As the debate on the impacts of global climate change goes on at global and regional scale, climate change impacts are already being felt at local level. The thesis aims at exploring climate change as a driver of environmental and smallholder farmers’ livelihood vulnerability in Makonde District of Zimbabwe. Specifically the study seeks to: determine climate change trends and manifestations; evaluate household-level impacts of climate change and associated environmental changes on smallholder farmers’ livelihoods and lastly; to investigate the extent of household-level coping and adaptation strategies to climate change in the Makonde rural community in Zimbabwe, especially farmers in Makonde Communal Lands. Given the fact that the subject under study is multidimensional in scope, a mix of research methods was adopted in this case study. Whilst it is largely qualitative in design, the study involved some quantitative data and thus, a triangulation of different data sources and data gathering instruments was employed. The instruments used include; key informant interviews, structured observations and a household questionnaire survey. The analysis was based on a final sample of 434 out of the originally anticipated 500 households. In addition to the households’ sample, were twenty key informants and transect walk observations. The qualitative data was analyzed by means of coding, memoing, descriptions, typologies, taxonomies and visual representations, whilst quantitative data was processed through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and complimented by Microsoft Excel to generate various forms of descriptive statistics. The findings suggest that climate change in the Makonde Rural District that includes the Makonde Communal Lands has been significant during the past thirty years. The climate change has contributed to significant local environmental stresses affecting local resources such as forests, fauna, water, pastures and soil among other natural assets. The local livelihoods show high levels of vulnerability to climate change due to notable low adaptive capacity. The high level of vulnerability to changing climate is exposing the study population to increased prevalence of: poverty, crop and livestock failures, food insecurity, malnutrition, disease and rural urban migration among other impacts. The study concludes that the factors creating barriers to climate change adaptation are related those contributing to poverty and holding back sustainable local development. Among the key suggestions to enhance the community’s climate change adaptation capacity, the thesis presents an establishment of a government-driven, multi-dimensional and multi-stakeholder intervention mechanism to help local communities manage their vulnerability. / Environmental Sciences / D. Litt. et Phil. (Environmental Management)

This dissertation explored perceptions of the link between religion and the feminization of poverty amongst research participants attached to the Johane Marange Church of Seke area in Zimbabwe. The study sought to explore whether the practices in the Johane Marange church exacerbated the feminization of poverty. A qualitative research approach was selected. Data included documentary sources, notes from observation, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. It is found that according to the research participants, some of the church’s traditions may drive the feminization of poverty in the area. In particular, the church’s stance concerning young women’s participation in higher education, people’s health-seeking behaviour, its own understanding of the causes of and treatment for HIV and AIDS, its encouragement of early age at marriage for women and support of the practice of widow inheritance all contribute to a deepening feminization of poverty / Development Studies / M. A. (Development Studies)

This thesis examines the role of civil society in promoting good governance and development in Zimbabwe. This is done through a case study of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA). Specifically, the thesis looks at the role of constitutionalism as a tool in promoting good governance and development by situating the Zimbabwean struggle for constitutional reform within the context of an unprecedented socio-economic and humanitarian crisis that engulfed Zimbabwe at the beginning of 2000. One of the central questions explored in this thesis is that of the value of the concept of civil society in understanding African post-colonial situations in general and the Zimbabwean situation in particular. The thesis looks at the history of constitutionalism in order to assess if the Zimbabwean crisis could be understood within the context of a