Dissertation--Philosophy--Stockholm university, 2002. / Bibliogr. p. 185-206.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / Medicinal plants remain a very important natural resource used as traditional medicines for health needs in many developing countries. In the current deepening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe a significant number of the population has inevitably relied more on natural resources which has led to receding population and scarcity of many medicinal plant species in their natural habitat. It is against this background that this research, using Rural Eastern Zimbabwe that this study explored the extent to which use values of medicinal plants increased since the Zimbabwean crises and the different use values of these species among men and women. The rational choice theory, use value approach and concept of utility constituted a theoretical grounding of the research process. The study essentially used qualitative research methods with some quantitative data. A mix of interviews and focus group discussions were employed for this study. Interviews were conducted with community leaders, traditional healers, NGOs in the similar field and Government stakeholders eliciting their views on use values of medicinal plants and sustainable interventions that can be enacted in conserving these species. The findings of the study were shown through using tables, charts and the quantitative data was presented using STATA. The calculated total usevalues of the 11 medicinal plants showed that Kirkia ancuminata Oliv, Dicoma anomala Sond, Syzgium guineense DC, Zingiber offinale, Acacia Karoo Hayne were found to have “high total use-values” and Lannea edulis Engl, Aloe, Lippia javanica Spreng, Virtex payos merril, parinari curatelli and Coleochloa setiflora have “low total use-values”

no abstract available / Development Studies / MA (DEVELOPMENT STUD)

