Magister Public Health - MPH / The program that was studied is part of the Child Health Program devised and supported by CARE International and implemented in Kanyama, a high density and low cost community found on the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia. Diarrhoea was identified as one of the three most common diseases affecting the children under the age of five years. Through community participation, the program was implemented by the Kanyama residents to reduce the cases of diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia among children aged five years and under. The main aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of the impact of community participation by the community leaders and community members in the diarrhoea prevention program and to establish constraints affecting participation. / South Africa

Master of Public Health - MPH / For more than two decades now, the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and its etiological agent, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), has been a growing challenge that affects all segments of the global population. Voluntary HIV counseling and testing (VCT) is one of the many prevention and control strategies adopted globally and by the Government of the Republic of Zambia. VCT is the process by which an individual undergoes counseling to enable him/her to make an informed choice about being tested for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This decision must be entirely the choice of the individual and he or she must be assured that the process will be confidential. VCT is a key component of both HIV prevention and care programs. Although VCT is increasingly available in Zambia through public health facilities, VCT only or stand-alone sites and mobile counseling and testing services, there is still great reluctance among many people to be tested. Aim: This study explored factors affecting the utilization of VCT services in Mwense District, Zambia. Methodology: An explorative, qualitative study was conducted. Data was collected through focus group discussions with community members, and key informant interviews with lay counselors and health care workers. Thematic analysis of transcribed data was done to elucidate knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS and VCT services, factors facilitating uptake and barriers to utilization of VCT services and suggestions for improving VCT uptake. Results: The study found that HIV/AIDS was recognized as a major problem in the communities and that participants were aware of the availability and benefits of HIV counseling and testing services. The main reasons for seeking an HIV test included facilitating sexual behavior change to avoid infection, re-infection or infecting others with HIV. Facilitators to uptake of VCT services include accessing information on HIV/AIDS and other care and support services such as prevention of mother to child interventions, peer and social support systems, home-based care and early treatment with antiretroviral therapy if one is HIV positive. Community members indicated that VCT was an entry point to reaching out to the family and community for on-going counseling, which would lead to reduction in HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination. Several barriers to VCT were identified by the participants. At individual level, barriers included: the fear of the ramifications of a positive test; fear of HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination; doubt about the existence of HIV and AIDS; and fear of loss of control of life circumstances and destiny. Health facility level barriers included concerns about confidentiality of HIV-test results, familiarity with service providers, lack of promotional activities of the VCT services, shortage of testing logistics and commodities, and human resource shortages both in terms of numbers and confidence to promote VCT services. Community levels barriers included cultural beliefs and customs, gender imbalances, religious beliefs and stigma. Conclusions: There is urgent need for community sensitization about VCT and its benefits in HIV/AIDS control.

Magister Legum - LLM / The main objective of this paper is to explore the legal status of sodomy laws in three African states (South Africa, Zambia and Namibia) from an international human rights perspective. The paper presents an argument that sodomy laws violate a number of international human rights, most notably the right to equality or non-discrimination and the right to privacy, and that these violations cannot be justified with an appeal to the international human rights of culture and self-determination. In fact, judicial intervention to declare sodomy laws unconstitutional might even be justified purely as a principle of constitutional democracy as such. An argument to this effect is developed in section 2 of the paper.

