National Research Database of Zimbabwe
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" Boom or Gloom?†An examination of the impact of mining activities on the livelihoods of female small holder farmers in Zvishavane District
No full textMany studies have focused on how mining activities have affected local communities
however very few studies have examined the impact of the extractive industry on the
livelihood activities of rural women. The extraction of minerals has caused massive
environmental degradation as well as air, water and noise pollution. Women, because of their gender roles largely rely on the environment and therefore bear the brunt of the negative impacts of mining activities. The legislative and policy framework has not provided adequate safeguards to the livelihoods of female small holder farmers. The study sought to understand how women’s livelihood activities been affected by mining activities in Zvishavane. The research is guided by the Women’s Law Approach to explore the impact that mining activities have on rural women’s livelihood activities. Utilising the feminist-ecological perspective the research finds that mining has some negative effects on agricultural activities being carried out by women because it negatively affects the natural environment. The research finds that although farming activities have been affected, mining activities have led to the diversification of rural livelihoods in Zvishavane. Furthermore women have tried to participate in the mining industry with little success but have managed to do well in downstream support services. The law has proved to be inadequate in safeguarding the livelihoods of the rural farmers. In cases where the law is available it has been affected by the
weak implementation mechanisms. There is need for legal and policy reform particularly in regards to the conducting of Environmental Impact Assessment so that issues of gender are also addressed. Law reform initiatives should consult widely particularly communities affected by mining activities. Non Governmental Organisations should assist women affected by mining through Public Interest Litigation Initiatives.,NORA
The influence of digital products on company performance: the case of Manica Post
No full textThe aim of the research was to evaluate the influence of digital products on company performance with reference to the case of Manica Post. The purpose of the research was to examine the effects of online news on cannibalization of print media at Manica post, establishing customer perceptions on digitalization of Manica Post news posted online, determining whether Facebook page marketing influences customer preferences as well as examining the effects of websites on increase in web traffic of Manica Post electronic news. Digitalization is the integration of digital technologies into everyday life by the digitization of everything that can be digitized. Many scholars agree that online news are supposed to be a complementary to print newspapers hence online news has not phased out print media. Major characteristics of websites are content, appearance, functionality and usability. Facebook is a social portal with companies and firms that create profiles to disseminate information about products. Exploratory research was used in this study and the target population was customers and employees. Non probability sampling technique was used and under this the convenience sampling method was used. A sample of 100 was used for customers and 16 for employees. The major findings drawn from the research are online news will not phase out print media sales any time soon but rather sales will drop steadily as most of the younger generation prefers to read news online and will not buy newspapers. Customers perceive companies that have gone digital as being innovative. Facebook page marketing affects customer preference of news. Websites have a positive effect on web traffic provided the content and coverage of the news satisfies customers. Majority of the respondents agree that content draws traffic to the website. Results show that it is mostly the content that customer want when they visit a company’s website hence companies should offer that. Conclusions were drawn from the research and they show that the younger ages prefer to read news online with the older age preferring print news to online news, online news is only there to compliment newspapers and will not result in phasing out of newspapers but rather sales will decline steadily over the next years. Majority of the customer perceive digitalized businesses as being innovative. Facebook page marketing motivates customers to buy newspapers and website content is an important factor in drawing web traffic. Recommendations given include Manica post finding ways in which it can benefit financially from news posted on online sources such as websites, adverts, price reduction, improve coverage and reduce biasness
Effectiveness of growth strategies adopted by microfinance institutions (MFIS) on financial performance: A case of MFIs IN Midlands Province.
