Urban Areas Of Zimbabwe Research Articles

Analysis of operation and maintenance arrangements for water supply in urban areas in Zimbabwe

Analysis of operation and maintenance arrangements for water supply in urban areas in Zimbabwe

PrEP retention predictors among key populations in urban areas of Zimbabwe — a machine learning approach

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) success depends on adherence and hence retention in care. It is vital to find factors that affect PrEP retention to make this HIV-prevention method successful. The main objectives of this study were to identify the major determinants of PrEP retention at six months from day of initiation and to determine PrEP retention clusters. Data of people who were initiated on PrEP care at Population Services International sites between 2017 and 2019 in Zimbabwe were used. Determinants of PrEP retention were identified using multivariable logistic regression and partitioning around medoids (PAM) cluster analysis to determine the number and composition of PrEP retention clusters. Significant PrEP retention determinants were found to be population type, sex, marital status, employment type, age and education level. Female sex workers were most likely to stay on PrEP compared to other users. We found that PrEP users could be grouped into three risk clusters: cluster 1 consisted of married adult males who are high-risk individuals; cluster 2 consisted of the young single men who have sex with men (MSM); and cluster 3 consisted of adult women who are separated or divorced and employed as sex workers. The retention rates were 32%, 24% and 44% for clusters 1 to 3 respectively. We conclude that adults, female sex workers, high-risk individuals, women, people without or with little education and sex workers stay on PrEP better than youths, MSM, men and educated and employed individuals.

A Critical Analysis of the Performance of Local Governments in Zimbabwe under the COVID-19 Pandemic

This paper examines the responses of urban local authorities in Zimbabwe to the COVID-19 pandemic because in the midst of a pandemic, local authorities are rightly positioned to minimise human cost, provide relief to communities and supply day to day service delivery. Specifically this study sought to undertake a critical analysis of the performance of local governments in Zimbabwe under the COVID-19 pandemic. The article reviews available literature and examples are drawn from three urban areas in Zimbabwe. The article notes that COVID-19 exacerbated a crisis that was already playing out in Zimbabwe and reveals that the local authorities were ill-prepared and ill-equipped to handle the pandemic and cannot handle a crisis, endemic or any catastrophic disaster. The paper further delves to looks at the lacklustre performance of urban local authorities and a major finding is that the central government policies have had a huge impact on the decline and free fall of urban local authorities’ service delivery. The key findings may be used to inform ongoing policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and improve future resilience.

Occupational safety and health hazards associated with the slaughtering and meat processing industry in urban areas of Zimbabwe: A case study of the Gweru city Municipal Abattoir

This study examined occupational safety and health hazards associated with the slaughtering and meat processing industry in the Gweru City Municipal abattoir in Zimbabwe. Qualitative and quantitative research designs were employed. The study population involved all the 23 workers including flayers and labourers who are directly involved in slaughtering and meat processing. Data was collected with questionnaire administration, interviews and field observations. Safety and health hazards associated with slaughtering and meat processing at the abattoir included physical, biological, ergonomic, mechanical, environmental and food safety hazards, all with the risk of causing significant harm to the workers. The lack of experience on job operations was one of the key risk factors increasing the likelihood of workers getting injured and increased frequency of injuries. Workers who had more working years at the abattoir encountered injuries less frequently than those who had fewer working years. The abattoir’s occupational safety and health management system was not effective in solving safety and health risks and required improvement. One effective way that can be implemented is to establish a stand-alone safety, health and environment department within the Gweru City Council to give priority to occupational safety and health issues. Training programmes for workers and management on safety and health are recommended to improve workers’ skills on job tasks, hazard identification, and risk assessment and to improve workers’ behaviour as well as to enhance awareness on safety and health among management, which ultimately improves management commitments.