constitutional crisis. Therefore, the thesis ventures into the complex dynamics of state-civil society relations while at the same time examining the formation, structure and programmes of the NCA. This is meant to highlight how the NCA’s internal governance system, its leadership style and accountability worked as well as if it reflected good governance or not. An analysis of NCA’s relationship with donors is also presented in order to dispel or validate claims that civil society is just a front for western interests to effect regime change in Zimbabwe. Of critical importance in this study is how civil society (represented by the NCA) interacted with the government and the opposition political parties. The NCA actively participated in opposition politics coming in the open to urge its supporters to vote for the opposition and later ditched the opposition when they had disagreements but their reputation as impartial actors had been destroyed. The thesis concludes by questioning the strategies that are used by civil society in engaging with the government and that in their present structure they should not be antagonistic to the state but should work in tandem with the state for the attainment of good governance and development. Civil society organisations should be politically neutral in their pursuit of developmental goals and ought to practice what they preach by being democratic and accountable themselves. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In recent years, a great deal of attention has been paid towards the notion of corporate sustainability, which has variously been defined as meaning the incorporation of social, environmental, economic, and cultural concerns into corporate strategy and bottom line. The preliminary investigation suggests that Multi-National Corporations (MNCs) are mainly worried about securing permission for commencing operations and not about the wellbeing of locals and their livelihoods. Further to this, one of the main reasons why efforts aimed at improving sustainability are not yielding significant and lasting results, is that solution seekers in business, science, government and the research community are still operating in the same old paradigm of using basically the same tools and adopting the same world view that threaten sustainability in the first. The key and clear research objectives of this study are:- to ascertain if there is a link between British American Tobacco Zimbabwe (BATZ) top management philosophy, corporate strategy and the company`s corporate sustainability programmes, initiatives and other efforts, and the various stakeholders, and, if so, how these are communicated to them; to establish the degree of integrating sustainable development practice and initiatives into the BATZ business model in order to have long term benefits for both the company and its various stakeholders - these are an integral part of the socio-ecological system, and will help the business understand the resilience of the system and where in the system they should operate; to establish the depth, scope and culture of sustainability in terms of the extent to which they inserted inside (embedded) the BATZ operations; and to ascertain the level of economic, social and environmental effects of BATZ`s corporate sustainability programmes and initiatives in the locality in which it operates. The research used focus group and key informant discussions, one-on-one interviews, and to a limited extent a semi-structured research questionnaire. Information was also accessed from company internal information management portals, and BATZ’s group sustainability and other reports. The conclusion was that renewable energy programmes at BATZ were driven by energy insecurity and scarcity. Currently BATZ is not recycling water used in cigarette manufacturing operations, waste recycling of cut-rag tobacco has been occurring, and BATZ will continue to provide agronomic support to small scale farmers under its Social Responsibility in Tobacco Programmes (SRTP) towards leaf sustainability. The Rocket Barn concept is one of the most innovative intermediate technological breakthroughs meant for improving wood fuel efficiency in tobacco curing. Socially BATZ has done some good works in addressing some of society’s key challenges. There have been benefits for key corporate stakeholders in having BATZ operating in Zimbabwe. The research will assist BATZ to fully understand the socio-ecological system in which it operates; a fundamental understanding to improve corporate sustainability, which will then require a shift in sustainability-oriented efforts. