University of Zambia Online Research Repository
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Effects of management information systems on the growth of e-commerce in Zambia.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Business Administration.This study investigated the effects of Management Information Systems (MIS) on the growth of e-commerce in Zambia. With the exponential growth of digital technologies globally, the adoption of MIS has become increasingly vital for businesses seeking to thrive in the digital marketplace. Through a comprehensive analysis of the Zambian e-commerce landscape, this research aimed to elucidate the impact of MIS implementation on various aspects of ecommerce growth in Lusaka. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative insights from interview guides with quantitative data analysis, the study examines the extent of MIS adoption, the challenges encountered, and the strategies employed to maximize the benefits of MIS in driving ecommerce growth. The findings reveal that MIS adoption in Zambia has facilitated improvements in customer engagement, operational efficiency, and service quality, resulting in enhanced competitiveness and market positioning for e-commerce businesses. However, the research also identifies challenges such as operational disruptions, data privacy concerns, and the need for continuous innovation to overcome technological and regulatory barriers. To address these challenges, the study recommends the development of clear guidelines, interdisciplinary collaborations, and investments in advanced analytics capabilities as well as further research on a longitudinal basis to establish trends over a period of time. Furthermore, the research highlights the importance of fostering a culture of innovation, strengthening industry-academia partnerships, and prioritizing cyber security measures to fully harness the potential of MIS for e-commerce growth in Zambia. In conclusion, this study contributed to the existing literature by providing valuable insights into the effects of MIS on e-commerce growth in Zambia. By offering practical recommendations for policymakers, businesses, and academics, the research aims to facilitate informed decision-making and promote sustainable development in the Zambian e-commerce sector amidst the rapidly evolving digital landscape
An evaluation of the effectiveness of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process in zambia : a case of the Chilanga cement plant.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Science in Environment and Natural Resources Management.The study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Zambia using the Chilanga plant as a case study. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the quality of the EIA process conducted at Chilanga plant against international EIA standards; assess the extent to which environmental mitigation measures identified in the EIA report for Chilanga plant have contributed to the reduction of environmental problems emanating from the plant; and to examine the extent to the affected public participated in the EIA process of the Chilanga Cement plant. The research embraced qualitative methods because it provided a deep understanding of the responses, moreover, this allowed for triangulation of results (Creswell, 2007). Within this framework an embedded research design was adopted in which the researcher collected and analysed both types of data at the same time. The qualitative data was embedded in the quantitative data in the interpretation of the overall results. The study used the Lee and Colley review package to analyse the effectiveness of EIA at Chilanga Cement plant throughout the entire cycle of the process focusing on the prediction and mitigation of impacts, public participation, monitoring and follow-up, and to assess the strengths and weaknesses of EIA in Zambia based on feedback from a variety of stakeholders involved in the process and to identify gaps and or factors which limit effectiveness. This was achieved through a critical review of existing literature and policy documents, from which the study drew concepts and ideas that informed the
proposed study. The key finding of the study showed that EIA is a well-established environmental management tool in Zambia. Nonetheless, the findings also indicate that there were inadequacies in the implementation process within the environmental sector. The inadequacies were particularly in areas relating description of the development, identification, evaluation and mitigation of key impacts, consideration of alternatives, and consultation and participation of the public
Exploring the effects of civic education among the learners in selected secondary schools in Siavonga district in Southern province, Zambia.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Education in Civic Education.The aim of the study was to explore the effects of Civic Education among the learners in selected secondary schools in Siavonga District. Qualitative approach was used. Case study design was used. Purposive sampling was used to select 37 participants categorized as 24 teachers of Civic Education, 4 Heads of Department from social sciences department in the four (4), 4 Heads of Department from non-Civic Education, 4 Deputy Headteachers and one Education Standards Officer-General Inspection. Semi-structured interview schedule was used collect data. Findings revealed that Civic Education has positive effects among the learners. The study further revealed that Civic Education improved and regulated behavior among the learners. It acts as mirror to the learners and on what is right and wrong. The study also revealed that some learners