No full textStudies on performance of microfinance institutions (MFIs) has attracted a great deal of attention as they are registering a significant growth in the financial landscape. However most of these studies had focused much on social performance and best credit management practices and regrettably ignored the financial aspects. This is because predominantly, the main objective of MFIs was social mission focusing on poverty alleviation and financial inclusion, however the 21st century signifies a drift from social mission to profit maximization hence the call to consider financial aspects. Growth strategies are key performance drivers yet little attention has been given to their influences. MFIs are engaging in market expansion overdrive giving birth to intense and unhealthy competition that is not bringing positive results to both the institutions and stakeholders. Against this backdrop, the sustainability of these institutions is threatened hence this study examined the effectiveness of growth strategies adopted by microfinance institutions on profitability in Midlands province. Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE) were used as profitability measures while number of branches was used to determine growth strategies adopted. Literature put forward by different scholars regarding the influence of growth strategies on organization’s performance was critically reviewed. The study applied descriptive research design to identify growth strategies adopted by MFIs in their pursuit for growth and correlational research design to examine the effectiveness of each growth strategy on profitability through the use of simple linear regression. Stratified random sampling technique was employed to adequately incorporate views from different angles since research subjects were drawn from different stratas (senior management and branch managers). Sample size of 79% of the target population was obtained from a list of appropriate sample sizes that are good enough to produce credible findings calculated by Krejcie and Morgan (1970). The study used both questionnaires and personal interviews to collect relevant data to ensure that validity and reliability was achieved. Findings from the study revealed that MFIs chose to go it alone by opting for organic growth with most of them pursuing market development growth strategy. Market growth strategy proved to be ineffective on profit enhancement in microfinance context, rather it causes intense and unhealthy competition hurting both parties (Institutions and stakeholders). Results from the study revealed that there is a relationship between age of MFI and the growth strategy pursued, where most young aged MFIs are investing much in market growth while the old horses appreciate market penetration growth strategy. The results also indicated that product growth strategy is an effective path of growing that yields more returns whilst market penetration proved to have insignificant impact on profitability. In light of study findings, it is therefore recommended that MFIs should consider inorganic growth strategies such as mergers to do away with disruptive competition. Furthermore, MFIs are also recommended to embrace product development growth strategy to realize significant financial growth associated with high degree of operational efficiency and sustainability. In addition, young aged MFIs are recommended not to over invest in growing the market but rather on creating a strong bond with their clients by investing in developing a variety of products
Assessment of the contribution of community share ownership schemes or trusts on the Zimbabwean economy: the case of Mhondoro Ngezi CSOS
No full textThe article primarily analyses the effectiveness of the economic empowerment strategies targeted at the community of Mhondoro Ngezi Rural district. Despite abundant mineral resources, the indigenous communities living close to the mines have been deprived of the right to directly or indirectly benefit from the mineral resources. The study utilised a descriptive survey to collect data. The article gives a strong indication of how communities of Mhondoro Ngezi Rural district can utilise the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act and the Statutory Instrument 21 of 2010 (Community Share Ownership Trust) to empower themselves. The findings of the study indicated that the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act and Statutory Instrument for Community Share Ownership Trust were the pro poor mining policies that ensured the harnessing of mineral resources for the empowerment of local indigenous communities. It was also found out that the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act needed to be harmonised with the Rural District Councils’ Act, the Mines and Minerals Act, and the Communal Areas Management Act. The article concluded that the development of infrastructure and provision of public utilities such as electricity, water, establishing micro-credit to small and medium enterprises and implementing broad-based indigenisation policies were some of the strategies of improving rural livelihoods and stimulating entrepreneurship in communities living close to mines. The article recommends that the harmonisation of these acts will ensure that empowerment is integrated in all legislation focused on rural development and promote sustainable ways of utilising the Community Share Ownership Trus
A remote sensing based approach to determine evapotranspiration in the Mbire District of Zimbabwe.
No full textWater availability and consumption assessments are important for integrated water resources management. Such assessments are usually hindered by the lack of hydro-meteorological data to close the water balance. Remote sensing based methods and hydrological modelling techniques provide tools to obtain estimates of spatial and temporal variation of key water balance components such as evaporation, transpiration and soil moisture which account for about 65 % of the global water budget. In this study, twenty atmospherically corrected MODIS images taken between 2005 and 2015 in the Mbire District in Zimbabwe were processed using the Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) algorithm to determine the actual evapotranspiration (ETA). The study revealed an increasing trend of actual evapotranspiration from 2005 to 2015, with values of ETA of around7 mm/day being observed in the densely forested regions as compared to 3 mm/day for grassland. Results also showed that the SEBS estimated mean ETA values (3.79 mm/day) were within reasonable range of the mean Potential ET (3.31 mm/day) for the 3 automatic stations which were setup in the district during the period of study. The Topographic driven rainfall runoff model (TOPMODEL) whose land surface inputs were obtained from remote sensing techniques was calibrated with runoff data and was extended to simulate soil moisture patterns as well as ETA from September 2008 to August 2010. The model simulation yielded Nash Sutcliffe (NSE) values of 0.4 and 0.1 for Manyame and Angwa respectively during the calibration period. Results for soil moisture estimation by TOPMODEL showed high levels of soil moisture (mean value of 80 %) along river channels, valleys and floodplains. The point to pixel comparison of soil moisture simulated by the model and the one retrieved by the data logger at Chidodo station showed a difference of 12 %. A water balance analysis for the basin was conducted by subtracting all outflows from the basin inflows, the inputs driven by SEBS and/or TOPMODEL. Results of the precipitation and evapotranspiration estimates reveal that, the Mbire District received an average of 4.37 mm/day and 4.66 mm/day respectively from November to the end of March 2016. Refinement of the analysis was achieved by dividing the Mbire District into 3 hydrological sub-catchments and this saw an improved SEBS derived water balance closure by 7.2 %, 16.5 % and 12.8 % as compared to 11 %, 20 % and 16.1 % by TOPMODEL for the Angwa, Manyame and Musengezi basins respectively. Ultimately a combination of GIS, hydrological modelling and remote sensing techniques have proven to be an affordable and efficient means of determining water balance parameters, closure of water balance, determine water availability and hence facilitate easier and more efficient analyses in areas where point data may be scarce or unavailable.,WaterNe
