City Of Bulawayo Research Articles

A toponomastic commemoration of King Mzilikazi: A linguistic landscaping and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs perspectives

This article presents a commemorative dimension of place names named after King Mzilikazi. The Ndebele used names linked to Mzilikazi to refer to some of the important institutions of Bulawayo city, like schools, suburbs, police stations and clinics. This article argues that this prominent use of the name Mzilikazi by the Ndebele in reference to various institutions images their efforts to reconstruct the historical treasures of knowledge they have about their king. Mzilikazi, the first king of the Ndebele people, left an indelible mark on Ndebele toponymy in the city of Bulawayo. This study seeks to unpack this inerasable symbolic legacy. Theoretical frameworks used in this article are linguistic landscaping and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The former theory is used to select various institutions in Bulawayo bearing the name Mzilikazi, while the latter is employed as an instrument to unravel the significance of these selected institutions to Ndebele people across the Zimbabwean landscape. The study concludes that significant historical icons like King Mzilikazi are remembered through place naming since each time these names are mentioned, treasured Ndebele history is immortalised. It is argued that the iconic name Mzilikazi brings up memories of pride, sufficiency, health, belonging and general unity.

How effectively do households insure food consumption and assets against funeral expenses? The case of urban Zimbabwe

In response to funeral expenses, which drastically affect household consumption, many families in developing countries enter into formal and/or informal funeral insurance arrangements. Using new household survey data collected in the city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, we investigate the effectiveness of these arrangements in insuring food consumption and household non-financial assets against funeral expenses. We find that informal funeral insurance, especially when combined with formal insurance, effectively insures household assets from funeral shocks. Households that own more than one item of the same asset prefer to sell assets rather than destabilise food consumption, in the event that funeral insurance is inadequate or not available. Households without multiple of the same asset prefer to retain their assets and destabilise food consumption. We also show that the funeral insurance of households in Bulawayo partially insures food consumption. Our findings suggest that households have a hierarchy of preferred coping strategies when they are either uninsured or not fully insured against shocks.

Assessment of nutrient enrichment and heavy metal pollution of headwater streams of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

The continuing degradation of riverine ecosystems by the discharge of poorly treated and untreated urban-wastewater (together referred to as partly treated urban-wastewater in this study) is a major problem in developing countries. This study assessed water and sediment quality of headwater streams radiating from the Bulawayo area including Umguza and Khami Rivers that drain wastewater from the City. Seventeen study sites were a priori selected from different land use types: City sites (5 sites), downstream communal sites (4), upstream communal sites (3) and for reference five sites were selected upstream of the City within the buffer zones of protected areas. Water and sediment samples were collected during the hot-wet, cold-dry and hot-dry seasons from these site categories and were analysed for selected physicochemical water parameters and heavy metals. The City sites were the most degraded as indicated by significantly highest levels of dissolved oxygen deficiency, embeddedness by particulates, turbidity, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) (ANOVA, p < 0.05). The City sites were also salinised. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that urban-wastewater was the major factor explaining the dissimilarity of the studied site clusters and the results also suggested that the sources of heavy metals in the study area were diffuse. Degradation of studied sites by urban-wastewater signifies negative health risks to biodiversity and humans particularly the downstream rural communities. Therefore, priority must be on interventions to ensure improvement of the quality of urban-wastewater discharged from City of Bulawayo to the environment.

A multisensory approach to measure public space quality in the city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

A multisensory approach to measure public space quality in the city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

‘Hustling Out of Unemployment’: Livelihood Responses of Unemployed Young Graduates in the City of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Youth unemployment has emerged as a major policy issue in the recent past. Within policy circles two solutions have been proposed: first, investing in youth education, and second, incorporating youth into agriculture. Our thesis, backed by a long history of proletarianisation, is that perceptions of work and agriculture, which have become deeply entrenched in society, tend to undermine any prospects of educated youth engaging in agriculture-based livelihoods. We develop our argument by focusing on the experiences, responses and livelihood pathways of young university graduates in the city of Bulawayo. We show that young graduate youth prefer livelihood activities which maintain their status as educated citizens, and that agriculture does not confer such status. We argue that young graduates’ aspirations and livelihood pathways are often dictated by societal attitudes and views of what is an acceptable occupation. In this regard, our thesis contradicts the widespread faith in agriculture placed by policymakers in Africa.

