The provision of decent, affordable and well-located housing for low-income communities has been an intractable problem, especially for developing countries. The empirical puzzle that motivated this study is that, despite the adverse macro environment in Zimbabwe, there appears to be private-sector developers who are successfully developing housing benefiting the low-income group. This is so, despite numerous studies that claim that given the magnitude of the housing challenge, a neoliberal doxa in a developing country context as a solution is a fallacy. Working on the broad premise that these developments represent a successful adaptation to the structural environment, the main question guiding the study was - what accounts for the success of market provided low-income housing developments in Zimbabwe despite the environment not being conducive for it? The two sub-questions flowing from this main question were firstly, how does the structural environment enable and/or constrain private sector low-income developments in Zimbabwe? Secondly, what strategies do developers adopt in response to the structural enablers and/or constraints to develop low-income housing in Zimbabwe? From these questions, the study has two hypotheses – the first hypothesis is that despite the adverse environment there exists in Zimbabwe structural enablers that make market solutions to the low-income housing challenge possible. The second hypothesis states that developers have specific discernible strategies that they employ in response to the adverse operating environment to reduce development costs to levels that enable them to provide low-income housing successfully. Using the Structure-Agency model, which is a theoretical framework rooted in institutional economics, a conceptual model to study the development process was developed and used to theorise the impact of structure on agency in the development process. Empirical evidence was gathered using observation, household surveys, and semi-structured interviews. This evidence was obtained from five housing schemes, the local authority, central government, financiers and the developers of the housing schemes, and then processed using NVIVO and SPSS. The study finds that most challenges faced by developers emanate from the institutional environment and access to resources. These challenges are namely central-local government dynamics fuelled by political undertones, lack of access to land suitable for the target group, a bureaucratic and stiff regulatory framework as well as a lack of market provided developer and end-user finance. Enabling factors were mainly the withdrawal of the government in the provision of housing in line with World-Bank neoliberal orthodoxy and incapacitation of the local authority, which eliminated alternative sources of housing for the low income group other than market provided housing, thus widening the market base for the developers. Strategies used by the developers include developer provided finance to the target group, preselling developments, sidestepping the local authority through buying land at the periphery of the local authority boundary, sidestepping regulatory barriers through engaging in corruption, backward integration to promote efficient resource allocation, and an innovative approach to risk management that caters for the low-income group. The study concludes that all these strategies have one overriding objective of cost containment. The findings indicate that there is potential, appetite and scope for more private-sector engagement. On this basis, it is recommended that the key to unlocking this potential lies with the state, as there are several policy implications that flow from these findings if the highlighted constraints are to be addressed. The study makes a number of key contributions to knowledge on market solutions to the low-income housing challenge in the area of theory, methodology, policy and empirical data.

The study investigates the contribution of WDM towards mitigating scarcity of potable water in cities with particular reference to Bulawayo.WDM origins and its successes are traced. The study classifies scarcity representations into four categories and reveals that the scarcity in Bulawayo satisfies all the four representations hence calls it total scarcity. The research employed document study, questionnaires, interviews and a focus group to collect data. Document study revealed that water restrictions successfully mitigate the scarcity in Bulawayo. Field work partially confirmed the usefulness of WDM in the life of the city and revealed the need to synchronize the conceptualizations of WDM among different stakeholders in order for the paradigm to do even more in terms of mitigating scarcity. The results were interpreted in terms of TPB. The key recommendation of the study is that the city invests in water use behaviour change in order to realise huge water savings. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

The study investigates the contribution of WDM towards mitigating scarcity of potable water in cities with particular reference to Bulawayo.WDM origins and its successes are traced. The study classifies scarcity representations into four categories and reveals that the scarcity in Bulawayo satisfies all the four representations hence calls it total scarcity. The research employed document study, questionnaires, interviews and a focus group to collect data. Document study revealed that water restrictions successfully mitigate the scarcity in Bulawayo. Field work partially confirmed the usefulness of WDM in the life of the city and revealed the need to synchronize the conceptualizations of WDM among different stakeholders in order for the paradigm to do even more in terms of mitigating scarcity. The results were interpreted in terms of TPB. The key recommendation of the study is that the city invests in water use behaviour change in order to realise huge water savings. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Using non-experimental descriptive exploratory survey, this study sought to find out factors associated with delayed entry into HIV medical care among HIV positive people who are aware of their status. A quantitative design was used and a structured questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument. Respondents were patients in a hospital’s Opportunistic Infection Department whose hospital records indicated that they were HIV positive during the time of the study. The study found out that as much as 71.6% (n =43) first entered HIV medical care more than 12 months after testing HIV positive while 40% (n = 24) did so as a result of illness. Low education levels, unemployment and being single are associated with delayed entry into HIV medical care. A percentage of the population uses and trusts non-biomedical approaches to dealing with HIV/AIDS. Being diagnosed HIV positive is therefore not necessarily a strong reason enough for one to immediately enter into medical care. Intensive health education needs to be done at work places, health facilities, schools, through print and electronic media, churches and other community settings to equip the population with knowledge of the advantages of early entry into HIV care. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

No description available.

