Zimbabwe Research Articles

Mentoring Model for Lecturers Research Skills Development: Case of a University in Zimbabwe

The purpose of this study was to establish an appropriate model which can be applied to develop research skills for lecturers. The study was guided by a qualitative research philosophy. Data were gathered at two levels. First, a critical literature review for possible models for developing research for skills lectures. This was the basis for structuring the informal group research skills development model. The study implementation stage tested informal group research skills development model with a purposive sample of five volunteering novice researchers without publications. The informal group mentoring model for research skills development begins with desk research for qualities of a publishable paper. Five dummy papers were reviewed by participants for quality. Participants conducted new studies and wrote research articles. These articles were peer reviewed by participants and submitted for possible publication in different journals. All of them were accepted and published. Researchers concluded that informal group mentoring model for research skills development developed lecturers’ research skills to publish. They were able to conceptualize, conduct and report research findings. We recommend that lectures in need of research skills can form informal research groups. They should seek the services of a mentor for their specific research skills needs, and apply the informal group research skills development model. Universities are encouraged to form research mentoring teams and apply the mentoring model for the development of research skills for their lecturers.

The rise of mobile technology in the financial sector in Zimbabwe

The emergence of technology has revolted the way that the financial industry operates and the increasing use of mobile gadgets has changed the banking system from the traditional brick and mortar building to a virtual system. The sudden rise in use and innovation of smart mobile phones, mobile personal computers, tablets and various other mobile electronic gadgets has resulted in the rise of mobile financial products. Rapid quickening innovative headways are making completely new business suggestions, for example, crowd financing, shared loaning, advanced monetary forms, versatile managing an account, online speculation and new instalment frameworks. Zimbabwe's mobile technology use is currently on the rise too as mobile service providers like Econet are enabling the connection between consumers and financial related products. Despite the fact that innovation without a doubt brings benefits, prominent specialized disappointments in the money related part lately are disturbing and several negative factors are to some extent affecting production. Drawbacks like cybercrime, resistance to change, and compatibility of mobile gadgets are affecting the information technology environment. This paper highlights the rise of mobile technology in the financial sector in Zimbabwe.

Perceptions of college lecturers and students towards the assessment of student teachers with special needs in inclusive contexts: A case of one college of teacher education in Zimbabwe

Assessment processes are critical in educational practice since quality education can be measured through these processes. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of college lecturers and students on the nature of assessment procedures obtaining for students with special needs in inclusive contexts. The study is grounded in Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences and the social model of disability. The observation that teachers’ colleges in Zimbabwe often have no inclusive policy guidelines on the assessment of students with special needs motivated the study. A case study was conducted within the qualitative paradigm. Semi structured questionnaires and focus group discussions were used as the main data collection instruments for 15 lecturers and 20 students chosen using simple random and purposive sampling respectively. The main findings revealed that there were challenges of assessing students with special needs together with their peers without special needs. It was observed that extra time given to students with special needs was done ad hoc as there were no policy guidelines. The results further revealed that it was not clear whether the bases for assessment were premised on the student’s level of disability, educational skills, competences or concepts. Ultimately, the study concluded that there was no equality of opportunities in the assessment of students with disabilities at the teachers college. In view of these findings, the study recommended the need for modifications whose decisions should be based on agreed policy guidelines and a national framework for the assessment of tertiary education students with special needs.

Inclusion awareness among mainstream teachers in rural schools of Zimbabwe

Inclusion awareness among mainstream school teachers is critical in view of the global trend of educating children with special needs within mainstream schools. This study sought to interrogate the extent of inclusion awareness among mainstream teachers in rural schools of Zimbabwe. The study presupposes that inclusion awareness is a precursor to successful implementation and practice of inclusion. The study is predominantly quantitative and employed a single cross-sectional descriptive survey design to elicit data using a structured questionnaire from 50 teachers. The teachers were sampled via quota and coincidental sampling techniques from 30 schools spread across 5 districts of Zimbabwe. The results of the study indicate that, although many of the mainstream teachers had merely heard or read about inclusion, they had not studied or trained in it and hence lacked in-depth knowledge and insight of the philosophy. From this analysis, the conclusion of the study was that there was a lack of inclusion awareness among mainstream teachers in rural schools of Zimbabwe. On the basis of this conclusion, the researcher recommended in-service staff development workshops for practising mainstream school teachers and administrators, deployment or re-designation of specialist teachers to work as consultants, incorporation of a comprehensive module on inclusion into the curriculum for current teacher trainees, enactment of school level policies on inclusion and large scale studies on inclusion awareness and its implications.

