Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 108-112).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Clark University, 1988. / Typewritten manuscript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 369-386).

Adolescent pregnancies are high risks obstetric occurrences. Antenatal care (ANC) provides opportunities to recognise and treat obstetric complications, enhancing the pregnancy outcomes for mothers and babies. This study investigated factors influencing pregnant adolescents' utilisation of ANC services in Bulawayo, using the Health Belief Model's major tenets. A quantitative descriptive design was used in four phases: 80 adolescents' ANC records were audited; structured interviews were conducted with 200 adolescents attending ANC and with 80 adolescents who had delivered their babies without attending ANC; and 52 midwives completed questionnaires portraying their perceptions on adolescents' utilisation of ANC services in Bulawayo. Documentation of ANC services provided to adolescents did not meet the expected standards. Poor or non utilisation of ANC services was influenced by socio demographic factors, individual perceptions of adolescents about antenatal care, perceived benefits of and perceived barriers to the utilisation of ANC. Most pregnant adolescents could not access these services because they could not pay the ANC and/or delivery fees charged at government clinics/hospitals. Midwives required more training in providing and recording adequate ANC services. Free ANC and delivery services could enhance adolescents' pregnancy outcomes in Zimbabawe. An information brochure on the importance of ANC attendance for adolescents has been compiled, based on the research results (see Annexure J). / Health Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

Results Based Financing (RBF) models are results oriented, linking performance indicators to incentives to motivate health workers to deliver quality care in anticipation of rewards attached to service delivery. The study sought to explore nurses’ views and experiences regarding the implementation of RBF in Zimbabwe with the aim of recommending measures to strengthen the programme. The researcher used a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive design in this study. The population of this study comprised 21 nurses. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to select professional nurses involved in implementing RBF in Mrewa District, Mashonaland East Province, Zimbabwe. Data were collected through focus group discussions using an interview guide. Three (3) focus group discussions were conducted during this study, following a pilot study consisting of six (6) conveniently sampled nurses in Mashonaland East Province. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. Permission to proceed with this study was granted by the Ministry of Health and Child Care and the University of South Africa. Measures to ensure credibility, dependability, conformability and transferability were followed. Data were analysed using Creswell’s data analysis steps. Data were transcribed and thematically analysed, and emerging patterns were noted. The researcher examined these categories closely and compared them for similarities and differences, identifying the most frequent or significant codes in order to develop the main categories. These were summarised in narrative form. Four themes emerged from data: interpretation of RBF; role of nurses in the implementation of RBF; evaluation of RBF; and strengthening implementation of RBF. The study revealed various interpretations of RBF that converged to definitions of RBF in literature. Nurses viewed themselves as key and important players in the successful implementation of RBF. The successes and challenges of RBF were presented. Several measures that could strengthen the implementation of donor funds were highlighted, including subsidisation of low catchment health facilities, inclusion of district hospitals on the RBF programme, increasing financial autonomy of health facilities and the review of procurement guidelines. The study assumed that these measures will enhance nurses’ work experience in donor funded health care delivery, and improve health outcomes. / Health Studies / M.P.H.

Magister Legum - LLM / Corporate governance failures have been rampant in Zimbabwe’s state owned enterprises and it is necessary to assess if the measures in place are adequate to address the situation at hand. In-order to respond to the above, this paper will explore answers to the following questions: •What is corporate governance and what is the importance of state owned enterprises? •What international best practices are available and is Zimbabwean legislation in tandem with them? •What has been done by other nations that faced the same predicament? •What measures can be adopted to improve the current situation? There has been a considerable amount of discussions on the state of corporate governance in Zimbabwe. The private sector has led efforts in conjunction with the government to address the problems that have been hanging over corporate governance mechanisms, therefore there is a need to assess if these efforts are fitting for the problem at hand. This paper will also shed light on the issue of political appointments and connections in SOE leadership which has largely contributed to the failures of these firms. The economic revival of the nation is dependent on proper corporate governance and this paper shall assess the strengths and weaknesses of the measures to be implemented and provide recommendations where possible.