practiced what they learnt in class. For instance, cases of crime, corruption between learners and their leaders (prefects) to escape punishment in most schools had reduced. The study also revealed that learners were motivated to understand, tolerate, question and defend what is right and wrong for a better society. However, amidst the positive effects Civic Education among the learners, there were challenges regarding the effects of the subject among learners. The study revealed that some learners did apply what they learnt in class. Their primary goal was to pass the subject. The study also revealed that teachers compete to cover the syllabi is one of the reasons why some learners were unable to practice what was taught in class. To add on, the study also revealed that learners embraced wrong doing. Wrong doing has become a way of life (culture). Corrupt elements are order of the day among most learners in school. The importance of Civic Education addresses the challenges highlighted if well implemented and managed bearing in mind why it was introduced in schools. The study revealed that Civic Education creates a sense of belonging to a nation in that the knowledge and skills acquired from the learning of Civic Education makes understand their roles and responsibilities to a country. The study also revealed that Civic Education creates civic engagement in a functional democracy. A functional democracy flourishes if citizens are informed and willingly take part in the affairs of the nation. The study also revealed that Civic Education makes society habitable in a democracy. If society has ignorant and inactive citizens, that is recipe for anarchy. Application and use of the right strategies as need demand can have a greater positive effect among the learners. The study
revealed that the positive effect of Civic Education among learners is centered on the methods used to teach the subject. The study brought out the following methods: Group discussion, role play, lecture, method and debate method as remedies to some of the challenges. The study recommends that teachers of Civic Education should be resourceful by guiding learners on literature as laws change with time. What is stated in the learners’ books
could not to the new laws that come after the pupils’ book was long written. The teachers of Civic Education should practice education for (knowledge and skill acquisition) and not education about (passing examinations). The use and application of workable teaching methods should be based on what a given topic requires. The other recommendation was that the Ministry of Education should monitor the implementation of Civic Education in schools. The study concluded that Civic Education provides a vital role in the lives of the learners as it equips them with knowledge and skills for them to be responsible citizens
Evaluation of the public health significance of escherichia coli and klebsiella pneumoniae in milk and soil from environment on dairy farms in Lusaka, Zambia.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Science in One Health Laboratory Diagnostic SciencesEscherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. are the most common coliforms that cause clinical mastitis and are responsible for the disease in about 40% of cases in dairy animals. The presence of E. coli and K. pneumoniae in raw milk poses a threat to human health as consumption of contaminated raw milk may cause diseases such as diarrhoea, haemolytic colitis, haemolytic uremic syndrome, urinary tract infections (UTIs), wound infections, nosocomial infections, meningitis in infants, pyogenic liver abscess, necrotizing fasciitis, endophthalmitis and severe pneumonia. This cross-sectional study aimed to generate knowledge on the presence of E. coli and K. pneumoniae in dairy cattle milk and soil. A total of 180 (90 milk and 90 soil environmental) samples were collected from 30 farms around Lusaka province. Samples were collected and processed using standard microbiological and molecular laboratory procedures. A total of 69 isolates were identified, of which (62) were E. coli (51.6%: milk and 48.4%: soil) and (7) K. pneumoniae (85.7%: milk and 14.3%: soil) and confirmed using uidA and KP-27 genes, respectively. The isolates were subjected to eight antimicrobials for susceptibility testing, with the highest resistance recorded for E. coli and K.
pneumoniae to ampicillin (84%) and ceftazidime (86%), respectively. Isolates that were resistant to tetracycline, cephalosporins and trimethoprim- were subjected to PCR to detect resistance genes and these showed that 33%of them had tet (A), 27% blaCTX-M, 37.8% blaTEM-1, 21.6% blaTEM-2 and 80% for dfrA7, encoding tetracycline, cephalosporin, and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole resistance, respectively. In order to presumptively screen for Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamases (ESBLs), isolates resistant to cephalosporins were sub-cultured onto MacConkey agar supplemented with cefotaxime. Isolates that grew on MacConkey cefotaxime agar were further tested for the detection of ESBL genes using PCR. Three out of five isolates (60%) showed the presence of ESBL resistance genes blaCTX-M (1/3) and blaTEM-1 gene (2/3). The presence of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolated from milk and the environment indicates poor hygienic conditions and the importance of the One Health approach. In addition, the findings demonstrate the need to control the usage of antibiotics in veterinary medicine better and implement effective surveillance programs
How the criteria used by political parties in selecting candidates for elections affect representation and performance of women in Zambia.
