The study investigated Zimbabwean Christian and Muslim women who had experienced domestic violence with a view to finding out the extent to which these women used provisions of the Domestic Violence Act of 2006. The study was conducted in urban Masvingo and its surroundings. The methodology applied to the empirical investigation was qualitative and was informed by the phenomenological, feminist and pragmatic theoretical frameworks. Data was collected, by means of in-depth semi-structured interviews, from 30 participants, 22 Christian and 8 Muslim, who were selected using purposive sampling and snowball sampling techniques. In investigating the women’s experiences, some questions guided the study. These include: Where and to what extent does a select group of Christian and Muslim women who fall victim to domestic violence normally seek help? How do religious and cultural beliefs and practices influence the response to domestic violence by the abused as well as those to whom they report? To what extent do religious communities prevent selected victims of domestic violence from seeking legal assistance? Data was analysed by coding responses according to themes. The study revealed that the participants perceived domestic violence as having diverse causes and most of them saw their religion as crucial in addressing their plight. It emerged that a majority of the participants sought help from their religious communities as well as relatives and friends. Mixed responses emanated from these sources of help. The most common response, based largely on religious and cultural beliefs, was to encourage participants to avoid reporting to authorities. It also emerged that most of the participants were not willing to seek help from the police, courts or legal practitioners to seek redress because of the advice they received as well as their own internalised beliefs. Religious, social, and economic factors prevented most participants from appealing to provisions of the Domestic Violence Act.It was concluded that the Zimbabwean Domestic Violence Act had limited usefulness for participants because of religious, social and economic factors. It was recommended that if relevant stakeholders could jointly work together, domestic violence would be alleviated. Recommendations for further research were also made. / Religious Studies & Arabic / D. Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)

The study investigated Zimbabwean Christian and Muslim women who had experienced domestic violence with a view to finding out the extent to which these women used provisions of the Domestic Violence Act of 2006. The study was conducted in urban Masvingo and its surroundings. The methodology applied to the empirical investigation was qualitative and was informed by the phenomenological, feminist and pragmatic theoretical frameworks. Data was collected, by means of in-depth semi-structured interviews, from 30 participants, 22 Christian and 8 Muslim, who were selected using purposive sampling and snowball sampling techniques. In investigating the women’s experiences, some questions guided the study. These include: Where and to what extent does a select group of Christian and Muslim women who fall victim to domestic violence normally seek help? How do religious and cultural beliefs and practices influence the response to domestic violence by the abused as well as those to whom they report? To what extent do religious communities prevent selected victims of domestic violence from seeking legal assistance? Data was analysed by coding responses according to themes. The study revealed that the participants perceived domestic violence as having diverse causes and most of them saw their religion as crucial in addressing their plight. It emerged that a majority of the participants sought help from their religious communities as well as relatives and friends. Mixed responses emanated from these sources of help. The most common response, based largely on religious and cultural beliefs, was to encourage participants to avoid reporting to authorities. It also emerged that most of the participants were not willing to seek help from the police, courts or legal practitioners to seek redress because of the advice they received as well as their own internalised beliefs. Religious, social, and economic factors prevented most participants from appealing to provisions of the Domestic Violence Act.It was concluded that the Zimbabwean Domestic Violence Act had limited usefulness for participants because of religious, social and economic factors. It was recommended that if relevant stakeholders could jointly work together, domestic violence would be alleviated. Recommendations for further research were also made. / Religious Studies and Arabic / D. Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)