Exposure to secondhand smoke in health institutions and sources of knowledge: a cross-sectional study from the city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

Introductionannually, many people die due to being exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS) which they experience at a number of premises that include health institutions. Scientists agree that there is no safe exposure level to SHS, however, in the City of Bulawayo many people are exposed to SHS. There are great expectations from communities for health professionals to reduce SHS exposure-related morbidity and mortality. This study sought to establish exposure to SHS in health institutions and sources of knowledge on SHS.Methodsa cross-sectional study, with participants randomly selected from residents visiting the 13 municipal revenue halls in the City of Bulawayo, was conducted. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and were analyzed by performing descriptive and multivariate logistic regression.Results26.3% (N = 419) of respondents who had been to health institutions in the previous 30 days had been exposed to SHS within those institutions. Almost all the respondents (85.4%) had never received a lesson on SHS from a health professional or had last received one three months before the survey. Furthermore, 74% of respondents had not seen posters on SHS or had last seen one more than three months before the survey.Conclusionhealth professional should collaborate with other professionals in the fight against exposure to SHS as evidenced by the high prevalence of exposure in the health institutions and low health education given on SHS exposure in the City of Bulawayo

Financing Low-income Housing in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe: Implications for the Right to the City and Inclusivity

Abstract Accessing finances for housing has been a major problem for people on low-incomes and this has been weighing heavily on them as they try to access housing. Financial institutions in the city of Bulawayo are failing to come up with financial products that suit low-income clients. There are an estimated 110000 low-income residents among the estimated 250000 residents of Cowdray Park low-density residential area in Bulawayo. This has also affected their right to the city as they have been excluded from the housing delivery system. There are so many initiatives that have been available to those on a low-income but these initiatives have rarely benefited the urban poor of the city. This research has examined how the financial services that exist in the housing sector have been crafted to benefit the urban poor. The research employed a mixed methods approach to the inquiry, where a questionnaire was the main quantitative method used and in-depth interviews and observations were the qualitative methods that complemented it. The research found that there are various financial services that are available in Zimbabwe, but these financial facilities rarely help the urban poor. The majority of the poor have been managing without any financial support and this has been stalling their access to housing. Most housing products are fashioned along neo-liberal economic principles that have very little to offer the urban poor. This has therefore denied the urban poor in the city of Bulawayo their right to the city. Most cities in Zimbabwe are struggling to satisfy their housing demand as they have long housing waiting lists. Research therefore recommends the crafting of financial facilities that are best targeted on the urban poor, and are specially adapted to their financial conditions.

Low income housing problems and low-income housing solutions: opportunities and challenges in Bulawayo

The provision of housing for the low-income has been a major problem in many countries and the developing world has been hard hit. This inability has been the chief cause of the burgeoning slum settlement in cities of the globe where one billion people live in slum areas. The solution to the housing problem lies in the opening up of stakeholders’ participation in the provision of housing, where government, non-governmental organisation, multilateral agencies and the community can play a critical role. Critical in the whole process is the participation of urban poor in the provision of housing for the poor, where they are critical actors in defining housing programmes that best suit the urban poor. This research seeks to analyse the initiatives that have been taken by the urban poor in the city of Bulawayo in providing housing for the poor. The research made use both qualitative and quantitative methodologies in investigating the matter. Questionnaire was the main instrument to collect quantitative data and interviews and field observations were used to collect qualitative data. The research showed that there are a lot positive initiatives by the urban poor in the city of Bulawayo to provide house for the urban poor and these initiatives appear appealing to the poor as they are giving them a roof over their heads, which was never a dream in their lives. Though they appear noble they however fall far too short to provide sustainable housing to the poor as they appear to be a potential health hazard for the city. There is need for city authorities or any interested stakeholder to provide more support to such initiatives so that they can provide more sustainable housing for the poor. This will produce a housing scheme that will contribute to reduction of slum dwellers as called by the Millennium Development Goals.

Infrastructure Development and Property Values in Low Income Residential Properties in Bulawayo

There is a usual positive correlation between infrastructure development and property values. However, in Bulawayo, this correlation does not usually follow in all aspects of properties transactions. This research seeks to find out trends in infrastructure development and property values in the city of Bulawayo. This research took a mixed methods approach in data collection; both qualitative and quantitative methods were utilized. Questionnaires were administered to people in low-income areas of Pumula, Cowdrey Park and Emganwini. In-depth interviews with key informants in the real estate sector were done to cross-fertilize and enrich the inquiry. This research found out that in most cases there is a strong correlation between infrastructure development and property values, but in some cases, there is not any correlation as some forces are put in play distorting the market play. This research also discovered that apart from infrastructure, property values in Bulawayo’s low-income residential suburbs are also affected by income, supply, and demand factors.

