The purpose of this research was to assess counselling skills among the Roman Catholic priests in Masvingo diocese- Zimbabwe. This research took place because the priests encountered challenging situations that called for pastoral counselling skills. The research examined and assessed the competence of the clergy. To carry out this research, a survey of 40 priests and 50 parishioners was undertaken. The methods used to collect data were the questionnaire and unstructured interviews. The research structure began with the general introduction, followed by several themes discussed in relation to the literature on counselling in general, pastoral counselling skills and Christian reaction. After analysing the findings, there was confirmation that there was some lack of counselling skills among the clergy. In conclusion, the study recommended a thorough training and supervision in pastoral counselling. This includes the engagement of experts in psychological and pastoral counselling skills. / Practical Theology / M.Th. Practical Theology

This study sought to critically investigate the contribution of the ordinary people in the creation of a language policy and its subsequent implementation in Zimbabwe. The study was prompted by the realisation of the near-absence of a coherent language policy framework in Zimbabwe. The language policy situation in Zimbabwe is not clearly stated. A hotch-potch of statutes support the status, creation and implementation of languages that are spoken by the citizens of the country. The country’s supreme law, the constitution is silent about the necessity of a broad-based language policy in Zimbabwe. Only three languages Shona, Ndebele and English are considered to be major in a country with 16 known languages. This situation does not support the development of languages particularly the indigenous languages. Indigenous languages are not considered as a suitable medium of instruction from the third year of primary schooling up to tertiary level. Indigenous languages play a critical role in culture, economics and politics. The study argued that ordinary people have creative ways of contributing to the development of a language policy because these people are constantly creating new words and vocabulary that they implement in their day to day struggle with nature and other social classes. Authorities in Zimbabwe are yet to view the role of indigenous languages in development as a cornerstone of socio-economic and political progress. African languages, particularly the Shona language that was the main unit of analysis in this study revealed its capacity to handle complex ideas. It was recommended that when Shona and other indigenous languages are accorded the status of official languages of the country and then provided with the financial resources and linguistic expertise to develop them then, a coherent language policy can become a living reality in Zimbabwe. / Africam Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

This study explored Childline Zimbabwe’s provision of psychosocial support to sexually abused children. This was done by reviewing counsellors’ practices regarding face-to-face counselling, counselling approaches, referrals, follow-ups, case recording and through measuring client satisfaction levels. A qualitative case study approach was adopted with mixed methods to collect data from counsellors and clients. Data analysis was informed by grounded theory and followed an inductive process of coding and categorising the data into relevant themes. The outcomes of this study showed that referral of clients represents a major strategy of addressing child sexual abuse cases. The engagement of clients in face-to-face counselling stages however remained limited due to difficult work environments and challenges related to individual counsellors’ capacities. This posed questions about Childline’s role as a counselling or referral organisation. This study contributes to counselling of sexually abused children with information over the counselling interventions necessary in addressing survivors of sexual abuse. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

The financial and economic performance of SADC airlines has been poor for some time. The governments, citizens of SADC countries and donor agencies are no longer tolerating the existence of the loss making foreign currency intensive, prestige national airlines. This dissertation seeks to find ways to turnaround the poor performance of SADC airlines. The dissertation focused on the three basic turnaround strategies of cost leadership, differentiation and focus. The McKinsey 7-S framework was used to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of SADC airlines. The external (operating) environment was also analysed to determine the opportunities and threats. A study was carried out of some successful turnarounds of British Airways and Scandinavian Airline System. Singapore International Airlines, one of the most successful airlines in the world, was also studied in detail. The study showed that the strategy of cost leadership while focusing on domestic and regional operations was most likely to result in optimal performance of SADC airlines / Economics and Management Sciences / M.Com. (Transport Economics)

Critical pedagogy asserts that in education there is regressive politics of knowledge that is inculcated as “infallible” information to passive students through all kinds of texts that conceal the power, inequality and injustice in human relationships. Education has thus degenerated into becoming techinicist and consequently oppressive. Techinicist education aims at maintaining the status quo. The creators of texts that are used in oppressive education systems and society in general focus on the question, “How do we best get knowledge that serves our interests into the heads of our young people?” Thus critical literacy which encourages consumers of texts to read, reflect and react is now indispensable to learners who nowadays are exposed to various texts with hidden agendas. This research focused on perceptions of critical literacy of teacher education students in Masvingo province in Zimbabwe. The research participants were third year diploma students in their final residential phase of teacher education. The mixed methodology was employed bearing in mind its principal role that it provides strengths that offset the weaknesses of both quantitative and qualitative research. The research instruments used were the questionnaire and the interview guide. The questionnaire was administered to convenience samples of one hundred teacher education students per each of the three institutions studied and the interview guide was used to generate data from ten participants per college. The research findings reveal that there are some socio-cultural and political influences on perceptions of critical literacy of the teacher education students. In this thesis it is recommended that the teacher education curriculum in Zimbabwe should have a formal programme for the promotion of critical literacy in teacher education students. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Philosophy of Education)