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa has led to the proliferation of peri-urban settlements close to cities. Development policy in these areas is multi-pronged. Residents with local tribal, as well as migrant backgrounds take land matters into their own hands. This leads to diverse land transactions and changing household survival strategies. My research investigates the complex interactions between land transactions, Rural Development Policy (RDP), and the emergent household survival strategies between 2002 and 2012 in the peri-urban communal area of Domboshava in Zimbabwe located northeast of Harare the capital city. Domboshava is classified as 'rural' and is administered by traditional authority as well as a local authority called Goromonzi Rural District Council. This Council considers RDP as a solution to increased individualized land transactions. My thesis is based on field research of a case study comprising four villages of Domboshava. Forty-one local residents, as well as a number of key informants such as Traditional Leaders and local government officials were sampled for the study. Qualitative data were collected through structured interviews, review of pertinent documents, as well as observation. The research findings reveal that the rapid pace of urbanization across Africa is widespread and poses key challenges to policies on rural development and land tenure more generally. Research evidence shows the changing practice in access to land rights in Domboshava by migrants from other parts of the country. As a result, land transactions shift from customary inheritance in the tribal line to individualized land transactions such as direct land sales and renting thereby privileging financially better-off households. Household survival strategies also shift from farm based to off-farm and non-farm activities because of the influence of land transactions and a multi-pronged RDP. Changes in household survival strategies of community residents of Domboshava were however not influenced by land transactions and RDP alone, but also by wider political and economic shifts and state interventions such as Operation Restore Order/Operation Murambatsvina and the Fast Track Land Reform Programme. The practice of a multi-pronged RDP as a solution to land transactions in Domboshava became part of the problem as land transactions proliferated unabated. This research is an important topic within the Sociology of Development, and provides useful insights regarding debates on land, policy, and survival strategies in peri-urban communal areas, not only in Domboshava in Zimbabwe, but in sub-Saharan Africa. Appropriate policies that address these peri-urban challenges in Zimbabwe are sorely needed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Verstedeliking in Afrika het gelei tot die vermenigvuldiging van buite-stedelike nedersettings naby stede. Ontwikkelingsbeleid in hierdie areas het vele vertakkings. Inwoners van plaaslike stamsgebiede asook van migrante agtergronde neem grondsake in eie hande. Dit lei tot uiteenlopende grondtransaksies en veranderende huishoudelike oorlewingstategiëe. My navorsing ondersoek die komplekse interaksies tussen grondtransaksies, landelike ontwikkelingsbeleid (LOB), en die opkomende huishoudelike oorlewingstategiëe tussen die jare 2002 en 2012 in die buite-stedelike kommunale area van Domboshava in Zimbabwe, gelëe noord-oos van Harare, die hoofstad van Zimbabwe. Dombashava is geklassifiseer as 'landelik' en word geadministreer deur 'n tradisionele owerheid sowel as 'n plaaslike owerheid wat bekend staan as die 'Goromonzi Rural District Council'. Ontwikkelingsbeleid word deur hierdie Raad gesien as oplossing vir toenemende individuele grondtransaksies. Die huidige navorsing is gebasseer op veldwerk van 'n gevallestudie van vier dorpies in Dombashava. Een-en-veertig plaaslike inwoners sowel as 'n aantal sleutelinformante soos tradisionele leiers en plaaslike regeringsamptenare was deel van 'n steekproef vir die studie. Kwalitatiewe data is ingesamel deur middel van gestruktureerde onderhoude, bestudering van pertinente dokumente asook waarneming. Die navorsingsresultate toon dat die vinnige pas van verstedeliking deur Afrika 'n algemene verskynsel is en dat dit belangrike uitdagings bied vir beleid oor landelike ontwikkeling, en grondpag in die besonder. Navorsingsbevindinge wys die veranderende patrone in toegang tot grondregte van migrante van ander dele van die land. Dit toon dat grondtransaksies verskuif het van gewone oorerwing binne stamverband na geindiwidualiseerde grondtransakies soos bv. direkte grondverkope en verhuring om dan sodoende huishoudings wat finansieel beter daaraan toe is, te bevoordeel. Huishoudelike oorlewingstategiëe het ook verskuif vanaf boerderygebasseer na nie- boerderygebasseerde aktiwiteite as gevolg van die invloed van nuwe grondtransaksies en komplekse LOB. Die veranderings in huishoudelike oorlewingstategiëe van inwoners van Dombashava was egter nie slegs beïnvloed deur grondtransaksies en LOB nie, maar ook deur wyer politieke en ekonomiese veranderinge en deur intervensies deur die staat soos “Operation Restore Order/ Operation Murambatsvina” en die “Fast Track Land Reform Programme”. Die praktyk vangrondbeleid met vele vertakkings as oplossing vir grondtransakies in die Dombashava area het deel geword van die probleem soos wat grondtransaksies ongekontrolleerd toegeneem het. Hierdie navorsing is 'n belangrike onderwerp binne die Sosiologie van Ontwikkeling en gee bruikbare insigte in die debatte rondom grond, beleid en oorlewingstategiëe in buite-stedelike kommunale gebiede naby stede, nie alleenlik in Dombashava in Zimbabwe nie, maar ook elders in Afrika. Toepaslike beleid wat hierdie buite-stedelike uitdagings in Zimbabwe aanspreek is dringend noodsaaklik.

no abstract available / Development Studies / MA (DEVELOPMENT STUD)

This thesis is based on a study that was conducted in the Manicaland Province of Zimbabwe during the period 1996-1997. The main objective of the study was to identify factors in traditional midwifery that facilitate the vulnerability of both the birthing woman and the traditional birth attendant (TBA) to risks in childbirth. Traditional birth attendants in Zimbabwe, though for a long time a shunned and ridiculed cadre, have always been the custodians of maternal health in the rural areas. TBAs have traditionally relied on intuition and hands-on-experience in their day-to-day practice. With the government's adoption of the upgrading programme for TBAs as a Primary Health Care initiative to reduce infant and maternal mortality, TBAs in Zimbabwe have since incorporated some of the modern obstetric methods into their own traditional practices. There is yet another group of TBAs, who regardless of the training programme, have continued dependence on their experiential and intuitive knowledge for delivery of health. Traditional Birth Attendants, as well as the rural women with whom they share an explanatory model of birthing, were consulted in this study in order to get an emic understanding of risk construction, which in turn would inform intervention strategies. It was hoped that the fusion of these conceptual categories (indigenous with biomedical), would contribute to a body of knowledge which would be a foundation for culturally compelling interventions to reduce risks in traditional birthing practices. As this study unfolded, it became apparent that not only was the women's preference for the TBA determined by cultural forces, but that there were a myriad of additional, contextual forces at play. Macro-processes affecting TBA practices are noted, and issues analyzed from the broader perspective of critical medical anthropology (CMA). / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

