The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of participatory and conventional approaches to livestock and irrigation project implementation in Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge and Mberengwa districts. The conventional livestock projects performed better than the participatory. Despite the breed for the participatory livestock projects being unsuitable for the environment, the farmers failed to utilize the drugs and surplus funding set aside for replacement of dead cattle. Farmer training was found to be of paramount importance in the establishment of the livestock projects in spite of the participatory approach used for the implementation of the projects. Also the technical backup and support for the livestock project beneficiaries is important to ensure early rectification of problems that may affect the smooth running of the projects as well as an opportunity to introduce new technical advice to boost production. Livestock projects take long period of time to establish, i.e. for the financial turn over to be realized. It takes long time for farmers in these projects to make investments from the proceeds of the livestock projects. For this reason, there is need for the number of beneficiaries for each pass-on livestock project to take into account the number of beasts at project establishment and also the number per each beneficiary group. However, the projects should still be encouraged as they will take full operation at a later stage and be of benefit to the rural disadvantaged who cannot access other means to own cattle, which in turn play a pivotal role in crop production (through draft power, manure provision) and cash earnings that indirectly ensures food security. Regardless of approach used, livestock projects should be strongly supported because the districts under study are prone to poor crop production and hence the cattle can be a source of income and food. Participatory irrigation projects performed better than the conventionally implemented, despite their small hectarages. This proved that farmer participation can greatly improve the efficiency of development work and eliminate many of the problems regarding proprietorship and enhance development activities at community level. Conventional irrigation projects were plagued by problems of mismanagement and theft as was reflected by poor performance and malfunction of the conventional Chingechuru and Chimwe-Chegato irrigation schemes. Fencing theft atChingechuru irrigation scheme had brought it to a stand still. However, the larger incomes associated with the conventionally implemented irrigation projects were the result of the larger areas under cropping for these projects. Production levels in participatory irrigation schemes were good. Adoption of most technical innovations in livestock projects was found to be associated with the conventional approach. Asset procurement was a function of the farmer’s accessibility to non-project income, like formal employment, and procurement of specific assets applied more to project type than the approach to project implementation. This study found that the approach used in implementation had a greater influence on the performance of irrigation projects than livestock projects.

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / Globally, the demand for public infrastructure has been growing. However, governments have not been able to meet this demand due to limited fiscal revenue. Many governments have turned to the private sector to finance, build and operate infrastructure projects through public-private partnerships (PPPs). Despite the great demand and the availability of capital to develop these projects, many have failed the PPP test due to a number of constraints. This paper is meant to research the viability of water PPPs by considering the case of the Kunzvi Water Development Project (KWDP), which is in its infancy stage. The literature review from developed and developing countries shows a number of critical success factors which were applied to this study. These critical success factors were rated by key stakeholders in the KWDP – from the government and private sector to development finance institutions (DFIs). A questionnaire was then given to each group to assess the critical success factors. The results show that political commitment and support, macroeconomic environment, and the legal and regulatory framework were the top three critical success factors. The respondents rated the first as strong, but the macroeconomic environment was rated as weak. The paper recommends that government improves the nature of the political support going forward as more involvement will be required as the project develops. The paper also recommends that the government engages DFIs to provide financial and technical support to develop the project as the government may not be able to afford professional services. This paper highlights the views of the respondents but the author also noted limitations even though the project is still in its early stages. Hence, further review may be needed as the project progresses, and/or the lessons learnt may have to be studied and compared with similar projects in a similar context.

The major aim of this study was to analyse the dynamics of stakeholder participation in the agricultural sector during the first five years of the water reform process in Zimbabwe. Specific reference is made to water allocation, conflict management and the payment of costs related to water use. Stakeholders investigated are those in communal smallholder irrigation schemes, large-scale commercial white and black farms and those resettled under the government's fast track land resettlement programme. The study was undertaken in the Middle Manyame Subcatchment area, which falls under the Manyame Catchment area.

The major aim of this study was to analyse the dynamics of stakeholder participation in the agricultural sector during the first five years of the water reform process in Zimbabwe. Specific reference is made to water allocation, conflict management and the payment of costs related to water use. Stakeholders investigated are those in communal smallholder irrigation schemes, large-scale commercial white and black farms and those resettled under the government's fast track land resettlement programme. The study was undertaken in the Middle Manyame Subcatchment area, which falls under the Manyame Catchment area.