The airline industry has grown rapidly over the past few decades, recording a ten-fold rise in passenger numbers and a fourteen-fold increase in cargo volumes. This growth has created overwhelming value to airline passengers, employees, suppliers and the broader economy. Unfortunately, this industry has been affected by terrorism attacks, wars, revolutions, pandemic fears, earthquakes, volcanoes, failing economies and skyrocketing fuel prices all of which have negatively impacted on profitability and resulted in intense competition. Consequently, airlines have spent the last decade in survival mode having to adapt to harsh changes. Air Zimbabwe, a state-run organisation which operates in this highly regulated and turbulent industry, is faced with numerous micro and macro environmental challenges and has been purposively selected for this study. According to company statistics, the airline’s annual passenger uplifts have declined from a peak of over 1 million in the 1990s to less than 200 000 in 2011, with revenue generation declining in correlation. Whilst Air Zimbabwe has experienced depressed demand for its services, competitor airlines are recording brisk business. The aim of this study was to investigate how a struggling organisation, which operates in a turbulent environment, can improve its competitiveness and profitability by better understanding the impact of industry role players and adapting organisational strategies to industry variations. This study examined, from the point of view of the industry players themselves, the extent to which customers, suppliers, competitors, regulatory authorities, substitute products and new entrants have impacted on the competitiveness and profitability of the airline. Major findings reveal that an organisation cannot operate in isolation and be competitive or profitable, but constantly needs to analyse the industry environment in which it operates in and to amicably interact with other industry role players. The research outlines the need for competition in certain areas and cooperation in others. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

The study investigated Zimbabwean Christian and Muslim women who had experienced domestic violence with a view to finding out the extent to which these women used provisions of the Domestic Violence Act of 2006. The study was conducted in urban Masvingo and its surroundings. The methodology applied to the empirical investigation was qualitative and was informed by the phenomenological, feminist and pragmatic theoretical frameworks. Data was collected, by means of in-depth semi-structured interviews, from 30 participants, 22 Christian and 8 Muslim, who were selected using purposive sampling and snowball sampling techniques. In investigating the women’s experiences, some questions guided the study. These include: Where and to what extent does a select group of Christian and Muslim women who fall victim to domestic violence normally seek help? How do religious and cultural beliefs and practices influence the response to domestic violence by the abused as well as those to whom they report? To what extent do religious communities prevent selected victims of domestic violence from seeking legal assistance? Data was analysed by coding responses according to themes. The study revealed that the participants perceived domestic violence as having diverse causes and most of them saw their religion as crucial in addressing their plight. It emerged that a majority of the participants sought help from their religious communities as well as relatives and friends. Mixed responses emanated from these sources of help. The most common response, based largely on religious and cultural beliefs, was to encourage participants to avoid reporting to authorities. It also emerged that most of the participants were not willing to seek help from the police, courts or legal practitioners to seek redress because of the advice they received as well as their own internalised beliefs. Religious, social, and economic factors prevented most participants from appealing to provisions of the Domestic Violence Act.It was concluded that the Zimbabwean Domestic Violence Act had limited usefulness for participants because of religious, social and economic factors. It was recommended that if relevant stakeholders could jointly work together, domestic violence would be alleviated. Recommendations for further research were also made. / Religious Studies & Arabic / D. Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)

No description available.

The adoption of the 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe heralded a new era with high expectations from ordinary citizens of Zimbabwe. Among other matters, the Constitution provides for a multilevel system of government with government organised at the national, provincial and local levels. The design of this system of government is linked to the need, inter alia, to realise development, build democracy and sustain peace in Zimbabwe. Provincial and local governments are expected to play a role in the realisation of these goals. The question is whether the law and policy governing provincial and local governments in Zimbabwe enables these governments to play that role. It will be argued that the law and policy hinders the role of provincial and local governments in realising development, building democracy and sustaining peace. The national government has excessive supervisory powers over provincial and local governments which limit the minimum level of local discretion required if these lower governments are to assist in realising development, building democracy and sustaining peace. Moreover, the legal and institutional design emphasises coordinative rather than cooperative relations among governments, thereby undermining opportunities for effective multilevel governance. It will be argued that the 2013 Constitution, however, provides the foundation upon which an effective system of multilevel government can be built. Mere alignment of the legislative framework with the 2013 Constitution is nevertheless unlikely to give full effect to the non-centralised system of government envisaged by this new Constitution. What is required is the development of a policy, institutional and legislative framework that gives effect to the constitutional spirit of devolution of power and cooperative governance. / Doctor Legum - LLD