Magister Public Health - MPH / Background: Appropriate and adequate infant feeding practices are an important factor in achieving optimal health in infants. Inappropriate and inadequate infant feeding practices contribute significantly to ill-health in infants. Both WHO and UNICEF recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months both in the context of HIV and otherwise unless exclusiv formula feeding can meet each of five conditions: acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable and safe (AFASS). The modes of infant feeding include exclusive breastfeeding, formula feeding and mixed feeding. Medical recommendations and social pressures related to infant feeding in high HIV-prevalence low-income communities may have shifted infant feeding practices. The aim of this study was to explore factors influencing infant feeding practices and decision making among women in one such community, Kabwata Township, in Lusaka, Zambia. Method: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted at Kabwata Health Centre in Kabwata Township in Lusaka, Zambia. Convenient sampling was used to recruit 32 women for focus group discussions and three key informants (two nurses and one social worker) for individual interviews. Verbal consent was received from all participants. Semi-structured interview guides were used to elicit discussion by all participants. Discussions were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic data analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. Results: Most FGD participants reported that they themselves initiated breastfeeding soon after giving birth, but not all of them breastfed exclusively for the first six months, as is currently recommended. The major factors influencing infant feeding included; influence from family and friends, stigma and discrimination, influence from health care providers, practical realities such as maternal employment and poverty, and cultural/traditional practices. Conclusion: While breastfeeding is valued and accepted, most women do not or cannot exclusively breastfeed for six (6) months for various reasons. Paradoxically, the social value of breastfeeding and the knowledge that breast milk can transmit HIV reinforce mixed feeding as the predominant feeding practice. Key informants reported that women attending health care services at Kabwata health centre were encouraged and taught to breastfeed their infants exclusively for six months. There is a need to re-look at the way the women are being encouraged, taught and supported so that the apparent knowledge and acceptance of breastfeeding can translate into improved infant feeding practices. Awareness campaigns need to include all stakeholders including family members, the community, employers and the women themselves in order to make exclusive breastfeeding easier for the women.

No abstract available / Dissertation (MA(Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

The main focus of this thesis is the threshold beyond which compensation is payable for breach of a stabilisation clause. The discussion is based on the tax stability clauses contained in the mining development agreements unilaterally cancelled by the Government of the Republic of Zambia in early 2008. The outstanding characteristic feature of the tax stability clauses was government’s undertaking that it shall not, for the stability periods ranging between 10 to 20 years, introduce new fiscal measures resulting in a “material adverse effect” on the distributable profits of the mining companies or the dividends received by the shareholders of the companies. Government further undertook to ‘fully’ and ‘fairly’ compensate mining companies should such measures be introduced during the stability periods. The question investigated by the thesis is whether the fiscal measures introduced by government in early 2008, as amended in 2009, have resulted in a “material adverse effect” on the distributable profits of mining companies or the dividends received by the shareholders of the companies and, therefore, entitle mining companies to compensation from government. The main findings of the thesis, among others, are that: <ul> <li>The threshold beyond which the obligation to pay compensation is triggered varies considerably depending on the specific contractual formulation of the stabilisation clause involved. However, it is significantly lower than the threshold beyond which host States must pay compensation in regulatory taking cases.</li> <li>Although there are several international arbitral awards in which payment of compensation has been ordered for breach of a freezing stabilisation clause, there is no known similar award in cases involving breach of an economic equilibrium stabilisation clause.</li> <li>Even in cases in which compensation has been ordered for breach of a stabilisation clause, there is no evidence of how much the presence of a stabilisation clause contributes to the total quantum of the compensation awarded. The tribunals either take a "contractual perspective" or an "expropriation perspective" to arrive at their respective decisions on the quantum of compensation.</li> <li>International arbitral tribunals take into account any ‘excessive’ or ‘windfall profits’ made by investors in deciding the quantum of compensation payable to the investor for breach of a stabilisation clause.</li> <li>The tax stability clauses contained in the mining development agreements cancelled by the Zambian government are typical economic equilibrium stabilisation clauses.</li> </ul> Based on these findings, among others, the thesis has concluded that there are equal chances that the Zambian government may or may not be ordered to pay compensation to the aggrieved mining companies. Notwithstanding this conclusion, however, the thesis has noted that government’s unilateral cancellation of the mining development agreements has potential to negate the country’s investment image. Against this background, the recommendation of the thesis is that government and the aggrieved mining companies must engage in discussions with a view to reaching at an amicable solution to their standoff. The rationale behind the recommendation is that an amicable solution presents a perfect opportunity for both parties to come up with a decision that is mutually beneficial to their interests. Also it is less costly than international arbitration. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Centre for Human Rights / unrestricted