This study investigates the constructions of nationhood in two Bulawayo newspapers, the Chronicle and Newsday. Against the backdrop of the emergence of a secessionist movement, Mthwakazi Liberation Front (MLF), this research examines the discourses of nationhood in the secessionist debates raging in these two newspapers. This study is premised on a view that nationhood constructions cannot be understood outside the broader context in which these newspapers are embedded. Accordingly, it traces the roots and resurgence of Matabeleland separatist politics, exploring the political-historical forces that have shaped a distinctive Ndebele identity that poses a threat to the one, indivisible Zimbabwean national identity. Further, the study situates Matabeleland separatist politics within the broader African secessionist discourse challenging the post-colonial nation-building project on the continent. Informed by Hall’s (1992, 1996) constructivist approach to identity, it considers national identities as fragmented, multiple and constantly evolving. Thus, this study is framed within Hall’s (1997) constructivist approach to representation, as it examines the constructions of nationhood in and through language. The study uses qualitative research methods, as it examines the meanings of nationhood in key media texts. Informed by Foucault’s discourse theory, this research employs critical discourse analysis (CDA) to analyse 12 articles from the two newspapers. The findings confirm that the representations of nationhood in the two newspapers are influenced by their position within the socio-political context. The state-owned Chronicle legitimates the unitary state discourse advocated by ZANU PF. On the other hand, Newsday’s representations are informed by the discourses of the opposition political parties and civil society that challenge the dominant nation-building project. Thus, within this paper, secession and devolution emerge as alternative imaginaries that contest the authoritarian discourse of nationhood

The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of HIV/AIDS programmes at the workplace. The case study used both quantitative and qualitative methods (Triangulation) to determine the level of awareness and evaluate the impact of the programmes implemented at the workplace. The data was collected using a pilot tested structured questionnaire which was distributed to a purposive sample (n=60), involving all the departments at the company. Semi structured interviews involving purposively identified participants (n = 3) were conducted to clarify and explain issues in relation to questionnaire responses. The data from the structured questionnaire was analyzed using a statistical package for social sciences (SPSS).The findings revealed that the organization had achieved 90% awareness and 75% positive impact. The study also revealed that social background, individual values and religion influenced sexual behaviour, hence the recommendation for more preventive oriented programmes to influence positive behavioural change amongst employees / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

Using non-experimental descriptive exploratory survey, this study sought to find out factors associated with delayed entry into HIV medical care among HIV positive people who are aware of their status. A quantitative design was used and a structured questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument. Respondents were patients in a hospital’s Opportunistic Infection Department whose hospital records indicated that they were HIV positive during the time of the study. The study found out that as much as 71.6% (n =43) first entered HIV medical care more than 12 months after testing HIV positive while 40% (n = 24) did so as a result of illness. Low education levels, unemployment and being single are associated with delayed entry into HIV medical care. A percentage of the population uses and trusts non-biomedical approaches to dealing with HIV/AIDS. Being diagnosed HIV positive is therefore not necessarily a strong reason enough for one to immediately enter into medical care. Intensive health education needs to be done at work places, health facilities, schools, through print and electronic media, churches and other community settings to equip the population with knowledge of the advantages of early entry into HIV care. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

This thesis examines the informal sector of the economy in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and the role the church can play in assisting those who are involved. In describing the nature of the informal economic sector the thesis investigates the reasons for the existence of the informal sector, namely the economic structural adjustment programme, unemployment, land and climatic conditions in Bulawayo, post independence political disturbances and easy entry into the industry; the types of the sector, namely, manufacturing and wholesaling, which has the clothing, steel and furniture manufacturing industries; the retail sector, which has the vegetable vending and the flea markets; and the service sector, which has the foreign currency traders and other activities such as television, radio and shoe repairs, prostitution, shebeens and pirate industries. The impact the informal sector has on established business has also been considered, and the role of the funders of the informal sector. Particular attention is drawn to the problems of the informal traders , which are identified as lack of legal protection and freedom of operation, lack of training, lack of access to business and marketing information, lack of credit facilities, lack of quality merchandise, the fact that it is considered illegal business, the problems of foreign currency, fuel shortage and high prices, lack of sanitary conditions, lack of adequate support from the city authorities, lack of equipment and lack of social security. The thesis then presents an argument for the church's involvement in assisting people engaged in the informal economic sector, with a reflection on the Biblical tradition and the concept of humanization. The projects of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa are discussed and attention is drawn to the background history of the activities and administration of the projects, the problems encountered and the way forward. Finally, the thesis proposes eight key strategic initiatives that the church can take. These are the change of attitude of the church in order to meet the needs of the church, advocacy to government, advocacy to banks and financial institutions, by establishing financial support for the informal industry, by supporting organizations such as BUTA and the formation of the National Association of the Informal Sector, by offering training and mentorship , by giving support and counselling and finally by giving of the church's own facilities where necessary and appropriate. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

This thesis argues that events in the postcolonial novel We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo can be viewed as traumatic based on three different aspects; witnessed trauma, transgenerational trauma and cultural trauma. In addition, the thesis provides pedagogical implications and analysis of the novel’s usefulness in the Swedish EFL classroom. What is argued in this essay is that cultural clashes, mourning of home country and lacking of expressive opportunities affect the protagonist’s identity formation. The protagonist’s experiences from and reflections on her home country versus her new one are the focal point of this essay; to prove that belonging to the diaspora is a traumatic, ongoing, event that affects the individual and collective identity process negatively, depicted in the novel. Lastly, the novel’s potential in the EFL classroom is claimed to contribute with insight, understanding and acceptance towards cultural “others” in the Swedish society.