Flood risk and damage analysis in urban areas of Zimbabwe. A case of 2020/21 rain season floods in the city of Gweru

Urban flooding has become a topical issue in the 21st century as flood frequency and severity in urban areas have increased due to the changing climate. The study assessed the flood risk of areas in the city of Gweru and the damage from the 2020/21 rainfall season flooding. A mixed methods research design anchored by both qualitative and quantitative data probing techniques was employed in this study. Geographic information system, questionnaire, interviews and observations were adopted for data collection. Microsoft excel 2013 and ArcMap 10.5 software were used for data analysis. The majority of residential areas are located in flood-prone areas. Disregard of city by-laws, corruption and poor planning were major drivers of establishment of residential stands in flood-risk areas. Property damage and crop destruction among others were major socio-economic impacts of the 2020/21 rainfall season flooding incident. The study concludes that areas historically reserved as urban carbon-sinks prior to the current climate change geographical period have now been developed into residential areas because of the lull in flooding events in recent years. The study recommends that urban development authorities should cognize frequent auditing of development activities and due-respect of urban by-laws in order to avoid development in flood-risk areas.

Mapping Urban and Peri-Urban Land Cover in Zimbabwe: Challenges and Opportunities

Accurate and current land cover information is required to develop strategies for sustainable development and to improve the quality of life in urban areas. This study presents an approach that combines multi-seasonal Sentinel-1 (S1) and Sentinel-2 (S2) data, and a random forest (RF) classifier in order to map land cover in four major urban centers in Zimbabwe. The specific objective of this study was to assess the potential of multi-seasonal (rainy, post-rainy, and dry season) S1, rainy season S2, post-rainy season, dry season S2, multi-seasonal S2, and multi-seasonal composite S1 and S2 data for mapping land cover in urban areas. The study results show that the combination of multi-seasonal S1 and S2 data improve land cover mapping in urban and peri-urban areas relative to only multi-seasonal S1, mono-seasonal S2, and multi-seasonal S2 data. The overall accuracy scores for the multi-seasonal S1 and S2 land cover maps are above 85% for all urban centers. Our results indicate that rainy and post-rainy S2 spectral bands, as well as dry-season S1 VV and VH bands (ascending orbit) are the most important features for land cover mapping. In particular, S1 data proved useful in separating built-up areas from cropland, which is usually problematic when only optical imagery is used in the study area. While there are notable improvements in land cover mapping, some challenges related to the S1 data analysis still remain. Nonetheless, our land cover mapping approach shows a potential to map land cover in other urban areas in Zimbabwe or in Sub-Sahara Africa. This is important given the urgent need for reliable geospatial information, which is required to implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and United Nations New Urban Agenda (NUA) programmes.

Governance and Urban Service Delivery in Zimbabwe

It is contended that service delivery is the core function of developmental local government. The provision of services such as waste management, water and health services is closely associated with the well-being of urban dwellers. In the period leading to the adoption of Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution, many people supported the devolution of services and functions to local government. It was a major victory when local government was elevated and given constitutional protection. There was great expectation that service delivery would improve in the cities, towns and smaller urban centres. Seven years later, that expectation appears not to have been realised. Instead, indications are that urban service delivery is experiencing a downward spiral. Using open-ended questionnaires, closed-ended questionnaires and the focus group discussions research methods, the article investigates the drivers of inadequate service provision in four urban areas in Zimbabwe. The paper also proffers suggestions for improving service delivery. The results of the study underscore that the causes of insufficient service provision are multi-pronged and not necessarily limited to inefficiency and ineffectiveness on the part of urban councils. In fact, a major recurring finding is that national government policies are big factors contributing towards the decline of urban service delivery.