Infrastructure Development and Property Sales in Low Income Residential Properties in Bulawayo

Abstract There is a usual positive correlation between infrastructure development and property sales, because infrastructure development has positive externalities on property sales. However, in Bulawayo this correlation is not usually present in all aspects of properties transactions. The research seeks to find out the trends in infrastructure development and property sales in the city of Bulawayo. The research also aims to unearth some of the factors other than infrastructure development that determine property values in Bulawayo’s low-density suburbs. The research took a mixed methods approach to data collection where both qualitative and quantitative methodologies were utilised. Questionnaires were administered to the people in low income areas of Pumula, Cowdrey Park and Emganwini. In depth interviews with key informants in the real estate sector were conducted to cross fertilise and enrich the inquiry. The research found out that in most cases there is a strong correlation between infrastructure development and property sales, but in some cases, this is not the case as some forces are put in play to distort the market play. The research also discovered that apart from infrastructure, property sales in Bulawayo’s low-income residential suburbs are also affected by income, supply of houses and demand for these houses. In Bulawayo, there are bottle-necks in the supply of houses and this has distorted the market because people are taking whatever there is on the market at any price. This has reduced the influence of infrastructure development on property sales.

Makhokhoba and the Surrounding Areas as the Remarkable Centres of Liberation Struggle in Zimbabwe: A Case of Zhii Protests

Makhokhoba and Mzilikazi are two of the oldest suburbs in Zimbabwe and Bulawayo respectively. The people in these areas played a pivotal role in dismantling the yoke of colonialism in Zimbabwe. They also suffered a lot during this period as they were treated as second-class citizens; as evidenced by their type of dwellings—mainly hostels and one- room houses. These were meant for accommodating a man only, as women were not allowed in these areas because they were supposed to stay in rural areas while only the men worked in the city of Bulawayo. This mistreatment, poor working conditions and other ills they suffered in the hands of colonialists led to Zhii protests (Zhii is an Ndebele word for Ndebele war cry). The Zhii protests were mainly volatile skirmishes against the colonial power in the 1950s concerning poor working conditions. These skirmishes are vividly captured in records of oral history interviews found at the National Archives of Zimbabwe. It is therefore, the aim of this article to delve more into these protests by studying the life stories of selected individuals in order to understand the socio-political and economic factors behind them. The life story approach will be interrogated as the best way of collecting oral testimonies. Oral history sources and published literature have been used as sources of information

Overcoming fear? A search for an empowering theological response to the fear of witchcraft among urban Zimbabwean Christians

How can we make theological sense of the resilience of the fear of witchcraft among indigenous Zimbabwean Christians? From the perspective of the transcendence and immanence of God, this article analyses the resilience of the fear of witchcraft among African Christians in Zimbabwe. The article uses results of a case study conducted in Zimbabwe in a congregation belonging to the Churches of Christ in Zimbabwe (COCZ) in the city of Bulawayo. Using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, the study affirms that many African Christians struggle to overcome the fear of witchcraft in their lives. Witchcraft is feared because it is primarily viewed as an evil power that destroys life. The article analyses the awareness of witchcraft, the experiences of witchcraft and the responses to witchcraft among Zimbabwean Christians. The article proposes that African Christians be grounded on the transcendence and immanence of God as a way of overcoming the enduring fear of witchcraft.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: A meaningful response to the fear of witchcraft in Africa requires a multidisciplinary approach including phenomenology of religion, Christian doctrines and practical theology and pastoral care. The immanence and transcendency of God in a context of fear of witchcraft must be unpacked in the light of insights from phenomenology of religion, African traditional religions, discipleship and pastoral care.

Heat Stress and Adaptation Strategies of Outdoors Workers in the City of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Heat Stress and Adaptation Strategies of Outdoors Workers in the City of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Occurrence of oestrogenic pollutants and widespread feminisation of male tilapia in peri-urban dams in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Peri-urban water bodies are at risk from excessive pollution as they are direct sinks for urban effluents. The occurrence of oestrogenic and androgenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in effluents and water bodies around the city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and their effects on wild fish was investigated in 2013. Effluent and water were sampled from sewage treatment plants, an urban stream, and effluent-polluted dams, and were compared with a ‘pristine’ dam upstream of Bulawayo. Organic pollutants were extracted by solid-phase extraction and tested for EDCs using a yeast oestrogen/androgen screen. Oestrogenic and androgenic potencies were expressed as 17β-oestradiol equivalent (EEq) or dihydrotestosterone equivalent (TEq). Tilapia and catfish from the dams were analysed for gonado-somatic indices and testis histopathology. Effluents from STPs, which directly flow into Umguza Dam, had EEq of 33 ng l−1 and 55 ng l−1, respectively. Umguza Dam, Khami Dam and Matsheumhlope Stream had EEqs of 237 ng l–1, 9 ng l−1 and 2 ng l−1, respectively. Androgenic activity was detected in only one STP (TEq = 93 ng l−1). Tilapia sampled from effluent-polluted dams had high incidences of testis-ova, but catfish had no signs of reproductive dysfunction. These findings underscore the need for greater attention to EDCs in developing countries where there is scant literature regarding their occurrence and impacts.