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die idee van korporatiewe volhoubaarheid het die afgelope klompie jare baie aandag geniet. Wyd gesien, kom definisies neer op die insluiting van maatskaplike, omgewings-, ekonomiese en kulturele ondernemings in basiese korporatiewe strategieë. Die voorlopige ondersoek stel voor dat MNK’s wel gemoeid is met die verkryging van toestemming om bedrywe te stig, maar nie juis die welsyn en dag-tot-dag-belange van die plaaslike gemeenskap op die hart dra nie. Volgens (Fiksel 2003) en Du Plessis (2008) is een van die hoofredes waarom pogings om volhoubaarheid te verbeter nog nie betekenisvolle en blywende resultate gelewer het nie, die feit dat die mense betrokke by sake-ondernemings, wetenskap, die regering en navorsing wat na oplossings soek, nog geen paradigmaskuif gemaak het wat hul denkpatrone betref nie. Hulle gebruik steeds dieselfde uitgediende gereedskap en huldig nog dieselfde wêreldsienings wat volhoubaarheid in die eerste plek bedreig het. (Fiksel, 2003, Du Plessis, 2008, Hayward et al 2010). Die doelwitte van die navorsing is: om uit te vind of daar ’n skakel is tussen die filosofie en korporatiewe strategie van BATZ-hoofbestuur en die maatskappy se volhoubaarheidsprogramme, inisiatiewe ens; om te bepaal in watter mate volhoubare ontwikkeling en volhoubaarheidspraktyke en inisiatiewe geïntegreer word in die BATZ-korporatiewe model, om impak vas te stel en die kultuur van volhoubaarheid binne BATZ-bedrywe te bepaal. Die navorsing het gebruik gemaak van fokusgroepe, van sleutelbesprekings deur ingeligte persone, een-tot-een-onderhoude en in enkele gevalle selfs van gestruktureerde vraelyste. Toegang tot inligting is ook verkry deur middel van ‘n maatskappy se interne inligtingsbestuursbronne, BAT-groep-volhoubaarheids- en ander verslae. Die gevolgtrekking is dat hernubare energieprogramme afgedwing is op Batz deur die onsekerheid oor en die gebrek aan energie. Tans word water wat in sigaretbedrywe gebruik word nie deur BATZ herwin nie, maar afval van “cut-rag” tabak word wel herwin, en BAT Zimbabwe sal voortgaan met agronomiese ondersteuning aan kleinskaalboere kragtens sy Maatskaplike Verantwoordelikheid t.o.v. Tabak Programme (MVTP) vir blaarvolhoubaarheid. Die “Rocket Barn-”konsep is een van die innoverendste intermediêre tegnologiese deurbrake om die effektiwiteit van houtbrandstof by die droogmaak van tabak te verbeter. Op maatskaplike vlak het BATZ Zimbabwe goeie werk gedoen deur enkele uitdagings van die gemeenskap die hoof te bied. Die feit dat BAT in Zimbabwe werksaam is, was tot voordeel van korporatiewe belangstellendes. Die navorsing sal BATZ help om die sosio-ekologiese stelsel waarvolgens dit bedryf word, ten volle te verstaan, en om korporatiewe volhoubaarheid te bevorder, wat dan ‘n kopskuif ten opsigte van volhoubaarheidsgeöriënteerde pogings sal vereis.

Thesis (PhD (Forest and Wood Science))—University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Developing sustainable mechanisms for use-management of forest products by user communities has been suggested as a possible solution to the often-observed conflict between forest use and the conservation of protected forests. In Zimbabwe, the use of forest products in protected forests by local communities has a long history, but few studies have explored both the socio-economic and ecological aspects of this use. This study was conducted in the Baikiaea plurijuga forests and woodlands in and around Fuller Forest in western Zimbabwe, protected since 1943. It explored the characteristics and dynamics of forest products use by communities surrounding this protected forest. Further, the demography and dynamics of commonly harvested woody species was examined in order to establish the present status of populations of these species. This examination, focusing on diameter class distributions, was aimed at informing whether species populations were expanding, stable or declining in view of their capacity to continue providing required goods and services. Results indicated that all households, rich and poor, were harvesting at least some forest resources from the protected forest, with the most frequently harvested resources being firewood, wood for curios, thatch grass, wild fruits, timber for construction and fencing and those who owned livestock used the forest for livestock grazing. The extraction and use of 23 different products was recorded across the villages. The top five harvested forest products in terms of the mean proportion of households using them were fuelwood, building poles, thatch grass, wild fruits and broom grass. Forest products were harvested both for own consumption and for sale. At present Baikiaea plurijuga, Colophospermum mopane, Brachystegia spiciformis, Diplorhynchus condylocarpon, Commiphora mocambicensis and Bauhinia petersiana out of 14 commonly harvested species appear to have relatively stable populations as indicated by their inverse J-shaped diameter class distribution profiles. Preliminary indications from this baseline information point towards the successful integration of local use of forest products and conservation objectives noting that there is need for caution until further studies as recommended in this study are taken.