Gender And Access To Credit In Micro And Small Enterprises In Mutare, Zimbabwe

The research study sought to investigate the relationship between access to credit and gender in urban areas of Zimbabwe in which the informal sector is larger than the formal sector. In order to achieve this, the study used the Grameen Theory of micro-lending in Bangladesh, the MC2 theory and ROSCAs theories. The study used secondary data obtained from ZIMSTATS, World Bank, Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), the Wisrod website and other publications. E-Views was used to analyze the data using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) for estimation. The results obtained revealed that gender and age of the client are insignificant in determining accessibility of credit from MFIs. Work attendance, loan repayment ability and profit per day have a positive relationship with access to credit; and firm age has a negative relationship with access to credit in Zimbabwe. In light of these results, the study recommended the government to increase access of credit so as to increase economic activity where there is a large informal sector. In addition, it also recommended that the government should implement policies which enable the participation of women and also use credit creation multipliers as a way to increase economic activity leading to economic growth.

Consumption patterns of edible insects in rural and urban areas of Zimbabwe: taste, nutritional value and availability are key elements for keeping the insect eating habit

Edible insect consumption is a traditional practice in many countries and has the potential to contribute to food security. The aim of this study is to obtain insight into insect consumption patterns amongst rural and urban populations, and into factors that may influence these patterns. For this purpose, a case study was made in Zimbabwe. A literature-based conceptual model indicated that motives for consumption, individual characteristics, consumer environment, availability, food characteristics, and indigenous knowledge could affect edible insect consumption. A survey amongst 200 urban and 175 rural respondents showed that insect consumption was significantly higher in rural (89.7%) than in urban (80.0%) areas. Rural respondents (63.9%) consumed insects more than three times a week on average as compared to urban (14.5%) respondents. Quantities consumed as snacks are significantly different between urban and rural respondents. Taste was the main motive of respondents in both the rural (89.2%) and urban areas (74.4%). Respondents in urban areas more often reported nutritional value (74.4%) and medicinal properties (28.1%) as important motives for consumption compared to rural respondents (51.0% and 15.3%, respectively). For rural areas, socio-demographics did not relate to consumption of edible insects whereas in urban areas, insect consumption was negatively related to education, main livelihood source and monthly income. Availability of edible insects influences both urban (64.0%) and rural (83.0%) respondents’ consumption of insects. The lower consumption of specific insect species in urban areas could hamper the potential contribution of insects to food security in these areas. Therefore, promotion of entomophagy by marketing and maintaining traditional knowledge on insect processing should target urban people through provision of tasty products, communicating nutritional value.

Traditional and Skilled Birth Attendants in Zimbabwe: A Situational Analysis and Some Policy Considerations

The paper focuses on the situational analysis of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and skilled birth attendants (SBAs) in Zimbabwe. Against a background of a frail health care system, characterised by a shortage in skilled professionals, increased cost of medical care, and geographic and economic inaccessibility of health care centres among others, TBAs have remained a life-line for especially many rural women in maternal health care provision. Moreover, TBAs have also found their way into the urban areas of Zimbabwe. The shift in international policy and health funding toward skilled birth attendants (i.e., an accredited health professional) has materialized into concerted government efforts to increase numbers of both midwifery training institutions and midwives themselves. The call for SBAs, though a worthy ideal, is out of touch with the lived realities of pregnant women in low resource settings such as Zimbabwe. The study is concerned with situational analysis of TBAs and SBAs in maternal health care service provision in Zimbabwe analysing and evaluating policy considerations.