Probing Virginity Testing on Girl Child: The Case of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Virginity testing is defined as “a practice and process of inspecting the genitalia of unmarried girls and women to determine if they are sexually active. Virginity testing is a practice that is common in some sub-Saharan African countries including Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa. In Zimbabwe, virginity testing is performed in order to curb the further spread of HIV/AIDS. Proponents of virginity testing maintain that with its emphasis on total abstinence from sexual intercourse by girls, the practice is being revived to prevent HIV infection, to detect incest and abuse, and to re-instil and promote lost cultural values. Traditionalists view the revival of virginity testing as a signal of going back to basics and it enjoys a lot of support from those communities that practice it. In spite of concerted efforts to conduct virginity testing in all areas, some girls still fall pregnant, drop out of school and depend on their mothers to support their children. This paper therefore probes virginity testing among young girls in a rural area in KwaZulu-Natal. The study draws on desk-based method, un-structured face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions conducted with girls aged 12 to 21 years.Keywords: Virginity, Testing, Genitilia, Hymnal Examinations, Ukuhlolwakwentombi, HIV/AIDS infections

Book Review: Joost Fontein, Remaking Mutirikwi: Landscape, Water and Belonging in Southern Zimbabwe

Joost Fontein, Remaking Mutirikwi: Landscape, Water and Belonging in Southern Zimbabwe, James Currey, Suffolk, 2015, xxiv+340 pp., £45.00 (Hardback), ISBN: 978-1-84701-112-1.

Traditional dishes consumed in Zimbabwe and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quantitation of their antioxidant phytochemicals

Diabetes type 2, cancers, hypertension and obesity have become problematic diseases worldwide calling for more studies on their prevention and management. Antioxidant phytochemicals have shown potential to reduce cases of such chronic diseases therefore the present study quantified antioxidant phytochemicals in traditional dishes consumed in Zimbabwe. Traditional dishes are readily available therefore are cheap and accessible sources of food. Antioxidant phytochemicals were extracted using matrix solid phase dispersion and thin layer chromatography coupled to 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and then quantified using high performance liquid chromatography. The levels of antioxidant phytochemicals ranged from 2 ± 0.5 to 620 ± 3 mg/g for the ethanol extract and 20 ± 3 to 377 ± 5 mg/g for the ethyl acetate extract. Type and amounts of antioxidant phytochemical present in a dish depended upon the thick porridge and relish combination selected. Combinations involving wild vegetables as relish consisted of better levels of antioxidant phytochemicals than meat combinations. No dish consisted of all the types of antioxidant phytochemicals therefore it is necessary to eat a variety. Key words: Diabetes type 2, cancers, hypertension, obesity, phytocompounds.

African philosophy of development as expressed in Shona proverbs

The paper examined the African philosophy of development as it is expressed in Shona proverbs. It analysed the African people’s perspectives with regards to the question of development as expressed in their arts and beliefs. The proverbs analysed in this article candidly express perspectives on development among the Shona people of Zimbabwe. There has always been an intricate relationship between art and life and this paper is mainly based on the assumption that African oral art forms are used to formulate models of development. Particular reference is given to the socio-economic aspect of development and how this is emphasised and outlined in Shona proverbial lore. The Afrocentric theory is used in our analysis of the subject under study. The researchers argued that the aspects of Ubuntu and communalism that are emphasised in most of the proverbs to be analysed contribute a lot to development and we consequently argued that there is a lot to be drawn from Shona proverbs and that can be used to solve Africa’s numerous problems, the socio- economic problem being chief among them.Keywords: Proverbs, Shona

Pod yield stability and adaptation of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) genotypes evaluated in multi-environmental trials in Zimbabwe

Twenty-five groundnut genotypes were evaluated to identify the types of Genotype-Environment-Interaction (GEI) for pod yield. Genotypes were evaluated under multi-environmental yield trial conducted in 2013/14 season at five environments. The objectives of the experiment were to: identify genotypes with high pod yield stability, to identify genotypes with specific/wide adaptation, identify groundnut mega environments and identify an ideal environment. ANOVA was performed using GenStat Version 14. The results of the ANOVA indicate that there was GEI. The environments (E) and the interaction between the genotype and the environment were significant. GGE biplot analysis for yield data was the performed. The partitioning of GGE through GGE bi-plot analysis indicated that principal coordinate 1 and 2 (PC1 and PC2) explained 59.22 and 20.17% of GGE sum of squares, respectively, explaining 79.39% of the total variation. This large percentage variability of GGE (79.39%) accounted by the bi-plot indicates that there was complex GEI. The environment and genotype explained 58.8 and 6.1% respectively of the total treatment variance, while the genotype by environment interaction accounted for 35.1%, indicating that the environment had huge influence on genotype performance. The results revealed the existence of mega-environments, most ideal environment and genotypes with specific and others with wide adaptation. The results indicate that certain genotypes may be released for commercial production in specific environments based on their performance. Key words: Groundnut, genotypes, pod-yield, multi-environmental trial, genotype x environment interaction, discriminating, representative.