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Zimbabwean cities have been experiencing wide-ranging economic restructuring since independence in 1980. The relationships between the declining formal economy and the growing informal economy concomitant with political and economic ideological shifts over the years have not been studied extensively and are not well understood. In this study the impact of political and economic ideological shifts on the growth, spatial and structural linkages between the two sectors over the three decades, from 1981-2010, in the country’s two main cities, Harare and Bulawayo, is investigated. Mixed-method approaches were applied to gather spatial, quantitative and qualitative data. Geospatial data were created using 1164 and 857 geographical positioning system locational points of informal economic enterprises in Harare and Bulawayo respectively. Maps of the two cities were scanned, georeferenced, projected and digitised. Longitudinal and crosssectional data were gathered from archival sources and through 300 and 600 questionnaire surveys of formal and informal economic operators respectively. Qualitative data was generated from 30 interviews that were conducted with professionals that influence the operations of the two sectors. The data were analysed using GIS, SPSS and Statistica software to reveal the temporal growth of the two sectors, as well as their spatial and structural linkages. It was found that the informal sector grew by 17% under the socialist policies of the 1980s. This increase was partly attributable to overurbanisation because the urban labour force increased at an average of 3% per annum compared to the formal economic sector that generated employment at an average of only 2.2% per annum throughout the 1980s. The shifts toward neo-liberal economic policies at the beginning of the 1990s resulted in immense retrenchments, forcing many workers to join the informal sector. As formal firms adjusted their operations to fight global competition, employment generation declined to an average of 1% per annum throughout the1990s. The informal sector responded by employing 61% of the labour force by 2001. The adoption of authoritarian policies at the beginning of the 2000s accelerated the decline of the formal economy which recorded negative growths for most of the first decade of the millennium. This led to the rapid rise of informal sector employment to an astronomic level of 87.8% in 2008. The investigation revealed substantial locational transformations of both formal and informal economic enterprises. During the 30-year period, informal economic businesses spread in low-income suburbs, city centres and neighbourhood and district shopping centres. 16.3% of formal economic enterprises left the city centres preferring secure medium density suburbs close to the CBDs, shopping complexes, industrial, office and business parks on the edges of the cities. 83.7% remained in the city centres and industrial centres where informalisation of operations was one of the strategies employed to fight competition, whilst 86.3% and 22.8% informal economic enterprises licensed and registered their operations respectively over the 30 year period. These spatial and structural changes resulted in linkages being formed between the two sectors. The nature of the linkages is largely influenced by the position of the informal businesses on a continuum of informal enterprises ranging from traditional, through transitional to semi-formal. It was found that traditional and transitional enterprises had strong backward linkages with formal businesses where they purchase their goods and raw materials. Forward linkages exist where semi-formal businesses sell furniture, building materials and clothing to formal businesses. Thus, a symbiosis exists, but linkages are very exploitative as formal businesses tend to dictate the terms of business. The reciprocal-supportive model was extended by adding four pillars that influence the operations of the two sectors to produce a differential complexity model of informalisation (DCMI). The reasons or causes of informalisation (RE); the subsectors that comprise the two sectors (SE); the various locations of the two sectors’ businesses (L); and the levels of formality and informality (Ls) are integrated in the DCMI to aid comprehension of the linkages between the two sectors. The model can be adjusted and applied to various urban settings, allowing for the development of the two sectors spatially, structurally and temporally. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Zimbabwe se stede is sedert die land se onafhanklikheidswording in 1980 aan omvattende ekonomiese herstrukturering onderworpe. Samelopend met die kwynende formele ekonomie was daar groei en ruimtelike en strukturele veranderings in die informele sektor. Die reaksies van die twee ekonomiese sektore op die politieke en ekonomies-ideologiese verskuiwings gedurende die eerste drie dekades na onafhanklikheid, is nog nie omvattend bestudeer nie en word tot nog toe nie goed verstaan nie. In hierdie studie word hierdie verwantskappe in Zimbabwe se twee hoofstede, Harare en Bulawayo, bestudeer. ‘n Gemengde-metode benadering word gevolg om ruimtelike, kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data in te samel. Georuimtelike data is met behulp van ‘n geografiese posisioneringsisteem, skandering, geoverwysing, projektering en versyfering van kaarte van die twee stede geskep. Kwantitatiewe longitudinale-en dwarsprofieldata is verkry uit argiefbronne en deur middel van vraelysopnames onder formele en informele handelaars. Onderhoude met professionele persone wat die werking van die twee sektore beïnvloed, het kwalitatiewe data gelewer. Die data is met GIS- en SPSSsagteware ontleed om die groei van die twee sektore oor tyd, en hulle ruimtelike en strukturele skakels bloot te lê. Daar is gevind dat die informele sektor met 17% gegroei het onder die sosialistiese beleid van die 1980s. Hierdie toename kan gedeeltelik aan oorverstedeliking toegeskryf word omdat die stedelike arbeidsmag met ‘n gemiddelde van 3% jaarliks toegeneem het in vergelyking met die formele sektor wat werksgeleenthede slegs teen 2.2% jaarliks gedurende die 1980s gegenereer het. Verskuiwings na neoliberale ekonomiese beleid teen die begin van die 1990s het grootskaalse afdankings tot gevolg gehad, wat baie werkers gedwing het om by die informele sektor aan te sluit. Namate formele ondernemings aanpassings gemaak het om die stryd te voer teen globale kompetisie, het werkverskaffing gedaal tot ‘n gemiddelde van 1% jaarliks gedurende die 1990s. Die informele sektor het gereageer deur om in 2001 61% van die arbeidsmag te huisves. Die aanvaarding van outoritêre beleid teen die begin van die 2000s het die kwyn van die formele ekonomie verhaas, met die gevolg dat negatiewe groeikoerse gedurende die meeste van die eerste dekade van die millennium ervaar is. Dít het aanleiding gegee tot ‘n snelle toename in indiensneming in die informele sector, tot ‘n astronomiese 87.8% in 2008. Die ondersoek bring aansienlike liggingstransformasies van formele en informele besighede te vore. Gedurende die drie dekades (1981 tot 2010) het die informele ondernemings na lae-inkomste woonbuurte, middestede, en buurt- en distrikswinkelsentra versprei. Sommige formele ondernemings het weggetrek uit die middestede na fabrieks-, kantoor- en sakeparke in die randgebiede van die twee stede. Sommige formele ondernemings wat in die middestede aangebly het, het hulle sake geïnformaliseer om kompetisie te bestry en informele ondernemings het hulle sakestrukture deur lisensiëring en registrasie aangepas. Hierdie strukturele wysigings het wisselwerking tussen die twee sektore laat ontstaan. Die aard van die wisselwerking word beïnvloed deur die posisie wat die informele ondernemings beklee op ‘n kontinuum van ondernemings wat strek van tradisioneel deur oorgangstipes tot by semi-informeel. Daar is gevind dat die meeste informele handelaars en produsente hulle verkoopsware en grondstowwe by leweransiers in die formele sektor verkry. Verkoopskakels bestaan waar informele vervaardigers meubels, boustowwe en klerasie aan formele ondernemings voorsien. Dus bestaan daar ‘n simbiose, maar die skakels neig om uitbuitend te wees want die formele ondernemings dikteer dikwels besigheidsvoorwaardes. Die wederkerige-ondersteunende model is uitgebrei deur die byvoeging van vier pilare, wat die handelinge van die twee sektore beïnvloed, om ‘n differensiële kompleksiteitsmodel van informalisasie (DKmI) tot stand te bring. Die redes vir, of oorsake van informalisering (RE); die subsektore waaruit die twee sektore bestaan (SE); die verskeie liggings van die twee sektore se besighede (L); en die vlakke van formaliteit en informaliteit (Ls) is geïntegreer in die DKmI om begrip van die skakels tussen die twee sektore te bevorder. Die model is aanpasbaar en toepasbaar in verskeie stedelike omgewings om ontwikkeling van die twee ekonomiese sektore ruimtelik, struktureel en temporeel moontlik te maak.