This study investigates the spirituality of the emerging African Pentecostal churches in the development of the church and the theology of mission in Zambia’s Christian and traditional religious context. Of equal importance is the contribution of traditional African spirituality to Christianity in Africa. Attention is also drawn to the way in which African traditional religion and culture are treated by the African Pentecostal churches. The effect of both culture and Christianity in shaping modes of relationship and in bringing to light a liberative spirituality which this study examines is an issue in focus in African Pentecostal churches. Hence, this study has consciously appealed both to traditional spiritually and Pentecostal spirituality for a liberative theology which is both African and Christian. The study therefore proposes a change in terms of interpretation in our understanding of spirituality. The term “spirituality” in this study is defined as “the abiding presence of God the Holy Spirit” in the Church and its mission. From a predominantly scientific and dichotomous approach to spirituality, the study suggests that the paradigm shift should be in the direction of a supernatural approach as opposed to the Western worldview approach which is influenced heavily by secular science. The new approach advocates the need to understand the images of God the Holy Spirit from an African point of view. In this regard, the comparison between an African cosmology and a Biblical world-view (theologia Crucis) determines theodicy. Inter alia, the metaphor “Immanuel” (Mulungu Alinafe in Chichewa, meaning “God with us”) plays a crucial role in a metaphorical approach to supernatural “manifestations” of the abiding presence of God the Holy Spirit in the midst of the people of African Pentecostal churches and their mission. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

Slash and burn shifting (Chitemene) cultivation has been the dominant traditional land use system in the Miombo woodlands of Northern Zambia. The land use system adopted by farmers depends on the interaction between biophysical and socio- cultural and economical resources available to them. Socio economic resources also include policies, which influence the farmers’ decisions. Despite the so many interventions that have been done and condemnation of this system, this practice of cultivation still persist up to today. It is estimated that Northern Province has lost 35% of its biomass, representing about 43000 km2 of forests land over the past 40 years. The continuation of Chitemene system is in the long term unsustainable. This is because if the rural population continues to grow and if the current trend in Chitemenecontinues, complete deforestation may occur in a few decades. This study tried to investigate the factors that determine this practice in Zambia. The study employed a binomial logit model in order to identify the factors that influence the farmers’ decision to practice chitemene and to quantify the relative importance of these factors. This was employed on data collected from a survey of 90 farmers from Kasama district in the Northern Province of Zambia.</p.> It was hypothesized that the farmers’ behavior is influenced by a complex set of socio economic, demographic, technical, institutional and biophysical factors. Some of the determinants of slash and burn practice found in studies done are structural adjustment programme in Zambia, population growth land tenure system, infrastructure, necessary support services, number of household members, age, gender, education level and amount of available land. It was also hypothesized that the traditional way of life of the people has more influence on the farmers’ decision to practice slash and burn than other factors such as land tenure and even availability of agricultural inputs. This is because despite the so many interventions the practice has continued. Also the older the farmer is in his farming practice and age the more likely he is to practice chitemene. The reason is that farmers usually base their practice on experience and older farmers are a bit conservative and often tend to perpetuate the practice. The other one was that farmers with bigger land area are more likely to practice chitemene than those with less total land area. Farmers with bigger land area have more woodland and therefore more likely to practice. The study revealed from the bivariate analysis results that availability of land increases the chances of the farmer practicing chitemene. It was also shown that non-availability of credit influences farmers’ decision to practice chitemene positively. Lack of money to acquire inputs contributed more to farmers’ decision to practice chitemene. In the econometric analysis, age of the farmer, effect of non-availability of credit facility, effect of household size and influence of tradition had a significant influence on chitemene practice. It was found that the main reason for chitemene practice is lack of money for acquisition of inputs. Policies that facilitate provision of credit and infrastructure development like roads are necessary if slash and burn is to be reduced. This study identified some entry points for policy. Poverty may prevent poor farmers from investing in land conservation due to imperfections in credit markets and high subsistence requirements. So unless the government employs policies that target these factors, there is every reason for the farmers to continue the practice of slash and burn. This study brings to light that practicing of Chitemene depends upon a number of factors that dictate its continued practice. It is imperative that the policy makers and all those involved in agricultural development and policy formulation understand these factors and their relative importance in order to have targeted policies. Moreover although a number of studies have been done on slash and burn and its effects in Zambia, these studies have not analysed the significance of these factors. This study has considered this. Apart from this, it has also contributed to the bulk of research literature on chitemene that might be relevant for future research. / Dissertation (MSc (Agricultural Economics))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted

Since the enactment of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Act of 2009, there has not been a single successful PPP transaction entered into between the Government of Zambia and any private sector entity under the PPP Act of 2009 (Zambia Development Agency, 2014: 7). According to the Zambia Development Agency (2014:7), 75% of the PPPs that were entered into by the government of Zambia prior to the promulgation of the PPP Act of 2009 were canceled. These include: the Kasumbalesa Border Post, Mpulungu Harbour and Railways Systems of Zambia with an exception of the 65 year concession of the Luburma Market (popularly known as Kamwala Market). These cancellations of PPP concessions coupled with revelations in the Zambian Parliament that concession documentation for the Luburma market which is the only surviving PPP had since gone missing, this led to the research problem statement with an assertion that risks associated with infrastructure project finance are endemic in Zambia. In seeking to explore the validity of this assertion, three research objectives guided the study, namely: assessing Zambia’s general infrastructure project finance and PPP framework in comparison to theoretical normative criteria and selected country experiences; identifying and rating risks through a questionnaire; and proposing an ideal project finance risk management model which can be used as a reference by sponsors in Zambia as they design and structure infrastructure project finance deals. On a scale of 1-5 which was guided by the overal risk score outlined in the study, the average mean score ranking for all the 40 risks under investigation was found to be 3.25 .This indicates that the sentiments among respondents is that risks associated with infrastructure project finance in Zambia are average and not endemic as was affirmed in the problem statement. Despite this ‘comforting’ statistical result, the little progress in terms of earmarked infrastructure PPP deals coupled with deal cancellations as outlined above may be an indication that even the average risks appear to impede on the development of project finance and PPPs in Zambia. There is therefore an urgent need for Government and other relevant stakeholders to begin paying attention to some of the risks discussed in this study especially those with a mean score ranking in excess of 3.50 (high risk). The study in chapter 9 provides recommendations which are grouped under four key headings: addressing the environment for PPPs; providing capacity to procuring entities; paying attention to critical success factors for project development; as well as exploring a variety of possible credit enhancement mechanisms such as guarantees as a way of wooing project investors and improving the bankability of planned infrastructure deals. The Government of Zambia is further advised to avoid using ‘political feasibility “as the core investment criteria in the infrastructure agenda for the country. The study encourages that conventional benchmarks which are a mix of technical soundness, economic viability, environmental and social sustainability, financial/commercial viability as well as market readiness remain the core guiding principle in the project identification process. This will be the only way to avoid developing “white elephants” that may perpetually be a burden to the treasury and tax payers.

In a BBC radio report last year, one speaker reported that Africa South of the Sahara is the worst affected by the HIV and AIDS pandemic. Is it that African Christians are more promiscuous than say their European and American counterparts? After living in U.S.A. myself and after having traveled in Europe, I felt that the truth of the matter may be the direct opposite. It may be that apart from sex there must be other ways through which HIV and AIDS is spreading in Southern Africa. Things like rites of passage and other African cultural practices may be what have made HIV and AIDS to find a fertile soil in Southern Africa. There have been a number of women who are infected with the HIV and AIDS virus in Zambia and Africa as a whole (UNICEF reports on Zambia 2003). Women are more vulnerable to AIDS than men in Zambia for a number of reasons, some of which are the collapse of the support systems leading to poverty, the dying of African moral values, etc. Therefore there is a need to intensify our efforts to find out the relationship between cultural practices in rites of passage and the spread of HIV and AIDS in patrilineal and matrilineal Zambian cultures? To promote effective joint involvement into finding the solution to this problem the following objectives will be achieved: To explore the salient cultural practices of rites of passage which promotes and hinders the spread of HIV and AIDS in Zambian women and the people of Zambia, to explore through a narrative approach, cultural practices and gender, to collect stories of women who have been the victims of these cultural practices, to look at rites of passage, a theological reflection. Since culture plays a major role in people’s lives in Zambia and Africa as a whole, there is need to take Zambian or African culture seriously so that we can look at the salient cultural practices in rites of passage which influence the spread of HIV and AIDS. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Practical Theology / unrestricted