Analysis of waste minimisation strategies in the informal sector of Gweru, Zimbabwe: paper presented at a conference held on the 14th-16th July 2015, Elephant Hills Resort, Victoria Fallls, Zimbabwe
No full textTheme: 1st International Research Conference On Driving Socio-Economic Development Through Value Addition And Sustainable Use Of Resources Sub Theme: Water resources management, climate change, food security and sustainable development,The aim of this study was to analyse the solid waste minimisation strategies in the informal sector enterprises of Gweru, the third largest city in Zimbabwe. The study population for questionnaire surveys comprised all the 589 organised informal sector enterprises in the market areas and high density suburbs of the city. The questionnaire administered to the home industry operators aimed at collecting information on waste reduction and recycling practices. Interviews were also undertaken with key stakeholders concerned with waste management in Gweru. Results indicated that waste minimisation practices employed in the informal sector enterprises of Gweru involved re-use, recycling and sales as forms of waste management. The amount of solid waste disposed per enterprise far outweighs the amount of waste recycled and recycling is only undertaken by those enterprises that are willing to do so. Significantly more enterprises perceived recycling to be the friendliest method of managing the solid waste (almost 50% of the enterprises) and waste minimisation as the second friendliest method. Re-use of materials was the commonly employed strategy to source-reduce waste. Other methods involved in source reduction of waste considered attitudes of the operators in their decision to buy certain raw materials. These considerations included the durability of the raw materials, whether the products package could be re-used and possibility of re-using the products. The common reasons for the enterprises willing to recycle waste were perceived to be saving resources especially in Monomotapa and Shamrock Park and this was indicated by 81% and 76% of the operators in these areas respectively. These percentages are high showing that when given the opportunity and knowledge of recycling, most enterprises would do so keenly. At Kudzanai and in Mkoba the major reason that would drive the operators to prefer to recycle solid waste was the desire to avoid waste followed by the need to save resources. In conclusion, findings showed that people have a positive attitude and think it is important to recycle waste as a way of preserving the environment. In order to encourage citizens to participate, they need to be convinced of the importance of the service they are providing. A waste management plan is also essential for any settlement because waste needs to be managed at all stages from its generation to disposal
Rethinking the Algiers Charter in contemporary film production in Zimbabwe: conversations with film producers
No full textThis study sets motion for systematic academic investigations on the Algiers Charter of 1975 and film production in Zimbabwe and Africa at large. The charter stipulates that filmmakers should be committed to the development of an ‘African’ cinema, radically different from previous cinematic representations of Africa by the Western world, rejecting commercial influence. Despite the centrality of the charter in film production, systematic academic studies on the phenomenon in the Zimbabwean context are scarce. Theoretically informed by Third Cinema theory and utilizing a qualitative research approach, the study investigates the feasibility and relevance of the Algiers charter in the context of film production in Zimbabwe. In-depth semi structured interviews were conducted with five purposively selected film producers drawn from some of Zimbabwe’s major cities: Harare, Masvingo and Gweru. From the data obtained, the study comes to the conclusion that the Algiers charter is hardly known by Zimbabwean film makers despite its importance. Moreover, while some film makers might be profit oriented, an ever bleeding Zimbabwean economy makes it impossible for the film makers to make financial profits. Finally, the study contends that Zimbabwe’s film industry, has failed to radically divorce itself from the western gaze of the African scenario
Establishing a sustainable competitive advantage through e-business: a case of the manufacturing sector in Zimbabwe
No full textManufacturing firms, the world over, are confronted with the need to improve the quality of their products while at the same time containing costs (Barden, Whitaker and Mithas, 2013). This has driven most firms in the developed countries to adopt e-business in order to remain competitive (Rangathan, Dhaliwal and Teo (2004). However, there is little empirical evidence in developing countries linking e-business adoption and firm efficiency. The study investigates the factors affecting the adoption of e-business by the manufacturing firms in Zimbabwe. It further seeks to establish the consequences of e-business adoption on firm’s business efficiency and sustainable competitive advantage. A pragmatic philosophical approach involving the use of the exploratory, descriptive and explanatory research designs is adopted to fully answer the research objectives. Quantitative data were obtained from 118 respondents using a survey. These were drawn from 170 manufacturing firms on the 2012 Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) membership list using systematic random sampling method. The results from the quantitative phase were complimented by the qualitative data obtained using in-depth interviews. The results substantiate the significance of institutional factors, innovation orientation, financial resources, size of the firm, perceived usefulness and managerial attitudes as drivers of e-business adoption. In addition, number of e-business applications adopted by the firm and their usage rate are found to have positive impact on business efficiency and sustainable competitive advantage of the firm. Finally, the results show a positive relationship between the firm’s business efficiency and its organisational and strategic sustainable competitive advantage. The study furthers current debate on e-business adoption by identifying the drivers of e-business adoption in the manufacturing sector in a developing country. Furthermore, the study makes a contribution to new knowledge by identifying the mediating variables in e-business adoption that generate e-business efficiency. It further develops a new e-business adoption model linking the antecedents of e-business adoption with business efficiency and sustainable competitive advantage
A GIS-Based approach for identifying suitable sites for rainwater harvesting technologies in Kasungu District, Malawi.