This study seeks to evaluate how aspects of religion, culture, political context, education and class, amongst others, impact on the manner with which Zimbabwe’s Bulawayo residents make sense of media messages which explore issues of homosexuality, as encountered in the soap opera Generations. This is against the backdrop of Zimbabwean legislation, such as the Sexual Deviancy Act, which criminalises homosexuality and the state victimisation of gays and lesbians in this country. The inclusion of homosexual liberties was rejected by all political parties and both public and private media in the recent drafting of a new rule of law. The legislation, including gay rights exclusion in the new constitution, and state action has perpetuated an impression that Zimbabwe is a deeply homophobic society. As a starting point the study examines the claims of the media imperialism thesis which supposes an all-consuming power of western media and next examines Straubhaar’s thesis of ‘cultural proximity’ which argues that there is often a preference for regional media, which is proximate to viewers’ local culture, language and identity. The study explores the prominence of South Africa as a regional media player and that proximate identities with some cultures in that country have played a role in drawing some Bulawayo viewers to South African television, as they feel slighted by Zimbabwean media. Utilising qualitative research methods, the study explores whether or not the representation of gay images on this South African soap opera provides viewers with opportunities for ‘symbolic distancing’. The concept highlights that when people have insight into lifestyles that are different from their own, they use that as a resource to critically analyse their own lives and cultural understandings. The study evaluates if Bulawayo viewers’ sentiments towards homosexuality has been challenged and changed through their interface with the soap opera, Generations.

Since the mid 1970s there has been an increasing effort to adopt community participation as a necessary instrument for people driven development. NGOs and governments have come to use this participatory approach not only to empower local people, but also to give them a platform to plan and implement their own development projects. However in Zimbabwe, the government has failed to fund most projects and it has created a gap for NGOs to provide most, if not all services in rural communities. NGOs have been seen as better institutions to facilitate development projects and to engage local people to actively participate in development issues. Community participation is a central component in development projects as the projects respond to the people’s needs and that local people are in full control and ownership of these projects. This study is an assessment of community participation in NGO development projects in Zimbabwe. The study investigates the extent of community participation in development projects and it is guided by the Participatory Development (PD) theory. Research findings reveal that community participation is minimal in development projects of Bulilima and Mangwe districts in Zimbabwe. Local people are just passive participants of the development projects who are told what to do. The local people’s contributions and influences are sidelined in the planning and decision-making processes; instead these are made by the rural elite who plan and make decisions on behalf of the local people. It is the view of this study that the purpose of community participation is to create opportunities for local people to participate in planning, decision making, implementation, allocation and distribution of resources. The development projects should be responsive to the people’s needs. Similarly, participatory development just like community participation is a process whereby communities are given the opportunity to determine their future in terms of their needs and resources. In this regard, it is relevant that rural communities actively participate in planning, decision making, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects. By so doing, the projects become not only successful but also sustainable.

Technology has removed all political boundaries, and has significantly transformed the way business is conducted in the modern age. The world has become a global village in which, by the mere click of a mouse button, anyone can reach any market in any part of the world. This however, has introduced stiff competition among businesses worldwide for markets, where the most affected are SMEs in developing countries. Research has shown these SMEs lack capital to invest in IT in order to improve their competitive advantage. Cloud computing is an emerging computing paradigm, which has been touted as the panacea to help SMEs in developing countries become competitive. For SMEs to be globally competitive, they need to transform and adopt ICT, and use it effectively. A great deal of research has been carried out on the benefits and barriers to ICT adoption by SMEs in both developing and developed countries. The findings obtained from studies from a single country cannot be considered „one size fits all‟ and thus, cannot be applied to all countries, due to the difference in geopolitical and economic development trajectories. Zimbabwe is a developing country, and by virtue of its unique history cannot be compared to any other country in the world. This means that no research conducted outside the borders of Zimbabwe can truly be generalised to SMEs in the country. This study explored the readiness of SMEs in Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) to adopt cloud computing as a business strategy. The study used the NOIIE (which stands for National e-readiness, Organisational preparedness, Industrial relationships, Internal resistance and External influence) conceptual framework to assess the readiness of SMEs in Bulawayo in embracing cloud computing. The study undertook a positivist philosophy, underpinned by quantitative methodology. Questionnaires were sent to systematically sampled SMEs in order to answer the research questions. The data was then collected and analysed by SPSS. The findings revealed that most SMEs are notably young and small, and therefore not mature enough to have foundation for execution. The findings also revealed that top management in SMEs is either not willing to commit or do not have the resources to put in necessary infrastructure to migrate to cloud computing. This indicates a possible lack of awareness of the benefits of the cloud to SMEs. The government has not done enough to promote the use of cloud by SMEs. Power cuts and expensive Internet access exacerbate the plight of the SMEs to move to the cloud. Lack of visible cloud service providers makes the situation even worse. / Computing / M. Sc. (Computing)

