PHDRDV / Institute for Rural Development

MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies

MAAS / Department of Developmental Studies

MPH / Department of Public Health / See the attached abstract below

MPH / Department of Public Health / See the attached abstract below

MA (Tshivenda) / Senthara ya M.E.R Mathivha ya Nyambo dza Afrika, Vhutsila na Mvelele / Language shift is the process whereby members of a community in which more than one language is spoken abandon their original language in favour of another. This research concerns language shift by speakers of the Tshivenḓa language found in Beitbridge district in Zimbabwe. The Vhavenḓa people in Beitbridge district are shifting away from their language and using other languages found in the district. Today the Vhavenḓa people living in Beitbridge have adopted other languages and dislike their own. The consequence of forsaking their mother language has had a negative impact on the Vhavenḓa people. The research aims at discussing the concept of shift, what kinds of behaviours constitute shift and indications of shift in the Tshivenḓa language. The research also gives recommendations on how to reduce language shift in the Tshivenḓa language in Beitbridge.

MRDV / Institute for Rural Development / Two decades after the “Fast Track” land resettlement in Zimbabwe, little is known about the sustainability of livelihoods of households that benefited from the programme. “Fast Track” refers to the accelerated land resettlement which started in 2000 in Zimbabwe. The government of Zimbabwe argues that it introduced it as an intervention strategy to enhance the livelihoods of marginalised indigenous people. However, the nature of the fast track land resettlement has been met with considerable criticism. An exploratory study that sought to assess the sustainability of livelihoods through obtaining the perspectives of men, women and youth in fast track resettlement areas of Shamva District was carried out. Focus group discussions and semi-structured interview guides were used to obtain the perceptions. The attempt to understand the sustainability of livelihoods involved determining the perceived (a) major features of sustainable livelihoods, (b) criteria for assessing sustainability of livelihoods, and (c) livelihood strategies adopted. Data were coded and analysed using Atlas-it version 7.5 software. Dependability of livelihoods, ability to recover from stress, extent to which livelihoods conserved the environment, ease with which livelihoods were interchanged and ability to close the gap between rich and poor members of society were the perceived features of sustainable livelihoods. Criteria for assessing the sustainability of livelihoods included the ability of livelihoods to contribute to development, provide a stable flow of income, promotion of social development, potential for growth and ability to conserve the environment. Petty trading, agricultural intensification, self-employment and community savings were the main livelihood strategies pursued in the fast track resettlement areas of Shamva District. Inherent challenges that inhibited the sustainability of livelihoods were cited as lack of infrastructure, poor markets for agricultural products and poor communication. The use of participatory research was crucial in co-creation of knowledge with the resettled farmers. The information generated is useful for crafting empowerment strategies in the fast track resettled farming communities. / NRF

Masters of Art / The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and the ruling party, the Zimbabwe African Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), are strongly interlinked in politics since independence, that is, the Army largely functions as the military wing of the party (ZANU-PF) and the state. The ZNA is also deeply involved in civilian politics. This study examines the experiences of commissioned women soldiers, as well as their understandings of power and politics in the ZNA. While many male soldiers are in positions of power and authority in the military, party, state, and civilian politics, commissioned women soldiers are marginalised in all of these areas. The role and position of women soldiers in this regard nevertheless remain under-researched. In this thesis I interrogate the complex processes and relations of power which discipline women soldiers and exclude them from processes of power and politics in the ZNA. I argue that there are various practice and discourses which affect women soldiers’ roles in the military. To do so, I draw on Foucault’s (1977) work on power/ knowledge, particularly the concepts of practices, relations, power and panopticism to examine how woman soldiers’ aspirations regarding power and politics are monitored and restricted in the military. I also draw on Enloe’s (2000) work on power politics and Sasson-Levy’s (2003) work on military gendered practices as interpretive and critical paradigmatic approaches to analyse how women experience hegemonic military masculinities in- and outside the army. The study employed ethnographic methods such as life histories, in-depth interviews and informal conversations with ten commissioned women soldiers in the ZNA. These methods were triangulated to corroborate responses from research participants and the data was thematically analysed