Get PDFArticleWomen’s representation and performance in politics and decision-making positions is very poor despite several legislation and policies being adopted to achieve equality between men and women. One of the major findings of this study was that women’s representation has remained below 20% in all the past elections at councilor, mayor or council chairperson and parliamentary level. Political parties are the primary and most direct vehicle through which women can attain elected office and political leadership, therefore, the structures, policies, practices and values of political parties have a profound impact on the level of women’s participation in politics. In order to bring about meaningful representation and performance of women in politics there is serious need for combined effort from the government, civil society, political parties, political leaders (Women and Men) and members of the public. Gender equality and women's empowerment are fundamental aspects of sustainable development. In the case of Zambia, representation and performance of women in various domains play a crucial role in shaping the country's social, economic and political landscap
Teachers’ creativity nurturing behaviours in Zambian schools: are our teachers doing enough?.
Get PDFArticleCreativity plays a crucial role in fostering innovative thinking and driving socio economic development, particularly in developing countries like Zambia. However, it remains unclear to what extent schools, especially teachers, encourage and harness their students' creativity. This study had to achieve two objectives: first, to determine the behaviours of teachers that promote creativity among their students, and second, to evaluate the impact of teacher characteristics such as age, academic qualifications, level of teaching, and gender on their ability to nurture creativity. The study involved forty-eight in service teachers who were enrolled in a degree programme at the University of Zambia. These teachers were administered with the Creativity Nurturing Behaviour Scale for Teachers, which assessed their overall creativity and specific components such as abstraction, creative thinking, motivation for creativity, and inquisitiveness during classroom interactions. The results revealed that teachers demonstrated slightly above-average abilities in fostering creativity, with motivation for creativity being the most effectively nurtured trait, while creative thinking appeared to be the least effectively nurtured. Teacher characteristics had only modest effects on enhancing creativity among learners. Interestingly, age and level of teaching showed an inverse relationship with creativity, as younger teachers were found to be more effective than their older counterparts, and primary school teachers were better at fostering creativity compared to secondary school teachers. Additionally, female teachers were found to be more adept at nurturing creativity than male teachers. These findings
contradict the results observed in individualistic Western societies but align with those from more collectivistic societies. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers and educators regarding the abilities of teachers to nurture creativity in Zambia
Increasing withholding tax revenue from property: a case of Zambia Revenue Authority.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Business Administration Finance.The aim of the study was to develop a framework of measures that could be employed by ZRA to increase revenue from rented properties especially homes. A qualitative phenomenological study involving ZRA staff and was employed. Data was collected using indepth interviews and future search conference techniques (presentations, discussions at plenary sessions and document review. Data was analysed using modified content analysis
which has an extension of Katherine Charmaz’s Constructivist Grounded Theory. In this sense, the research focused on the meanings attributed by the participants to the research phenomenon and in this case Income tax on rent. The main findings in this study are that the quantum of ITR that is remitted by the taxpayer was based on a self-assessment estimate principle. ZRA did not assess property and not even the lease agreement to ensure that it received a commensurate quantum of ITR. In essence ITR is merely received and accounted for. As from January 2022, the authority changed the ITR liability which initially was placed on the tenant for the landlord. The landlord as an income earner is now mandated to remit the rental tax. There are several barriers that influenced tax compliance including the improbability of conducting audit, low tax knowledge by the citizenry, and the perception of equity and fairness, low citizenry tax education, lack of transparency due to weak news media, cultural factors, such as weak national identity where the citizenry are not committed to pay taxes, tax evasion, tax under declaring, poor record keeping. Following a change in targeting tenants to landlords, the month-on-month income figures for the tax from the time it was changed, self-withholding the tax in 2023 has increased. The study concludes that Income tax on rent is not being paid as expected because there are barriers on the taxpayer’s side and ZRA side. There are a number of viable ways to break ground as far as reaching out to landlords. There is need for designing effective measures