Poverty alleviation and enhancing food security through promotion of urban agriculture in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe is becoming increasingly urbanized, and with this accelerating process comes a host of socio-economic challenges. Rapid urbanization process has resulted in increase urban food insecurity and malnutrition, especially on the side of tandem increase in urban poverty. Urban poverty and food shortage are taking root in Zimbabwe, as a result increased food production and access becomes critical to achieving major nutritional improvement and addressing food insecurity. In the face of urban food shortages, the present paradigm of rural food production cannot meet the challenges of the new millennium. It is hardly surprising that increasing umbers of urbanites are looking to grow their own food, if only to supplement their family food needs. Food is one of the basic needs and urban agriculture, both legal and illegal, has grown as a consequence of the difficult economic climate. Many urban households lack adequate amounts of foods that are rich in the nutrients needed for health and a productive life. It is against this background of increasing urban poverty that this discussion puts forward some suggestions for promoting urban agriculture. Urban agriculture has diverse economic, social and ecological functions and can be valued as one of the agricultural sectors having enormous potential to contribute to food security in Zimbabwe. In this discussion the role of urban agriculture in improving nutrition and food security is highlighted. Urban areas are becoming more 'modern' in their patterns of consumption than in their patterns of production, and there is a danger that the urban poor will become more and more marginalized while, at the other extreme, a small increasingly wealthy elite develops. The demand for food due to increased urbanization is predicted to grow faster than production resulting in a growing food deficit and insecurity in urban areas. Strategies which foster gender equality in urban food production will impact positively on food production, which may translate into expanded food production base to meet the needs of the growing urban dwellers, who are failing to make ends meet. This means participation of women in urban agriculture on the understanding that they are custodians of food production in many urban communities is recommended. However, challenges associated with urban agriculture need to be addressed to avoid land degradation and pollution in urban areas. Therefore, urban agriculture should be considered as a normal component of agriculture system and urban development, which has the capacity to improve nutrition and food security, as it lends itself to the majority of the urban poor. Greater and more sustained food production from urban agriculture will increase the potential access of the urban household to an adequate diet. It is envisaged that urban agriculture will be the new approach to satisfying urban food demands, however best provided incentives to urban farmers are credited by formulating policy fair to urban food producers. In the face of this bleak situation, major efforts are required to promote urban agriculture in addressing the nutritional needs and the perpetual food insecurity challenges in urban areas of Zimbabwe. On the other hand, given the economic, social and ecological advantages of urban farming it is arguably deserves even greater attention than before.

The Role of Nutrition Gardens in the Healthcare of HIV/AIDS Infected and Affected Urban Households

This study assessed the role played by low input nutrition gardens in improving the livelihoods of HIV/AIDS infected and affected people in the urban areas of Zimbabwe. Structured interviews were conducted mainly with infected and affected households in th e city of Harares high density suburbs. A stratified random sampling design was used to select respondents from the three suburban areas, with each suburban area acting as a stratum. Sixty six households were then randomly selected from a sampling frame o f 182 using the lottery technique from three suburbs. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Most of the households (39%) grew green leafy vegetables in their low input nutrition gardens. Herbs and bulbous vegetables were grown by 33% and field c rops by 28% of the households. Low input nutrition gardens contributed diversification of vegetables and herbs which enhanced the health status of the HIV infected and affected households. According to the respondents, nutrition gardens offered affordable healthy food because they are environmentally sustainable. Low input nutrition gardens should therefore be integral to the livelihoods of HIV/AIDS infected and affected households in a context characterized by prohibitive costs of acquiring food and medica tion. Original ResearchArticle

Information and Communication Technology in Classroom Situations in Rural and Urban Areas in Zimbabwe: A Comparative Study on the Use of Digital and Projected Media in Teaching and Learning at Six Secondary Schools in Masvingo

Information and communication technology have taken centre stage of almost every interaction, communication and learning processes among people of this world. This study is a comparative analysis of the usefulness of modern information and communication technology (ICT) in the transmission and movement of information in the teaching and learning processes at high schools in Zimbabwe. In the contemporary times most projected media are computerized and, thus, may require advanced expertise in operating them. It has been also argued that projected media makes learning real, practical, interactive, and above all, more permanent than other teaching and learning aids. The objectives of this study were to establish forms of projected media in use in urban and rural schools in Zimbabwe; to investigate the extent to which these projected media are really of use in these schools; and to establish challenges faced by these schools in their endeavours in the use of projected media. The central argument in the study is that proper use of projected media leads to efficiency and effectiveness in the teaching and learning processes. Research methods involved both a theoretical review and an empirical study based on case studies, making use of comparative and exploratory approaches. The study established that while urban secondary schools have some forms of contemporary projected media, rural secondary schools do not have most of these projected media; the expertise and zeal to use the projected media is very low in both urban and rural schools; and proper use of projected media leads to efficiency and effectiveness in the teaching and learning processes. Among other recommendations, the study recommends continuous professional development of teachers in the use of projected media; and partnerships with stakeholders so that the school has a wider base for resource mobilisation.