Uptake of Cervical Cancer Screening among Women Attending Health Facilities in the City of Bulawayo, 2012

Introduction: In Zimbabwe, where cervical cancer is the leading female malignancy, no systematic cervical screening program has been introduced. However, selective or opportunistic screening has been performed since the late 1980s. The Ministry of Health and Child Care is relying on screening, which allows early detection of pre-cancerous cells and diagnosis at early stages but many women are not going for the test and no studies have been done to find out why. This study investigated the women’s perception about cervical cancer and its screening using health belief model (HBM) in Bulawayo, where they are two new screening clinics. Methods: We conducted an analytic cross-sectional study. Women from 18 years and above attending health facilities were included in the study. Interviewer administrated questionnaire was used to determine the proportion of screened women and elicit their perception about cervical cancer and its screening. Epi-info version 3.3.2 was used to do bivariate and multivariate analysis. Results: Two hundred women were recruited into the study. The proportion of women who had cervical cancer screening was 52 (26%). Pap smear only had 35 (17.5%) had VIAC only, 13 (6.5%) and Pap smear and VIAC had 4 (2%). Knowledge of cervical cancer and its screening was poor among participants. In multivariate analysis, awareness of cervical cancer screening [adjusted OR 42.05 (95% CI 5.63 - 314.04)] was associated with the uptake of cervical cancer screening and perceiving that having multiple sexual partners[adjusted OR 0.33 (95% CI 0.12 - 0.88)] was independently associated to the uptake of cervical cancer screening. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that lack of awareness of cervical cancer screening is a barrier to the uptake of the screening. Perceiving multiple sexual partners was associated to the uptake of cervical cancer screening. It is therefore necessary to increase awareness in Bulawayo City and educate the community about other risk factors.

Heavy metal contamination of water and fish in peri-urban dams around Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Urban effluents are significant sources of heavy metal pollution in fresh water. Metal contamination in dams around the city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, were monitored during October 2014 to assess ecological and public health risks. Heavy metals were measured in water, sediment and fish in dams located downstream of effluent discharge zones in Bulawayo and were compared to those in a pristine upstream dam. Water conductivity indicated pollution of downstream dams. Levels of lead (0.13–0.28 ppm) and cadmium (0.02–0.06 ppm) in water from downstream dams exceeded WHO safe limits for drinking water. Cadmium levels in polluted dams also exceeded the safe limit for agricultural use. Sediments of effluent-polluted dams had metal contamination factors ranging from 8.8 to 31.2 relative to the control, and fish from the dams had higher metal content and were unfit for human consumption. Metal levels were also measured along an urban stream to establish the sources of metals. The city’s industrial zone had the highest levels of metals, suggesting that industrial effluents were major sources of contamination. The environmental consequences and human health risks of the pollution of peri-urban water bodies from urban effluents are discussed.

Heavy Metal Contamination of Ground Water from an Unlined Landfill in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

Background.Developing countries such as Zimbabwe deal with challenges in solid waste management such as insufficient waste recycling, hazardous wastes that are not separated for safe disposal, and landfills that are not properly engineered to prevent groundwater pollution. For these reasons, landfills in developing countries pose serious environmental and public health hazards.Objectives.The objective of this study was to assess heavy metal release and groundwater pollution from an unlined landfill in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The purpose of the study was to explore environmental and public health risks posed by improperly managed landfills in developing countries.Methods.We assessed levels of metal release from Richmond landfill in the city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe by measuring lead, cadmium, chromium and copper levels in landfill soil, leachate and plants. We also monitored metal levels in groundwater from boreholes located in a residential area in the vicinity and downgradient of the landfill within a range of 800–2135 m. Soil was characterized at the landfill to assess potential sources of heavy metals.Results.All metals that were assessed were present in landfill soil and in leachate. There was high metal accumulation in weeds that were growing at the landfill, indicating mobility and bioavailability of the metals. Groundwater from nearby boreholes had high levels of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) which were negatively correlated to distance from the landfill (p<0.01), indicating contamination from the landfill. The Pb and Cd levels exceeded World Health Organization standards for drinking water quality, posing health hazards to the communities who rely on the water. Solid waste at the landfill consisted of soft plastics (33%), hard plastics (18.6%), metals (3%), paper (8%), electronic waste (0.8%), organics (15.3%) and various other types (21.3%).Discussion.A combination of factors may be attributed to groundwater contamination. These include the co-disposal of metallic and electronic wastes at the landfill, lack of membrane lining at the landfill, inadequate leachate management and the porous geo-physical characteristics of the sub-surface at the landfill site.Conclusions.Our study highlights adverse environmental and public health consequences of co-disposal of metals and electronic wastes at improperly engineered municipal landfills. This is a ‘wake-up’ call for policy makers in developing countries to improve solid waste management.