Effects of chemical and organic fertilizer treatments on bacterial populations and diversity from selected maize fields in Lusaka province.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Science Degree in Applied Microbiology.Microbes are the primary agents responsible for the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients, promoting plant development, and suppressing disease. However, not much is known about how chemical fertilizers affect the populations, distribution and survival of soil microorganisms which are essential for enhancing soil structure in soils. To gain a better understanding of the effects of chemical fertilizers on bacterial community diversity, soil samples were collected from 20 representative locations in Lusaka Province of Zambia to investigate how soil bacterial diversity is shaped following the application of chemical (compound D) and organic (manure) fertilizers. The sampling was done between May to June after farming season. Soil physicochemical properties were analyzed. Genomic DNA was extracted from purified sub-cultured bacteria using Qiagen DNA extraction kit and PCR amplified using 16S rRNA primers and amplicons were sequenced. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out using Minitab (version 17.1.0.0) and
a phylogenic tree was generated in MEGA 11. Little variation was recorded in soil temperature which ranged between 29 – 32˚C and the only exception was in soil temperatures of samples collected from the eastern farms (East 1 – East 5) for both organically and chemically fertilized
maize fields. The pH of chemically fertilized soils ranged from 4.9 – 6.78 while organically fertilized soils had higher pH ranging from 6.77 – 7.05. The ANOVA test showed that variance in the soil moisture content and organic matter significantly affected and shaped the bacterial communities of the soils. The isolated soil bacteria were predominantly Gram-positive. The colonies mainly composed of bacteria with bacillus and cocci cell shape. Oligotrophic bacteria dominated in chemically fertilized soils. Different fertilization treatments had different impacts on the soil bacterial communities. Chemically fertilized soils had metabolic and stress-resistant bacteria including Exiguobacterium auratiacum, Gottfriedia acidiceleris, Mycrobacterium
paludicola, Lysinibacillus fusiformis and Peribacillus frigoritolerans capable of metabolizing polysaccharides and proteins. Soils to which organic fertilizers were applied had copiotrophic bacteria including Actinobacteria and Arthrobacter capable of degrading unusual polymeric compounds. Therefore, it is important to understand the dynamics of chemical and organic fertilizers on soil bacteria to help devise agricultural practices that maintain soil health and fertility as well as maintain good crop yields.
Keywords: Bacterial diversity, chemical fertilizer, organic fertilizer, oligotrophic, copiotrophic
Downscaling grace missions groundwater storage estimates using a machine learning model approach for climate change monitoring in the upper Zambezi catchment
Get PDFThesis of Master of Science in Integrated Water Resource ManagementThe Upper Zambezi Catchment (UZC) of Sub-Saharan Africa, is among the areas most susceptible to the effects of climate change. Significant challenges for water management are brought on by rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns and an increase in the frequency of droughts. In this area, groundwater is an essential resource for ecosystems and human needs. Effective water
management, particularly in the context of climate change, depends on groundwater storage (GWS) monitoring. By measuring gravity anomalies, the GRACE and GRACE-FO satellite
missions have completely changed how terrestrial water storage (TWS) is estimated globally. However, the use of GWS data for local and regional water management is restricted because of
the coarse spatial resolution of these missions. The primary objective of this research was to use open-source remotely sensed data and machine learning (ML) to downscale the GRACE/GRACE-FO GWS estimates to a finer spatial resolution (5 km). Several hydrometeorological variables, including evapotranspiration (ET), land surface temperature (LST), normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), enhanced vegetation index (EVI), soil moisture and rainfall, were integrated during the downscaling process using the Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and Random Forest (RF) algorithms. This method was unique in that it used a time-series split for cross-validation and Z-score normalisation. This made it possible to evaluate the model's performance with confidence. The findings showed that RF regularly performed better than XGBoost in downscaling GWS estimates, yielding more precise predictions because of its capacity to control intricate correlations between variables and prevent overfitting. The correlation coefficients between the coarse input data and the downscaled data in the Barotse sub-catchment for Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) were 0.81 (XGBoost) and 0.89 (RF). Segmenting the UZC into smaller sub-catchments improved model accuracy by enabling the analysis to focus on smaller regions with more homogeneous hydrogeological characteristics. In regions with unconfined aquifers, the downscaling greatly enhanced the GWS estimates. The model, however had challenges in areas with confined aquifers, which usually have low hydraulic connectivity and slow recharge rates. One of the study's main findings was that groundwater recharge is greatly decreased below a