Sustainable income-generating projects for HIV-affected households in Zimbabwe: evidence from two high-density suburbs

An estimated 25% of the adults in urban areas of Zimbabwe are living as HIV-positive. In HIV-affected households the need for income increases with the demand for medicines, food and funeral costs. One way to mitigate this effect of the epidemic is by expanding micro enterprises that can enhance the livelihoods of urban households affected by HIV. To identify viable income-generating projects for such households, five possible projects facilitated by two HIV/AIDS support organisations were selected for assessment. These were: selling second-hand clothing, poultry-keeping and nutritional/herbal gardens, freezit-making, mobile kitchens, and payphone set-ups. A case study of 200 households benefiting from one of these projects was done in two high-density suburbs in the town of Bindura, northern Zimbabwe. Information was collected from each household four times per year, over four years (2001–2004). Information on the income generated from the micro enterprises was collected monthly during the period. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse household demographic data; income data was analysed using cost-benefit analysis and analysis of variance. The results show that all five income-generating projects were viable for these households, although some were not feasible for the most vulnerable HIV-affected households. Making more efficient use of micro enterprises can be a valuable part of mainstreaming HIV-affected people and households in urban areas, and so allow people living with HIV to have longer and more meaningful lives.

Informal waste harvesting in Victoria Falls town, Zimbabwe: Socio-economic benefits

Waste harvesting, which occurs mostly but not exclusively at open waste dumps in Zimbabwe, constitutes one of the most important survival options for the urban poor. This paper analyses and discusses socio-economic benefits of informal waste harvesters in Victoria Falls town. Victoria Falls town has an estimated population of 31,000 and is presently the fastest growing urban centre in Zimbabwe. An estimated 8000 tonnes of solid wastes are generated in the town every month. Questionnaires were administered to informal waste harvesters who recover materials mostly from three large open waste dumps. Thirteen dumpsite harvesters, who were available at the time of the survey and willing to participate, were interviewed during the month of October 2002. The questionnaire solicited for information on the character and dynamics of recuperative activities in the town, socio-economic and demographic characteristics of waste harvesters, type of materials recovered and their uses, and income derived from sale of harvested materials and how it is spent. Additional data were obtained from field observations. The study identified two categories of waste harvesters. The first group specialises in the recovery of foodstuffs mainly for household use. The second group comprises informal waste harvesters who specialise in the recovery of building materials such as bricks and river sand and scrap metal primarily for sale. Data provided by dumpsite waste harvesters interviewed show that the mean monthly income from the sale of harvested materials varied from Z$7500 (for 23.1% of the respondents) to Z$22,500.5 (for 15.3% of the respondents). Using the income they obtain from waste harvesting, most respondents (84.6%) indicated that they can now afford to pay school fees for their children in time while 61.5% stated that after engaging in resource recovery, they moved from informal settlements to Chinotimba where they now stay to a more decent accommodation with electricity, piped water and flush toilets. Prior to engaging in waste recovery, over a half of the informal waste harvesters indicated that were staying in informal settlements. The findings of this study, in particular the income and expenditure data, demonstrate that by engaging in waste harvesting, some of the urban poor are able to eke out living in an urban environment where economic opportunities are very limited. However, the contribution of informal waste harvesting to urban livelihoods in urban areas of Zimbabwe needs further investigation.

