CUZ ePublications (Catholic University of Zimbabwe)
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Assessment-Based Training: A Drive Towards Enhancement of Assessment Quality in Universities.
Full text linkThis study aims to promote assessment – based training as one of the major factors influencing operations and practices in universities with regards to staff performance towards improved quality service delivery. A purely qualitative inquiry was used to collect and analyse data for this study. A semi-structured interview approach was used to collect data from the participants. Results were recorded verbatim and then analysed and discussed. The study established that many lecturers in the universities are not trained in formative and summative assessment. Most lecturers are drawing their practices from how they were assessed when they were students. According to results from this study it is therefore recommended that universities should provide lecturers with assessment-based training to equip and enhance them with competencies and (assessment) skills in assessing students, for example, assessment and teaching and learning, activities, and examinations setting, questioning techniques, gradin
Psychology of witchcraft among the Shona people Myth and Reality: Case Study of witchcraft among the Shona people of Bikita District of Zimbabwe.
Full text linkBikita is one of the 59 districts in Zimbabwe. The district lies 80 km East of the town of Masvingo. It has a considerable number of ethnic groups, but the Shona are predominant. The Shona nowadays is no longer a single cultural group but a mixture of other cultural groups that have moved into the district. This study will be on the Psychology of Witchcraft among the Shona people in that district. It will be argued that witchcraft is a well-known practice across cultures in the history of mankind and that the practice can be explained through the Freudian and Jungian theories of the Psyche whereby witches operate in the unconscious area of the psyche. The paper rejects the idea that witchcraft is a moral issue and suggests that it is a psychological issue. Because of the current Covid -19 pandemic, it has been difficult to carry out on-the-spot interviews, so most of the information was collected through telephone interviews using a mobile phone. In a few instances, however, them researcher had the chance to witness activities that were deemed to be witchcraft
Moving Trends in Peace and Conflict Studies: The Nexus between Religion and Peace Building
Full text linkIn moving abreast with the global trends in the field of peace and conflict resolution, religious practitioners are found at every level of the peace-building processes. The role of religion in the modern era cannot be underestimated since it has remained a resilient force in society. Religion transcends geographical boundaries that can be used to reach a majority of its followers, it teaches peace and love, even when the condition seems horrendous. The motivational factor for writing this paper emanated from the realization of the continuous surge in religious movements linked with acts of extremism and the many series of conflicts. This is a qualitative study based on the analysis of the available literature on religion and peace building. The overarching question was: What is the nexus between religion and peacebuilding? It was found out that despite religious extremism, including the extremism that courts war and conflict, religion remains key in peace-building. We recommend the need for tolerance, religious pluralism and strong partnership between religion and peace-building initiatives
Speaking the Unspeakable: A Socio-Cultural Analysis of Tabooed Language in Shona Society
Full text linkThis article discusses tabooed language in Shona, a Bantu language spoken in Zimbabwe. The Shona society, like any other society, has an unwritten code of behavior which spells out acceptable and unacceptable behavior and speech, particularly in the public space so that one’s behavior and speech does not cause discomfort to the listeners. Taboos are a linguistic universal; different cultures have categories of words which are not spoken in public but are known to exist. That goes to show that no culture uses language uninhibitedly (Wardhaugh 1998: 236). In the Shona society, there are some topics that are regarded as sacrosanct and are known to exist in the language but are not to be spoken about publicly. However, there are some individuals who may break the code of behavior and use tabooed language. Employing a qualitative approach, the study used interviews, observations and focus group discussions to solicit for information. This article undertakes a socio-cultural analysis of the categories of tabooed language in Shona within the paradigms of cognitive grammar. It is evident that in the Shona society taboo language still holds an important place in as far as everyday communication and interaction is concerned. Euphemisms still remain valid and they are a reflection of the change and dynamism characterizing the Shona society in this contemporary dispensatio
Tsholotsho Flood Survivors: Three years on after the disaster caused by Cyclone Dineo
Full text linkRapid and slow onset disasters have periodically affected Zimbabwe over time. In the 2016-2017 agricultural season flooding as a result of cyclone Dineo affected Tsholotsho resulting in the displacement of people, loss of life for both people and animals and a reconfiguring of livelihoods. A qualitative research employing a phenomenological design examined the state and lives of the Tsholotsho disaster survivors two years after the flood with a view to understanding the needs of the people and establishing how the community has moved over time to restore, rebuild and diversify their livelihoods. Key informant interviews with the Provincial and District Administrators; Focus group discussions with the District and Ward Level Civil Protection Committees; Secondary analysis of sectoral reports, A Transect walk of the camp; Household and Community FGDs, and in-depth household interviews were conducted to gather data from the flood survivors. The study established that Tsholotsho flood disaster survivors faced a myriad of challenges, chief among them the reconstruction of livelihoods, food insecurity, poor educational opportunities for the children post the emergency and broken family systems owing to the maintenance of dual homes as well as gender-based violenc
A CRITIQUE OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE LOCKDOWN MEASURES ON THE INFORMAL SECTOR: A CASE OF GWANDA URBAN IN ZIMBABWE.