LLM / Department of Criminal and Procedural Law

Text in English with summaries in English, Shona and Ndebele / Bibliography: pages 228-252 / The work being reported hereunder focused on spousal conflict as a threat to family cohesion, while exploring a pastoral approach in the Masvingo Diocese in Zimbabwe. Experience as a pastor has shown that domestic violence is cancerous in the Masvingo Diocese and this is proved by alarming statistics about this province. Many marriages have been irrevocably broken down and the moral fabric that used to characterise family cohesion seems to have evaporated into thin air. It is on that premise that the objective of the study was to suggest practical ways that can be employed to facilitate pastoral counselling among families, encountering spousal issues in the Masvingo Diocese. The research is anchored in Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy, complimented by White’s narrative therapy. The research adopts a mixed method approach which involved closed questionnaires, focus-group discussions and structured interviews. Some 40 respondents constituted the study sample and they were purposively sampled. The research sample consisted of four priests in the five deaneries and 36 ordinary members of the Catholic Church. The key results were that Logotherapy and narrative counselling are effective methods of assisting people to find new meaning in their lives. Practical ways which pastoral counsellors can adopt go a long way in ameliorating internal household strife. It must as well be stated that, as a recommendation, pastors have to take an active role in addressing this malicious domestic violence. Problems of domestic violence can be solved through pastoral care and counselling. / Iyi itsvagurudzo yezvinokonzerwa nemhirizhonga dzemudzimba pakubatana kwemhuri, pachiongororwa nzira yekufambisa chitendero muDunhu reMasvingo. Kubva muruzivo seMufundisi, zvinoratidza kuti mhirizhonga yemudzimba yadzika midzi muDunhu reMasvingo uye izvi zvinotsigirwa neumbowo hunotyisa hunowanikwa mudunhu iri. Michato mizhinji yakakaparadzika zvisingagadzirisiki uye tsika neyemuro yaimbowanikwa pakubatana kwemhuri inenge yakanyangarika pasina anoziva kwayakaenda. Nekuda kwezvikonzero izvi, chinangwa chetsvagurudzo ino ndechekuedza kupa nzira dzingashandiswa pakubatsiridza pakushandisa dzidziso yechitendero kuvanhu vanowirwa nemhirizhonga yemudzimba muDunhu reMasvingo muZimbabwe. Tsvagurudzo ino inotsigirirwa nedzidziso yaViktor Frankl yeurapi hwelogo iyo inosimbiswa nenhoroondo yedzidziso yaWhite. Tsvagurudzo ino inoshandisa nzira dzakasiyana-siyana dzinosanganisa mibvunzo yakavharwa, mibvunzo yokutsvaga pfungwa dzavanhu uye hurukuro dzomumapoka saka boka richashanda mutsvagurudzo ino rine vanhu makumi mana avo vakasarudzwa pachinangwa ichi. Chikwata cheboka iri chinosanganisira vaPriste vana uye vatenderi makumi matatu nevatanhatu vanobva mumaDhinari mashanu. Zvakabuda mutsvagurudzo yedzidziso dzeurapi dzelogo nenhoroondo yedzidziso yacho inzira kwadzo dzingabatsira kune vakawanana kuti vawane mafungiro nemaonero matsva ehupenyu uye nzira chaidzo dzingashandiswa nevadzidzisi vechitendero idzo dzinogona kugadzirisa pakuru dambudziko remhirizhonga mudzimba. Zvinodawo kucherechedza uye sekurudziro nemazano kuVafundisi kuti vanofanira kutora matanho akasimba pakugadzirisa chirwere ichi chemhirizhonga mudzimba agogona kugariswa kuburikidza nebasa revadzidzisi nechitendero nerairo yavo. / Isufundo lesi sikhangela ukuphambaniseka okwenzakalayo ekubambaneni kwemuli yikuhlukumezana emakhaya sikhangele umbono webandla le Masvingo Diocese. Okuhlanganwe lakho njengo Mufundisi kubonise ukuthi emakhaya kuyamemetheka ukuhlukuzemana eMasvingo Diocese njalo kuvenzwa yibalo ezesabekayo kulendawo.Inutshando eminengi idhilikile njalo Ubuntu lokuziphatha okwakutholakala ekubambeneni kwemuli sokuuqukile kwaphephetwa ngumoya. Yikho injongo yesifundo iyikubonisa undlela ezesebenzayo ezingasetshenziswa ukubonisa lokusiza abahlukumenzwayo emakhaya endaweni yeMasvingo Diocese e Zimbabwe. Ukulonda kubotswe kuViktor Frankl ekhangela ukwelatshwa ngemifanekiso (Logotherapy) kauye incedisana le white’s narrative therapy. Umkhondo uthatha imibono etshiyeneyo ehlanganisela imibuzo evalekileyo, ingxoxo ezihleliweyo lengxoxo phakathi kwamaqembu njalo kwakhetwa isampula elabaphenduli abalitshumi lane abakethwa ngokucophelela.Isampula ihlanganisa abafundisi abane kanye labebandla abangu 36 emadeanery amahlanu eMasvingo.Impumela eyinhloko yikuthi ukwelatshwa kwe logo kanye lokwelatshwa okulandayo zindela eziphumelelayo ezingancedisa ababili emendweni ukuthola likuzwisisa empilweni njalo ukuhamba phambili ekuthuthukiseni ukwenangaba ukuhlukumezana emakhaya ngembono ku bokholo. Kumele kugaphelwe ukuthi njengabafundisi abaqotho kufanele bathathe indima ekusebenzelaneni lalokhu kuhlukumezana emakhaya. Inkinga yokuhlukuluzana emakhaya ingaqoniswa ngokunakekela komfundisi lokukhulumisana. / Practical Theology / D. Phil. (Practical Theology)