The Role of the Court and the Constitution on Police Oversight in Zimbabwe: Prospects and Challenges

<p><em>The wide discretionary powers that are bestowed on the police necessitate the need for some mechanisms to curb abuse of these powers. The court, as an accountability institution, plays an important role in curtailing police abuse of power. This study explored the role of the court in police oversight in Zimbabwe, as well as examining the effectiveness of this important oversight institution in Zimbabwe. A total of 126 respondents drawn from institutions of accountability, were invited to participate through questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The study revealed that the court is an effective institution of police accountability, whose police oversight role is performed through: deciding on the propriety of police actions; presiding over criminal cases in which police officers are implicated; and presiding over civil suits against the police. However, despite the court’s effectiveness, the limited number of judicial officers and absence of a mechanism to implement court judgements against the police seem to militate against the court’s effectiveness. The constitution was widely viewed to be an effective legal document for enhancing police accountability, though its effectiveness largely depends on willingness of state institutions to adhere to constitutional provisions. Despite some obstacles, the court and the constitution are key independent mechanisms for curbing police abuse of power in the Republic of Zimbabwe.</em></p>

Rights After Wrongs: Local Knowledge and Human Rights in Zimbabwe by Shannon Morreira Stanford Studies in Human Rights Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2016. 196 pp.

Rights After Wrongs: Local Knowledge and Human Rights in Zimbabwe by Shannon Morreira Stanford Studies in Human Rights Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2016. 196 pp.

Gaps in the cascade of care in two high HIV prevalence settings in Zimbabwe and Malawi

Gaps in the cascade of care in two high HIV prevalence settings in Zimbabwe and Malawi

Care requirements for clients who present for rape and clients who present for consensual sex as a minor at the clinic in Harare, Zimbabwe, from 2011 to 2014

Care requirements for clients who present for rape and clients who present for consensual sex as a minor at the clinic in Harare, Zimbabwe, from 2011 to 2014

Enhancing Teaching and Learning through the Use of Mobile Technologies in Zimbabwean Universities

The purpose of this study was to establish mlearning infrastructure and resources available in Zimbabwean universities, determine the level of mobile learning activities in Zimbabwean universities, identify challenges faced by Zimbabwean universities as they implement mobile learning in teaching and learning and to come up with recommendations that were possible solutions to the challenges faced by Zimbabwean universities in implementing mobile learning. The participants of this research were university lecturers, students, the ITS directors and the Librarians. The research adopted the descriptive research method and the triangulation methodology to draw conclusions from the data collected. Random sampling was used to select the respondents to the questionnaires. Tools for data collection included a questionnaire (with both open ended questions and closed questions) targeted to the lecturers and the students, as well as interviews with the ITS directors and the Librarians. The research revealed that students and lecturers have mobile technology devices to use for mlearning. There are some mobile learning activities that are already happening at universities which include uploading of material on electronic learning platform, downloading learning material, browsing the internet for research, students’ online discussions and access of electronic resources from the universities’ elibrary, amongst others. Network infrastructure is available at the universities but some of the equipment needs to be upgraded and some needs replacement as it has been in use for many years. There were a number of challenges highlighted by the participants of this study that were affecting the implementation of mobile learning which included access to internet, high cost of mobile devices, high broadband costs, lack of a mlearning management system, resistance to change, negative attitude of lecturers and WI-FI connectivity amongst others. The research recommended the adoption of a mobile learning management system, the upgrade of firmware of some access points that are not working, acquisition of new routers to enable fast internet speeds and training of staff amongst others so as to overcome the challenges to the implementation of mlearning in Zimbabwean universities.

