National Research Database of Zimbabwe
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Lorentz Symmetry and the Curved Spacetime Dirac Equations
No full textAbstract In a part of our previous works, we have argued (suggested) that it should – in-principle – be possible for a massive particle to travel at the vacuum speed of light c if it rest-mass is a function of momentum. In-principle, this allows one to explain why – say – neutrinos have a non-zero rest-mass and travel at the vacuum speed of light. We explore this idea in the context of the curved space time Dirac equation which we proposed in some of our earlier works. Additionally, using a hypothetical example, we demonstrate why this idea of a momentum dependent rest-mass must be taken seriously as one may be able to justify (explain/ account for) quantization of momentum and as-well the non-observability of negative energy particles
An assessment of climate change adaptation strategies for Chirumanzu district
No full textThe aim of the study was to look at the effectiveness of climate change adaptation strategies in Chirumanzu District. The study took into cognizance the fact that climate change has affected the livelihoods of communities and sought to find out how communities have adapted to climate change. Qualitative approach was used as it gave vivid descriptions of climate change impacts, community response and adaptation. Interviews, focus group discussions and observations were the tools implored in gathering data from respondents which was analyzed using the sustainable livelihood approach. The study showed that there is evidence of climate change in the district and community based adaptation is the dominant strategy. Adaptation strategies in the district were successful in curbing the impacts of climate change on agriculture which is a major source of livelihood in the community. The study recommended that various actors be implored if effective adaptation programming is to take place
Corporate social responsibility within the banking sector in Kuwait
No full textCorporate Social responsibility (CSR) has become a management field because of its influence on organisations. However, CSR practices in banks in Kuwait are not known and there is also no consensus on whether the financial crisis has resulted in reduction in CSR activities or not. This study, therefore, focuses on gaining a better understanding of how corporate social responsibility works in practice in the Kuwaiti banks using a qualitative approach in which data were collected through interviews. The study revealed that the financial crisis did not adversely influence CSR practices in banks in Kuwait. Several CSR activities being implemented by the banks in Kuwait were identified leading to a conceptualisation of a CSR framework. It is recommended that CSR should be integrated into every part of the bank and aligned with the vision and values of the bank. Furthermore, CSR budgets should not be compromised during crisis, but instead banks should be more strategic by focusing on the selection of projects, and using new tools for assessment to better measure project impacts
“Precarious nature of employment in Zimbabweâ€: an assessment of the psychological dynamics of downsizing on survivors, case of Zimasco Kwekwe division.
No full textThe research aimed at assessing the psychological dynamics of downsizing on survivor employees at Zimasco Kwekwe Division. The major reason behind is that downsizing disregards the human side and affects the psychological wellbeing of the same. It remains crucial to implore the psychological facets that affect employee productivity after downsizing operations and endeavor to change employee behaviors and attitudes for better attainment of organizational objectives. The study employed a qualitative research approach which adopts capturing the experiences of the participants in their natural setting. The study made use of the case study research design which draws information from multiple sources to complement each other. Data was gathered through the use of primary and secondary information sources. The study used semi-structured interviews and documentary sources to gather research data. The use of interviews abetted the study by providing raw data on the experiences of the participants and the use of documentary sources yielded truth about the organization’s operational status and the consequences of such. The total population for the study was 1056 employees from which a sample of 53 participantswasdrawn based on the fullness and recurrence of research data. The study initially used random stratified sampling where the participants were partitioned into two stratas namely managerial and non-managerial. Data was analyzed through thematic approach which is mostly commended when dealing with emotional experiences of the research subjects. The research findings chronicled the perilous psychological impacts associated with downsizing in organization on survivor employees and coping strategies employed by the same in dealing with such challenges. The study concluded that organizations should consider the human side of the organization when instigating measures that embrace emotional wellness of employees
Gender and social security in Zimbabwe: An analysis of the efficacy of social security for women with disabilities in the informal sector
No full textThis dissertation interrogates the provision of and access to social security from a gendered perspective with particular reference to women with disabilities in the informal sector in Zimbabwe. This is an area of great interest to the writer who has and continues to interact extensively with women with disabilities at a personal and professional level, being a lawyer at the department of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs. The main argument that the writer seeks to earnestly put across is that despite the existence of the principles of equality and nondiscrimination, the idealistic notion that women with disabilities have a right to social security on an equal basis with everyone is still a dream whose fulfillment sadly remains uncertain in Zimbabwe. Through disability friendly research methods such as the one the writer chooses to call the sex, gender and disability analysis and the grounded approach, within the rubric of the women’s law approach, the writer passionately examines the torrid lived experiences of women
with disabilities, mainly in the informal sector, insofar as they access or fail to access social security schemes. Through an integration of information obtained from secondary sources of data such as books, legal instruments, online journals and articles, and data gathered during interviews with women and men with disabilities, women without disabilities and officials from the department of Social Services in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe, the challenges faced by women with disabilities in accessing social security are unearthed. The overall picture obtained from the research findings is that the majority of women with disabilities are excluded from both formal and informal social security schemes due to, inter alia, the non-comprehensive and fragmented nature of formal social security mechanisms, the unregulated and inconsistent nature of informal safety nets and constrained financial resources on the part of women with disabilities to contribute to their coverage. This is compounded by the finding that there is no
comprehensive disability sensitive social security legal regime that guarantees women with disabilities the right to social security and which they could use to take responsible authorities to task for not providing such social security. Drawing from literature reviewed and primary sources of data, the writer recommends the establishment of a strong constitutional foundation for the respect, protection, promotion and fulfillment of the right to social security. This should be complemented by the enactment of a comprehensive disability and gender sensitive Act. This will set a serious tone which will compel or oblige policy makers to allocate substantial resources towards the funding of social security schemes targeting women with disabilities.,NORA