Full text linkThe measures of curbing the COVID-19 pandemic have landed a heavy blow on the informal sector in Zimbabwe. Informal businesses are a crucial factor in the economies of many countries in Africa. The main purpose of this report is to give a critique of the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 lockdown measures on the informal sector in Gwanda urban in the Matabeleland South region of Zimbabwe. The study was principally qualitative in nature. Purposive sampling was used to select a sample of sixty participants. Telephone interviews and observations were the instruments. The findings were that most informal workplaces in Gwanda urban were still closed because of the lockdowns at the time of this research. The lockdowns reduced the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic but at a cost. The most vulnerable families were exposed to poverty and access to health care was reduced. The majority of residents were struggling to pay rentals, electricity and water bills. The conclusion was that the lockdowns impacted negatively and positively on the informal sector. It was recommended that informal trade should be regulated by departments which deal with commerce and industry whilst a readjustment of national and municipal powers that regulate informal trade is neede
Traditional conflict prevention and resolution strategies among the Manyika people of Zimbabwe: A spiritual dimension
No full textThis paper emanates from a qualitative study which was conducted in the Manicaland province of Zimbabwe whose aim was to explore how peace and conflict are interpreted in the context of traditional resolution and prevention strategies and models. There is wide acknowledgement that there exists a spiritual facet to conflict in the Manyika traditional setting. Focus was put on exploring the conflict resolution and prevention strategies that are in place as far as the spiritual dimension of conflict is concerned. It analyses and connects the uncelebrated models for conflict prevention and peacebuilding between members of the living and the dead. The paper also discusses the responsible individuals and institutions who take the responsibility to engage the spirit community in negotiation and mediation processes in the context of ChiManyika tradition. A clear distinction of the traditional practices which are specific for conflict prevention and those which resolve conflicts is made with emphasis on how they both emphasise sustaining relationships. Other peace concepts of reconciliation, justice and human security are also analysed within the cultural traditional framework. The paper makes some recommendations which could contribute to the alignment of these traditional strategies to the current policies and peacebuilding frameworks
The Necessity of Effective Leadership in a VUCA Environment: A Conceptual Discussion
Full text linkThe current global operating environment is characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). If organisations are to survive and prosper in this VUCA environment, effective leadership is a necessity. This paper is a conceptual discussion which positions effective leadership as necessary for survival and success in a VUCA environment. Although it is the responsibility of leaders to ensure that their organisations are responding effectively to the requirements of the VUCA environment, scholars have found a deficit of leadership competencies necessary for people to work in a VUCA world. Leadership models and tools that effectively worked in the past cannot be effectively inferred to the present and the time has come for new leadership models that are compatible with the requirements of the VUCA world. Sustainable success requires leaders who are able to come up with a compelling vision and then articulate that vision to all stakeholders. Effective leadership in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment demands men and women with a strong character. Contemporary leaders should be flexible and quick to change their plans, work schedules and leadership styles as the situation demands. Leaders should prioritise the acquisition of new and relevant skills and sustain their physical, mental and emotional fitness so that they effectively deal with the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous situations they face
Understanding Multicultural Communication for Effective Business Management: An Integrative Review of Literature
Full text linkThe purpose of the study was to review the literature on intercultural communication problems encountered in business organisations and discuss the implications of intercultural communication on organisational performance. The study was guided by the following research questions; how does intercultural communication in the workplace affect organisational performance; in what ways does intercultural communication affect business operations; and how can management foster multicultural communication to improve organisational efficiency? The study adopted an integrative review of literature conducted following the Seven-Step Model of critical literature review. This review was conducted on the backdrop of research on multicultural communication conducted at a communications company in Luanda, Angola. The data from the review indicated that multicultural communication problems are inevitable; hence management should implement strategies that help to increase the cross-cultural competencies of employees. The researchers proposed a new framework; the Intercultural Communication Analysis Model (ICAM) for analysing the impact of multicultural communication in an organisation. The model can be tested for practicality through empirical research
Impact of Entrepreneurial Activities on Employment Creation: A Case Study of Gweru
Full text linkThe government is struggling to look for solutions to the unemployment challenge and one approach has been the promotion of self-employment through entrepreneurship. From 2000 onwards capacity utilization has been shrinking resulting in colossal retrenchments both in the private and public sectors. As a result, most of both skilled and unskilled labour in underperforming economies survive on informal sector activities. Therefore, the paper investigated the impact of entrepreneurship activities on employment creation, a case study of Gweru Central Business District. Descriptive design was employed to collect data using an open-ended questionnaire and it was supported by the purposive sampling technique. The sample consisted of 350 people out of the entrepreneurs in Gweru urban. Data was collected using an open-ended questionnaire. The study revealed that entrepreneurship activities create employment and contributed significantly to the development of the Zimbabwean economy. Nonetheless, entrepreneurs are constrained in their maneuvers because of a lack of financial support and infrastructure. Given their significance to the economy, the paper suggests that these businesses should be assisted by the relevant stakeholders to graduate from the informal to the formal sector. This will boost rapid economic growt