Effects of damming on the ecological condition of urban wastewater polluted rivers

Increasing damming of rivers is a global challenge and many studies have highlighted the ecohydrological effects particularly on migratory fauna. However, there are fewer studies that have explored the effects of the reservoirs on the ecological condition of urban wastewater polluted rivers. Therefore, damming of polluted rivers that drain urban wastewater from the City of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe represents an opportunity to understand the effects of interactions between damming and ecological condition of the affected rivers. Data on environmental variables and macroinvertebrates were collected from twelve sites selected from three rivers: Umzingwane – a river that does not receive wastewater from the city; and Umguza and Khami – both rivers draining urban wastewater from the city. One site each on Khami and Umguza rivers were located before the city whereas the rest of the sites were either located immediately after the city but upstream or downstream of the dams. Sampled sites were assessed for similarity based on macroinvertebrate data and three clusters comprising of (i) less impacted sites, (ii) sites immediately upstream and (iii) those immediately downstream of dams were produced. The assessed environmental variables (ANOVA, p<0.05) and macroinvertebrate community structure (ANOSIM, p<0.05) indicated significantly deteriorated conditions at sites located immediately upstream of the dams and these variables significantly improved soon after the dams. Sites located immediately upstream of the dams were typified by poor water clarity, high nutrients, high sedimentation, dissolved oxygen deficiency, and high levels of COD and BOD plus significantly degraded macroinvertebrate communities. Except for salinity that increased downstream of dams, the present results indicate that dams on urban wastewater polluted rivers improves the ecological condition of the affected rivers. In general, this study suggest that pollutants may be retained within the dams and therefore the utilisation of water from these reservoirs for human consumption, crop and livestock production may be risky as pollutants are likely to be retained within these dams.

Vitellogenin induction and reduced fecundity in zebrafish exposed to effluents from the City of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Industrial and municipal effluents regularly pollute water bodies and cause various toxic effects to aquatic life. Because of the diverse nature of industrial processes and domestic products, urban effluents are often tainted with various anthropogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals that may interfere with the reproductive physiology of aquatic fauna. In this study, we tested effluents from the City of Bulawayo for the presence of estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals and their effects on fish gonads and fecundity. Effluents were collected from two sewage treatment plants (STPs), which receive largest volume of industrial effluents from the City, and from a textile factory. Male and female zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to effluents and analyzed for vitellogenin induction, gonad alterations, and fertility. Male zebrafish exposed to effluent from Thorngrove STP had significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) vitellogenin compared to control. Textile effluent caused adverse gonad alterations such as oocyte atresia (females) and increased proportion of spermatogonia (males) which could lead to reduced fertility. Textile effluent (5% v/v) and Thorngrove effluent also caused a decline in fertilization success of breeding groups of zebrafish. The results of this study show the potential effects of effluent pollution and the occurrence of EDCs in developing countries. This underscores the need to effectively prevent pollution of environmental water bodies from industrial and municipal sewage treatment plant effluents. We recommend a follow-up study to monitor the effects of the effluents on feral fish in effluent polluted downstream dams of Bulawayo.

Formulation of a nonlinear water distribution problem with water rationing: an optimisation approach

A mixed-integer nonlinear programming water distribution problem that incorporates water rationing is presented. The city of Bulawayo water distribution problem is implemented and solved using max–min ant system, genetic, tabu search, and simulated annealing algorithms with 100 runs performed for each algorithm. The results show that the city of Bulawayo can save $3158 a day. The max–min ant system produced the best optimal costs compared with the other algorithms. The least run time is obtained by implementing the tabu search algorithm. Water lost through hoarding during water-rationing periods contributes significantly to the total operational costs. Statistical analysis of the results obtained by different algorithms shows that the optimal costs obtained by tabu search, and simulated annealing algorithms are insignificantly different. Future research may be directed toward incorporating priority among water users and formulating a hybrid algorithm that uses both the max–min ant system and tabu search algorithms to solve such problems.