rainfall threshold of 614.39 millimetres during the wet season. This threshold is essential for anticipating periods of low recharge and planning for water scarcity. The study also showed the
extent to which the downscaled GRACE/GRACE-FO data captured drought conditions in groundwater, especially during El Niño years (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2023), underscoring themissions' potential for drought monitoring. The study found that, on average, GWS decreased throughout the UZC between 2009 and 2023, with anomalies varying from -433 millimetres to
+264 millimetres. This research underscores the potential of machine learning in enhancing the spatial resolution and accuracy of GWS estimates, making GRACE/GRACE-FO data more useful for regional water management. These findings have significant implications for managing groundwater resources in the UZC and similar regions experiencing climate variability and increasing water demand
Statistical relationship between onset dekad of raining season and normalized difference vegetation index: an indicator of acute food insecurity levels in districts of Zambia.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Science in Statistics.Agricultural drought conditions driven by delayed onset of the rainy season is one of the main contributing factors to Acute Food Insecurity (AFI). A number of studies on AFI severity in Zambia have been done at national level but no assessment of severity of AFI at district level has been done. This study investigated the statistical relationship between the delays in the Onset of the rainy season and peak Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and associated it with the AFI levels in the districts of Zambia using AFI classification of the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), Zambia. The NDVI data for districts of Zambia were downloaded from USGS EROS’s FEWS NET’s Data warehouse. The rainfall data for districts of Zambia were downloaded from the Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation (CHIRPS) wbsite, Climate Hazards Centre, University of California, Santa Barbara. CHIRPS data has been assessed against the Zambia Meteorological Department’s station observations for its capability in reproducing
rainfall climatology. The rainy season onset was determined for seasons from 2005/06 to 2020/21 using prevailing criteria for determining onset in the Southern African region. Peak NDVI for districts of Zambia for each of the mentioned seasons was determined at the end of the raining season. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient was employed to investigate the relationship between onset dekad of a rainy season and NDVI. The Districts of Zambia were put in 3 bins based on AFI modes (AFI-2 bin 1, AFI-3 bin 2 and AFI-4 bin 3). For each bin, an empirical Pearson correlation was computed. The proportion of districts in each bin of AFI levels were utilized to partition correlations range from -1 to +1 into three subintervals. If correlation between seasonal onset dekad anomalies and standardized peak NDVI for a district falls in subinterval 1, the district is likely to experience AFI level 4, if correlation falls in the subinterval 2, the district is likely to experience AFI of level 3 and if correlation falls in subinterval 3 then district is likely to experience AFI level 2. The results showed that CHIRPS data captured the monthly climatology of the rainy season for the districts of Zambia reasonably well. It was found that there is a negative relationship between onset occurrence (early or delayed onset) and peak NDVI. Each district in the study was assigned an AFI severity level using DMMU’s AFI data, It was noted that districts of Zambia generally experienced only three levels of AFI severity namely 2 (stressed), 3 (crisis) and 4 (emergency) out of five classified levels where level 5 refers to Catastrophe or Famine. Districts
were binned together according to their AFI levels. Pearson correlation coefficient between anomaly in onset dekad and peak NDVI were computed using data for districts in each of the three bins for AFI levels 2, 3 and 4. The correlations were -0.265 for level 4, -0.09 for level 3 and 0.01
for level 2. The empirical correlations confirmed that delay in onset of rainy season is negatively correlated with low vegetation index leading to AFI of different levels. Subinterval 1 is [-1, -0.96) subinterval 2 is [-0.96, 0.1) and subinterval 3 is [0.1, 1]. This early warning system for assessing the AFI levels in the districts of Zambia for a delayed onset season can be improved as more DMMU disaster related data, longer climate and NDVI daily time series data are available in future. It can enable government to plan and organize resources required to provide AFI stricken communities a relief aide according to the severity way before a disaster situation becomes grave due to delay in onset of rainy season.
Key words: Onset Dekad, CHIRPS, NDVI and AFI