Status of water governance in urban areas in Zimbabwe: some preliminary observations from the city of Harare

Good water governance, has been regarded as a sine qua non for improving the management of world water resources. Stakeholder participation is considered an important precondition for improving water governance. This paper reports on how it is being implemented in urban areas in Zimbabwe by studying how this is being undertaken in the city of Harare. The study was not designed to generate generalisable findings but to gain insights into the salient features of water governance in the urban areas. Three areas of investigation were chosen for analysis; whether water shaped the political agenda as expressed in local elections; perceptions and actions of the different actors and information about new water institutions. There was some degree of stakeholder participation, which, however, was compromised by the fact that it was uncoordinated, involved a few stakeholders (it excluded the generality of the residents) and tended to occur outside the designated formal channels. Interference from central government was another problem. It can be concluded that improving governance of water management in Zimbabwe’s urban areas faces more challenges than in the rural areas. For example unlike their rural counterparts urban residents were not considered as stakeholders in their own right.

Duckweed based wastewater stabilization ponds for wastewater treatment (a low cost technology for small urban areas in Zimbabwe)

A three-year investigation into the potential use of duckweed based wastewater stabilizations ponds for wastewater treatment was carried out at two small urban areas in Zimbabwe. The study hoped to contribute towards improved environmental management through improving the quality of effluent being discharged into natural waterways. This was to be achieved through the development and facilitation of the use of duckweed based wastewater stabilizations ponds. The study was carried out at Nemanwa and Gutu Growth Points both with a total population of 23 000. The two centers, like more than 70% of Zimbabwe’s small urban areas, relied on algae based ponds for domestic wastewater treatment. The final effluent is used to irrigate gum plantations before finding its way into the nearest streams. Baseline wastewater quality information was collected on a monthly basis for three months after which duckweed ( Lemna minor) was introduced into the maturation ponds to at least 50% pond surface cover. The influent and effluent was then monitored on a monthly basis for chemical, physical and bacteriological parameters as stipulated in the Zimbabwe Water (Waste and Effluent Disposal) regulations of 2000. After five months, the range of parameters tested for was narrowed to include only those that sometimes surpassed the limits. These included: phosphates, nitrates, pH, biological oxygen demand, iron, conductivity, chemical oxygen demand, turbidity, total dissolved solids and total suspended solids. Significant reductions to within permissible limits were obtained for most of the above-mentioned parameters except for phosphates, chemical and biological oxygen demand and turbidity. However, in these cases, more than 60% reductions were observed when the influent and effluent levels were compared. It is our belief that duckweed based waste stabilization ponds can now be used successfully for the treatment of domestic wastewater in small urban areas of Zimbabwe.

Urban governance and the effective delivery and management of infrastructure services in urban areas in Zimbabwe: An appraisal of water and sewerage services delivered in Ruwa

Urban governance and the effective delivery and management of infrastructure services in urban areas in Zimbabwe: An appraisal of water and sewerage services delivered in Ruwa

Bruised and battered: the struggles of older female informal traders in urban areas of Zimbabwe since the economic reforms

In Zimbabwe, the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) launched in 1990 with the goal of improving the living standards of the people, has had the opposite effect in that it has caused untold financial hardship, particularly among marginalized groups. In the wake of the difficulties, many individuals have turned to the informal sector for survival. Traditional informal-sector operators, who include older women as well as new entrants, in particular retrenched formal-sector workers and school leavers, find themselves jostling for space in the new harsh economic environment characterized by austerity. These developments have resulted in the informal sector being saturated, compromising whatever viability the sector may have commanded. A group whose activities have been most negatively affected is older female informal traders. This paper analyses the plight of older female informal-sector traders and concludes that the women need assistance to enable them to survive and to remain self-reliant.

“Basics are now a luxury”: perceptions of structural adjustment's impact on rural and urban areas in Zimbabwe

This paper describes differences in the impact of the Economic Structural Adjustment Policy (ESAP) on Zimbabwe's rural and urban areas through the views of recent migrants to Harare. Although the outcomes of ESAP have been more acutely felt in the city than in the countryside, rural populations have also suffered from increases in the prices of basic commodities and in public services fees. Retrenchment and increasing poverty in the city affect rural households, as remittances decline and migrants return to their rural homes, increasing the burden there. Due to the strength of rural-urban interactions and the economic interdependence between city and countryside, the impact of structural adjustment is not clearly geographically defined.