maintain and enhance its capabilities and assets, and provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for the next generation (Chambers and Conway, 1992:8). The SLF enables an understanding of the factors that enhance or constrain livelihoods and options and how these factors interact with each other (Krantz, 2001). Applying the framework requires an analysis of the vulnerability of the context and the different but overlapping livelihoods resources (human, social, natural, physical and financial resources) which the approach seeks to expand. It also requires an understanding of the institutions and their processes while providing resources to support livelihoods. Based on Matatiele and Mbizana local municipalities, this study will adopt a mixed-method approach using both content analysis and econometric models to explain the relationships under consideration. The research is informed by the constructivism and positivism paradigms and will draw on interpretive methods to draw inferences from respondents' responses. Using surveys and in-depth interviews as data collection approaches, we will offer an understanding of the Interplay Among Vulnerabilities, Livelihoods, and Institutional Dynamics in the Context of COVID19 with specific reference to two rural-based municipalities in South Africa. Expected Outputs 1) The proposed research will produce the following academic outputs;  At least two peer-reviewed publications in open access accredited journals  At least one presentation at an academic conference  At least one forum (in the form of a symposium) to validate and disseminate the study findings 2) Capacity building, shared-learning and co-creation of knowledge are essential aspects of this research project and will be achieved through clear and regular communication with an array of stakeholders and role players (project audience) is paramount. The Project audience comprises project team members (including academics, postgraduate students) executive management and senior councillors in Matatiele and Mbizana local municipalities. 3) Knowledge dissemination to a non-academic audience will be done through popular media and the NRF/SARChI Chair Sustainable Local (Rural) Livelihoods website. [https://sarchichair-slh.ukzn.ac.za/]