Although the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade has generated great interest from foreign aid donors, its impact. in terms of increased service levels has been poor. These disappointing results have been explained by the UN and other donors in terms of inadequate funding and lack of cost recovery, poor operations and maintenance, lack of personnel, unacceptable technology, poor logistics and non involvement of the beneficiaries. However, an alternative explanation revolves around factors contributing to poor project design. These include the lack of understanding of the development process, donor bias and self interest, and poor coordination and commitment by the recipient government. A review of the development and trends of contemporary aid philosophy and its translation in to rural development and water and sanitation projects, which led to the launch of the IDWSSD, provides a number of lessons that can be used to formulate a hybrid model for project design and the sector development process, that defines the relative roles of donors, recipient governments and people themselves. The model is based on coordinated development, community participation, and sector growth from pilot projects to large scale programmes. The developments in the rural water and sanitation sector that took place in Zimbabwe from 1974 to 1987, provide a unique opportunity to test this model using a systems analysis approach. After gaining Independence in 1980, Zimbabwe's development assistance funding grew tenfold with the influx of foreign donors, and major commitments were made by the new Government to rural development and the goals of the IDWSSD. However, the large investments in water and sanitation which included the preparation of a national master plan with external technical assistance, had both positive and negative impacts on the continuing development of the sector, the start of which can be traced back, well before Independence, to small pilot projects sponsored by non government organizations that used appropriate technology developed by the Rhodesian Government. This development process and the changing approach to project design is illustrated by a series of case studies of projects supported by multilateral and bilateral donors, and non government organizations, that were milestones during this period. Finally the project and sector development model is modified based on the practical lessons from Zimbabwe and recommendations for future practice are made together with suggestions for areas of further research.

MENVSC / Department of Geography.

PhD (Geography) / Department of Geography and Geo-Information Sciences / Conservation agriculture (CA) which is an agricultural system with the capabilities of conserving soil and water through its zero to minimal tillage, mulching and crop rotation principles has become popular the world over. This study evaluated CA as an adaptation tool to drought in Chivi district, Zimbabwe. It developed a model to enhance adaptation to drought in Chivi and other areas of similar environment. The VLIR-UOUS (2019) Theory of Change (ToC) principles structured interview checklist was used to review the Logical Framework of CA to establish the project design. Questionnaires, key informant interviews and Focus Group Discussions were used to characterise the nature of CA in Chivi and to assess the socio-economic impact of the project. Official records were used to compare food crop production yields per hectare under conventional and conservation agriculture. Atlas.ti 8‘s capabilities such as Co oc for frequency of occurrence, Co-code Doc Table for numeric analysis, Networks and report tools for visual and text analysis were employed in data analysis. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS version 22) was used for its uni-variate and bivariate analysis capabilities. The findings highlighted weaknesses in the Chivi CA principles and project design. It noted a low adoption of the project with some farmers withdrawing from the project against a downward trend in food production, despite CA having higher yields per hectare. The study also noted low socio-economic impact of CA as a project and its potential outside the project framework. The study concludes that CA has can alleviate the drought effects if the project’s framework is adjusted to suit local context / NRF

At independence and in the post-colonial era most countries embarked on a series of land reform, land redistribution and land restitution with some adopting the land tenure system. This study sought to assess the environmental impacts associated with the land reform in resettlement wards of Matobo District in Zimbabwe. The study adopted both social impact assessment approaches and the environmental assessments. The findings revealed farreaching repercussions resulting from activities associated with land reform in Matobo District which altered the physical landscape. The program is accompanied by inter alia excessive poaching, unsustainable agricultural practises, reduced farm production and ecosystem degradation. Therefore, urgent sustainable measures are recommended to be implemented from this study in order to avoid further environmental damage. / Environmental Management / M. Sc. (Environmental Management)