Background: Curtailing adverse social determinants of health is pivotal to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development`s vision for a healthy and inclusive society. In Zimbabwe, fulfilling Vision 2030 may involve adopting socially inclusive approaches, particularly for young people dually afflicted with HIV and substance use disorders. However, social inclusion remains conceptually unclear and underutilized in relation to marginalized groups in low resource settings. This study sought to explore and understand how dually afflicted young adults with substance use disorders and HIV in Zimbabwe experienced and negotiated their social inclusion. Methods: This study utilised a qualitative instrumental case study design. Primary qualitative and quantitative data were collected to develop a thorough understanding of the case of an occupational perspective of social inclusion among dually afflicted young adults in Zimbabwe. The multiple methods used in this study included: i) narrative inquiry with five dually afflicted young adults; ii) in-depth interviews with five key informants; iii) document analysis of seven policies; and, iv) exploratory cross-sectional survey of social inclusion and associated factors (n=105). These multiple methods and sources contributed to the study`s trustworthiness. Multi-level case study analysis was applied as follows; 1st level: narrative analysis of each of the five young adults` stories, descriptive analysis of key informant interviews, document analysis and descriptive statistical analysis of the cross-sectional survey data. 2nd level: thematic case analysis drawing from all four data sources. 3rd level: theorised conceptual occupational constructs. Findings: Five narratives illustrated how using agency and having occupational choices were central to the young adults` experience and negotiation of social inclusion. The overarching Case theme was “Navigating an already troubled life: Striving for belonging and well-being”. This consists of three categories: 1) Dealing with a context of mixed realities, 2) Trying to adjust to new challenges and, 3) Life on the margins. These findings show how dually afflicted young adults in Zimbabwe respond and resist the influences of dominant discourses through dynamic and interconnected actions that shape their realities. Conclusion: The study describes and explains how dually afflicted young adults experienced and negotiated their social inclusion. The data affirms the role of agency and proposes a more critical view of occupational choice, activist occupational choice, in understanding social inclusion. As an emergent concept it is categorized by occupational choices, largely defying standard norms of engagement, and aims to break away from oppressive systems and problematic situations. Recognising the diverse manifestation of agency yields an appreciation for how occupations that are indigenous, collective, and resist oppression contributes to experiences of social inclusion.

This research examines the attitude that Zimbabwe portrays towards the protection, promotion and enforcement of the right to social security. Zimbabwe did not have a Constitution that provided for the realisation of the right to social security before 2013. With the enactment of the 2013 Constitution, many people now have a chance to enjoy economic, social and cultural rights (including social security) which ordinarily was not possible in the past. Provision of the right to social security plays a pivotal role by assuring human dignity for people when they are faced with circumstances such as the deteriorating and unpredictable economic situation in Zimbabwe in recent years. This study uses academic textbooks, journals, legislation, international treaties, newspaper reports and other sources of literature to analyse Zimbabwe’s outlook on social security and examines the structures, policies and institutions put in place to enforce the right to social security. The Constitutional provisions for social security are also analysed in the light of international instruments’ provisions of social security to find out if they are adequate and effective in the protection and promotion of social security in Zimbabwe. The study also examines the national polices; the national commission for human rights and the courts to determine their efficacy in their administration of the right to social security. The Constitution of Zimbabwe states that when provisions of the declaration of rights and any legislation such as the provisions for the right to social security are being interpreted, international law and all treaties and conventions that Zimbabwe is a party to must be taken into consideration. Thus, in this study the application and influence on the enforcement of the right to social security by international law and all the treaties and conventions that Zimbabwe is a party to, are scrutinised. Budgets mirror the government’s values and can be reflective of the attitude that a State has towards a priority. That is why the study also examines the budget allocation and spending patterns of Zimbabwe towards the protection and promotion of the right to social security. / Mini Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Public Law / LLM (Socio-Economic Rights) / Unrestricted