This dissertation explored perceptions of the link between religion and the feminization of poverty amongst research participants attached to the Johane Marange Church of Seke area in Zimbabwe. The study sought to explore whether the practices in the Johane Marange church exacerbated the feminization of poverty. A qualitative research approach was selected. Data included documentary sources, notes from observation, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. It is found that according to the research participants, some of the church’s traditions may drive the feminization of poverty in the area. In particular, the church’s stance concerning young women’s participation in higher education, people’s health-seeking behaviour, its own understanding of the causes of and treatment for HIV and AIDS, its encouragement of early age at marriage for women and support of the practice of widow inheritance all contribute to a deepening feminization of poverty / Development Studies / M. A. (Development Studies)

This thesis examines the role of civil society in promoting good governance and development in Zimbabwe. This is done through a case study of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA). Specifically, the thesis looks at the role of constitutionalism as a tool in promoting good governance and development by situating the Zimbabwean struggle for constitutional reform within the context of an unprecedented socio-economic and humanitarian crisis that engulfed Zimbabwe at the beginning of 2000. One of the central questions explored in this thesis is that of the value of the concept of civil society in understanding African post-colonial situations in general and the Zimbabwean situation in particular. The thesis looks at the history of constitutionalism in order to assess if the Zimbabwean crisis could be understood within the context of a constitutional crisis. Therefore, the thesis ventures into the complex dynamics of state-civil society relations while at the same time examining the formation, structure and programmes of the NCA. This is meant to highlight how the NCA’s internal governance system, its leadership style and accountability worked as well as if it reflected good governance or not. An analysis of NCA’s relationship with donors is also presented in order to dispel or validate claims that civil society is just a front for western interests to effect regime change in Zimbabwe. Of critical importance in this study is how civil society (represented by the NCA) interacted with the government and the opposition political parties. The NCA actively participated in opposition politics coming in the open to urge its supporters to vote for the opposition and later ditched the opposition when they had disagreements but their reputation as impartial actors had been destroyed. The thesis concludes by questioning the strategies that are used by civil society in engaging with the government and that in their present structure they should not be antagonistic to the state but should work in tandem with the state for the attainment of good governance and development. Civil society organisations should be politically neutral in their pursuit of developmental goals and ought to practice what they preach by being democratic and accountable themselves. / Development Studies / M. A. (Development Studies)

Text in English / Many African countries including Zimbabwe have scaled up and included male circumcision in their comprehensive HIV Prevention package. However, the impact of male circumcision on male sexual function and satisfaction has remained controversial. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of male circumcision on sexual function and satisfaction in Harare, Zimbabwe. A quantitative study was carried out amongst a sample of 169 circumcised men using a questionnaire. The results showed that circumcision has a positive effect on both male sexual function and satisfaction. It was concluded that undergoing voluntary medical male circumcision have a high degree of satisfaction with the procedure and its consequences in terms of sexual function and satisfaction. It was recommended that men are educated about these findings so as to clear myths and misconceptions around circumcision. / Health Studies / M.P.H.

Rural women in Zimbabwe are disproportionately represented among the poor. Among the interventions taken to mitigate the poverty suffered by women is the concept of income-generating projects (lGPs). Government, non-governmental organisations and donor agencies support the IGPs. After years of channeling resources through the IGPs to alleviate the poverty of mostly rural women, it is necessary that we take stock of the benefits that have been realised. The aim of this thesis is to identify the benefits and pitfalls of the IGPs in alleviating poverty. A case study of two projects in Chinamora communal lands in Zimbabwe demonstrates that IGPs do provide some benefits to participants and their households. Limited funding for start-up capital and lack of viable markets are among the major impediments to increased benefits. There is evidence that women can successfully organise themselves and explore previously male dominated areas of production such as carpentry. This suggests that IGPs do have the potential to somewhat alleviate poverty. making it necessary for the supporting institutions to seriously consider improving the shortcomings presently plaguing IGPs. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2000.