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigated the issues that rural smallholder women face in accessing markets in developing countries. Market access for rural smallholder farmers is increasingly being promoted as a means towards catalysing sustainable rural development. However, without addressing the gender specific issues that rural smallholder women farmers face in accessing markets, market access as a strategy towards sustainable rural development may fail to achieve its ends. This thesis gathered evidence from a group of smallholder women farmers in Chirumanzu, Zimbabwe, who are part of a market access project run by Oxfam, in order to highlight the issues that they face in accessing markets for their produce. Primary and secondary data were used in the study. First, a literature review was conducted to assess the issues that smallholder rural women farmers in developing countries face in accessing markets and how the issues differ to those faced by male smallholder farmers. A thematic assessment of the issues was conducted, beginning with the production for market through to the actual market engagement. Secondly, primary data was collected in Chirumanzu, from rural smallholder women farmers who are participating in a market access project being facilitated by Oxfam. Data was collected through focus group discussions, key informant interviews and document review. Five focus group discussions were held with a total of 40 participants in August 2011. Some of the key findings were that rural smallholder women farmers face challenges in terms of meeting the labour demanded for market production, accessing market information and having to contend with high transport costs. The data was then compared with the points raised in the literature review. The comparison showed that most of the key issues raised in the Chirumanzu case study were similar to those identified in the literature review. The study came to the conclusion that rural smallholder women farmers face different issues and more challenges in accessing markets compared to male farmers. Market access initiatives that do not recognise and address the gender specific challenges that women smallholder farmers face may therefore not be catalysts for sustainable rural development. Therefore recommendations are that market access initiatives should go beyond facilitating access to markets to address the structural social, economic and cultural issues that present special challenges and constraints to women smallholder farmers. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis het ondersoek ingestel na die kwessies waarvoor landelike vrouekleinboere in ontwikkelende lande te staan kom om toegang tot markte te verkry. Marktoegang vir landelike kleinboere word toenemend aangemoedig as ’n manier om volhoubare landelike ontwikkeling teweeg te bring. Indien die geslagspesifieke kwessies van marktoegang waarmee landelike vrouekleinboere te kampe het egter nié hanteer word nie, kan marktoegang as strategie vir volhoubare landelike ontwikkeling in gebreke bly om sy doel te bereik. Hierdie tesis het bewyse ingesamel van ’n groep vrouekleinboere in Chirumanzu, Zimbabwe, wat deel is van ’n marktoegangsprojek deur Oxfam, ten einde die soeklig te werp op die uitdagings wat hulle ervaar om marktoegang vir hul produkte te bekom. Die studie het van primêre sowel as sekondêre data gebruik gemaak. Eerstens is ’n literatuuroorsig onderneem om te verken watter probleme landelike vrouekleinboere in ontwikkelende lande ondervind om marktoegang te verkry, en hoe dit verskil van die uitdagings waarvoor hul manlike eweknieë te staan kom. Die kwessies is tematies beoordeel en het gestrek van markgerigte produksie tot en met werklike markskakeling. Tweedens is primêre data ingesamel onder landelike vrouekleinboere in Chirumanzu wat aan ’n marktoegangsprojek deur Oxfam deelneem. Data is deur middel van fokusgroepbesprekings, onderhoude met sleutelinformante sowel as ’n dokumentoorsig bekom. Vyf fokusgroepbesprekings is in Augustus 2011 met altesaam 40 deelnemers gehou. Van die belangrikste bevindinge was dat landelike vrouekleinboere bepaald uitdagings ervaar wat betref die vereiste arbeid vir markgerigte produksie, toegang tot markinligting sowel as hoë vervoerkoste. Daarná is die data met die hoofpunte uit die literatuuroorsig vergelyk. Die vergelyking toon dat die meeste van die kernbevindinge in die Chirumanzu-gevallestudie met die bevindinge in die literatuuroorsig ooreenstem. Die studie kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat landelike vrouekleinboere voor andersoortige kwessies en meer uitdagings as hul manlike eweknieë te staan kom ten einde marktoegang te verkry. Marktoegangsinisiatiewe wat nié hierdie geslagspesifieke uitdagings van vrouekleinboere erken en hanteer nie, kan dus in gebreke bly om waarlik volhoubare landelike ontwikkeling teweeg te bring. Daarom beveel die studie aan dat marktoegangsinisiatiewe oor méér as die blote fasilitering van marktoegang handel, en ook aandag skenk aan die strukturele maatskaplike, ekonomiese en kulturele kwessies wat besondere uitdagings en beperkings vir vrouekleinboere inhou