An Investigation into the Efficiency of Utilization of Artificial Game Water Supplies by Wildlife Species in the North Eastern Kalahari Region of Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe
No full textAn observational study was carried out to determine the efficiency of utilization of artificial game water supplies and the demand for water by wildlife species at selected water points in the North Eastern Kalahari region of Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. Six water points were randomly selected from the two distinct vegetation types. Data was collected from May to November 2005 and this included borehole yield, evaporation and seepage rates as well as wildlife water consumption. Analysis of variance was then carried out in a two level nested design to analyse the data using the GENSTAT 7th edition statistical package software. The study showed that they were significant differences (p<0.001) in the borehole yield, evaporation, seepage and the amount of water consumed during different times of the year and at water points within the different vegetation types. The study has shown that the amount of water pumped by a borehole will meet the dry season water requirements of wildlife species early in the dry season but will fail as the dry season progresses. It is recommended that pumping of water begins early in March and that as the dry season progresses there is need to supplement water supply at certain water points
Carnivalising Postcolonial Zimbabwe: the Vulgar and Grotesque Logic of Postcolonial Protest in NoViolet Bulawayo's We Need New Names (2013)
No full textThis article set out to explore NoViolet Bulawayo’s We need new names from the perspective of carnivalised writing. The objectives of the article were to unpack how the vulgar and the grotesque were used to create carnival moments in the narrative and to examine how marginal subjects gain voice and some degree of power to live an alternative life, even if this is momentary. It sought to examine how Bulawayo derives her aesthetics from the vulgar and the grotesque to create a carnivalesque logic that informs postcolonial protest in the novel. The analysis made use of the theoretical concepts of carnival propounded by Mikhail Bakhtin. This article argues that the text is constituted by a regime of the vulgar, which the child characters deploy for transgressing hegemonic practices and authoritative discourses. Social norms are suspended and the children have a subversive agency, courtesy of parody and satire. The article reveals that apart from speaking back to power, the children harness the image of kaka (human excrement) as a discursive resource to satirise the failures of the Zimbabwean postcolony and to degrade all forms of authority. It is concluded that while the scatological in the novel suggests social indictment, the images of kaka and dirt fail to transcend protest to see the realisation of a desired postcolonial condition
Local available resources and indigenous knowledge, a tool to improve rural women livelihoods: the case of Umguza district ward 10, 13, 15, 16 and 17.
No full textAmong many other groups of people, women are one of the most vulnerable
groups in the world especially in the rural areas of the developing countries,
including Zimbabwe. Women constitute 70% of the rural poor. This study
focused on how rural women in the community of Umguza District in
Matabeleland North Province have used local resources and indigenous
knowledge to improve their livelihoods and the challenges they have faced
along the way. The objectives of the study were to assess the livelihood outlook
of women in Umguza District, to find out how women have used local resources
and indigenous knowledge to improve their livelihoods and to identify the
challenges that these women have faced in the use of these local resources and
indigenous knowledge. The researcher opted for qualitative research and used
open ended questionnaires and in-depth interviews to collect data from the
relevant respondents. 44 participants were interviewed and the researcher
opted for purposive sampling to select these participants. The research findings
revealed that women in Umguza district have used the available local resources
and indigenous knowledge to generate income, boost their food security and
agricultural production, improve their lives in the health, sanitation and
hygiene, education and transport sector
An evaluation of the drought mitigation project as an adaptation measure to small holder farmers against climate change: a case of Matobo District
No full textClimate change has become a new catastrophe in the development of countries in Africa. The usual question asked is what can be done for the small holder farmers to adapt to the changing climate. Various adaptation strategies that is ongoing implementation of existing knowledge and technology in response to the changes in climate experienced and the increase in adaptive capacity by mobilizing institutions and policies to establish and strengthen conditions that are favorable to effective adaptation and investment in new technologies and infrastructure respectively. The objective of this research is to evaluate a planned climate change. Main focus was given to the livestock small holder farmers who were the most vulnerable to group as they had lost thousands of cattle to drought. The study sought to measure whether the drought mitigation project has built their resilience towards disasters such as drought and climate change or no
The effectiveness of internal savings and lendings (ISALs) programme in improving education access for orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs): the case of Bubi District, Zimbabwe.
No full textThis study sought to assess the effectiveness of Internal Savings and Lending programme on orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) education access. OVCs face challenges which hinder their educational access. These challenges include HIV/AIDS and other diseases, lack of resources for educational access, school dropouts due to stigma and discrimination, decimation of traditional community structures that support OVC education. Responses at National level have been implemented in order to promote OVC education but these responses have shown gaps. These responses include the Basic Educational Assistance Module (BEAM), CAMFED, child adoption, institutional Grants and the National Action Plan (NAP) for the OVCs. In recent years, donors have implemented the ISALs on OVCs education and assess the factors that influence the effectiveness of ISAL programming Qualitative and quantitative research designs were adopted to collect data through questionnaires, key informant interviews and focus group discussion. Purposive sampling was used to identify key respondents relevant for the study. ISALs have contributed to the education of OVCs which also incorporated the provisions of basic needs, that is, access to health facilities and food provision at household level. Factors affecting ISAL monthly contributions, membership duration, climate change, group activeness, use of CBTs, monitoring and support visits and the participatory approach which encourages programme sustainability. Findings showed that caregivers through joining ISALs have managed to pay school fees for OVCS as well as buy school requirements which include uniforms and stationary. Caregivers have also managed to start up income generating activities which have generated money for school fees, accessed health facilities and food provision