Use of RAPD-PCR for breed/genotype identification in Zimbabwean cattle

Use of RAPD-PCR for breed/genotype identification in Zimbabwean cattle

Path coefficient analysis of body weight and morphometric measurements in indigenous Matabele goat of Zimbabwe

Direct and indirect effects of seven predictor variables (withers height, body length, heart girth, shoulder width, head width, rump width and rump length) on body weight of 109 Matabele goats, 47 females and 62 males, were investigated using path analysis. Sex-associated difference was significant (P<0.05) only for withers height, with higher value recorded for female goats. Pairwise correlations between body weight and zoometrical traits ranged from 0.420-0.966 and 0.507-0.959 for male and female goats, respectively. The direct effect of heart girth on body weight was the strongest in both sexes (path coefficient of 0.81 and 0.87 in males and females, respectively). Head width (males) and body length (females) also positively (P<0.05) influenced body weight. The direct effects of other linear type traits on body weight in both sexes were non-significant as revealed by the t-test. These traits were indirectly realized mostly via heart girth. Thus, they were expunged from the final regression equations to obtain much more simplified prediction models. The optimum multiple regression equation included heart girth with a determination coefficient (R 2 ) of 0.939. Forecast indices obtained in this study could aid in weight estimation, selection and breeding programmes.

Normative Power in EU s Democracy Promotion Policy towards Sub-Saharan Africa: A Critical Assessment from Zimbabwean and Ivory Coast Cases

Bu makale, Zimbabve ve Fildisi Sahili vakalarini kullanarak Normatif Guc Avrupa kavraminin kuramsal ve ampirik acidan sinirlarini incelemeyi amaclamaktadir. Bunu yaparken ilk olarak Normatif Guc Avrupa kavramini, bu kavrama yonelik liberal yaklasimlari ve neo-realist elestirileri inceleyerek kuramsallastiracak; daha sonrasinda Cotonou Ortaklik Anlasmasi cercevesine kisaca goz atacak veson olarak, Avrupa Birligi’nin iki ulkedeki demokrasiyi tesvik etmeye yonelik faaliyetlerini Normatif Guc Avrupa perspektifinden elestirel olarak inceleyecektir. Makalenin temel savi, normatif vurgunun Cotonou Ortaklik Anlasmasi Cercevesi’nde yerini bulmasina ragmen, stratejik cikar hesaplarinin devamli olarak Avrupa Birligi’nin normatif amaclarina baskin cikmasi nedeniyle, Avrupa Birligi’nin Zimbabve ve Fildisi Sahili’ndeki siyasi durumlara yonelik tutarsiz ve tartismali tutumu Avrupa Birligi’nin normatif guc olarak kavramsallastirilmasini buyuk olcude sinirlandirmistir.

Double Tragedy for Women with Disabilities in the Zimbabwean Education System.

Disability is about discrimination and systematic exclusion. This is aggravated in the case of women with disabilities in developing countries. Women with disabilities face attitudinal, physical and financial barriers in life. They face challenge in three broad and distinguished angles: as women in general, as people with disabilities and as women with disabilities. Therefore, being a woman with a disability is a double tragedy. This study seeks to examine the double tragedy of women with disabilities in the Zimbabwean education system. Forty-three female participants with disabilities gave their responses to the questions laid out in the questionnaire given to them in Chivi District. These participants were of different ages with different levels of education. They were given the opportunity to freely respond to the questions. The results indicated that due to marginalization and stigmatization, women with disabilities were denied access to education right from the beginning. Very few of them, went to school and managed to accomplish their goals. It is recommended that, the state and the stakeholders should empower women with disabilities in Zimbabwe. Women with disabilities should liberate themselves by revealing their potential in their communities and society at large.

Free and Fair? Rhodesians Reflect on the Elections of 1979 and 1980

ABSTRACTThe elections of April 1979 and February 1980 were the first in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe's history to permit universal adult suffrage, allowing for black majority rule. In the first election, Bishop Abel Muzorewa's United African National Council (UANC) won an overwhelming victory, while in the second, British-supervised election, Muzorewa's party was soundly defeated and Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) won over 60% of the vote. By interviewing present and former white Rhodesians, located via Facebook and the print magazine Rhodesians Worldwide, who were witnesses to these two critical elections, this study aims to shed light on which of them was more representative of the will of the people of Zimbabwe, at least in the eyes of the country's white minority.

A review of guidelines on clinical use of blood and blood components in obstetrics and gynaecological emergencies in Zimbabwe

Blood products comprising whole blood, red cells, components (labile products) and pharmaceutically derived medicinal products (albumin, immunoglobulins, factor concentrate, platelet derived microparticle) are critical in preventing adverse outcomes in Obstetric and Gynaecological emergencies. However blood products are a scarce resource, which the majority of women in Zimbabwe may fail to access in times of emergencies if not used rationally.