No full textKasungu district in Malawi has mainly been affected by erratic rainfall that are characterised by dry spells. Almost each year the district receives rainfall that is unevenly distributed spatially and temporal hence threatens crop production leading to food insecurity. Soil moisture retention is vital in crop production hence Rainwater harvesting (RWH) technologies have been recommended in literature to mitigate dry spells. In the recent past, the Malawi Government has advocated for the implementation of RWH technologies. Proper planning in identification of suitable sites for various RWH technologies can improve the effectiveness of the technologies. The objective of the study was to develop a GIS-based approach for identifying suitable sites for RWH technologies in Kasungu District of Malawi. Field surveys were conducted in the villages of Chipala Extension Planning Area (EPA), in order to identify and evaluate performance of existing RWH interventions, and establish factors for locating suitable areas for RWH. Soil moisture content was used to test for performance of RWH technologies. A GIS based Soil Conservation Service (SCS) Curve Number method was used to map runoff potential areas for RWH. The results from field study revealed that the most commonly implemented technologies were soil mulching (50%), contour tied ridges (39%), planting pits (7%) and infiltration pits (4%). Performance assessment of the RWH technologies reviewed that there was a statistically significant difference (α=0.05) in the moisture measurements for the various RWH technologies (P< 0.05). A RWH potential map was developed that showed 87% of the land in the study area being suitable for RWH. The model was validated by comparing locations of existing RWH technologies to the suitability map that showed that 79 % of RWH technologies were located in the high suitable area and moderate areas, 17 % in areas of low suitability whilst only 4 % were located in areas of very low suitability. Hence the model can reliably be used to identify suitable areas for RWH technologies.,WaterNe
The Influence of Managerial and Entrepreneurial Competencies on Police Ventures. A Case of Bulawayo Metropolitan Province.
No full textThis research study focused on the lack of managerial and entrepreneurial competencies as the cause of the failure of Police ventures. Therefore this study seeks to find out which competencies Police officers or managers’ lack in the running of Police ventures despite the captive market and monopoly they have in Police camps. These ventures are becoming an important element because they have the potential to support and sustain police activities in Zimbabwe. The constitutional role of the Police is fundamental in the development of the country by ensuing peace and order. Therefore it is against this background that identifying the deficiencies of the managerial and entrepreneurial competencies, it may foster a solution that can improve the management and running of police ventures. The research project highlights briefly the purpose of the study, as well as the approach taken by the researcher to address the Research problem. It further reviews the available literature on managerial and entrepreneurial competencies in venture success. The study details the research methodology which mirrors the type of research carried out and the field work conducted by the researcher. The summaries of findings from the researcher’s observations, interviews and the responses from questionnaires will be analyzed. Some of the outcomes indicate that managers manning police ventures located at police stations lack managerial and entrepreneurial competencies and direct most of their energy on fighting crime than police ventures. This study will expose the managerial and entrepreneurial competencies manning Police ventures. The following were the research conclusions after reviewing above research studies, the researcher found that , persistence, risk taking, internal locus of control, self-confidence, need for achievement, passion, commitment and career skills , are the commonly used managerial and entrepreneurial competencies by successful and effective managers in Zimbabwe Republic Police. The venture success largely depends upon the set of competencies a manager possess. There were recommendations suggested on how to improve, promote managerial and entrepreneurial competencies needed for Police venture success: holding seminars, commercialize the ventures and be run independently from Police duties.,Lupane State Universit