Factors that Impact on Learning in Orphanhood in Zimbabwe The aim of the study was to provide scientific knowledge on the factors impacting on the learning profile of orphans as compared to those who are not orphaned, and to identify the relationships between these factors and learning outcomes. This is a quantitative study and the Evaluation-Process and Outcome design was used. Structured quantitative data collection methods, questionnaires, interviews, observation and document analysis were used in this study. Maslow’s humanistic motivation theory of learning is the theoretical framework. The population included form four students and teachers from the Harare Metropole Province in Zimbabwe. A stratified random sampling procedure was used to sample schools, and the simple random procedure was used to sample both students and teachers. The experimental design was used to allow comparisons among orphans and between orphans and non-orphans. Ethical principles including consent, confidentiality and privacy were adhered to. Measures to uphold the quality of the study were applied. In the study it was found that in the peri-urban area, students who had been orphaned for one year or less performed poorly compared to other orphans and to non-orphaned students in their average examination marks, (p<. 023). Lack of books was significantly different amongst the non-orphaned and orphans (p<. 003), mostly affecting those orphaned for one year or less. There was a significant difference in the performance of orphans whose mothers had died and those whose mothers were alive, according to their average coursework marks (p<. 001) and average examination marks (p<. 005). The performance of single orphans, double orphans and non- orphans did not differ significantly, but the post hoc analysis revealed that in most subjects double orphans performed worse than single orphans and non-orphaned students. In the HIV/AIDS/Reproductive health and life-skills teaching-learning sessions observed, the majority of teachers, 12, (66.7%) (n =18) did not agree that relevant assignments were being given and 16 (88.9%) (n =18) did not agree that reading references were available. The majority of students (55.2% n = 509) had inadequate information on HIV and AIDS prevention, and those orphaned for one year or less (62% n = 29) and those orphaned for two to three years (62.5% n = 48) had even less information on HIV and AIDS prevention than the other groups. There was a difference in what the students perceived as life skills and what the teachers reported as life skills. It is recommended that this study be replicated on a larger scale and that factors that impact on learning be studied in national school settings in order to determine orphans’ and non-orphans’ learning outcomes. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

Text in English / This thesis explores the representation of political conflict in the Zimbabwean press with a specific focus on the The Herald, The Sunday Mail, Daily News and The Standard. The thesis sought to unpack the representation of political conflict in the four selected newspapers and to compare and contrast state-owned and privately-owned press representation of power, succession struggles and factionalism in ZANU PF and opposition MDC. The theory is undergirded by the framing theory and data was analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis. The thesis contends that the representation of political conflict in Zimbabwe was sensational and polarized. With clearly separate agendas, the government controlled press, The Herald and The Sunday Mail; and the privately owned Daily News and The Standard, have drawn upon different framing practices to represent political conflict in Zimbabwe. By selecting to report on a particular issue and silencing another, through choice of certain headlines, and vocabulary employed, they have produced a construction of events in political parties that satisfy their political agendas in an increasingly polarized political environment. The newspapers became associated with diverging political opinions, showing political parties they support. On the one hand, the state-funded media represented ZANU PF in positive light while the opposition, particularly the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was represented negatively, mainly depicting the party as harbouring a regime change agenda. On the other hand, the privately-owned press was critical of the ruling party, ZANU PF and blamed the party for economic problems, corruption, mis-rule, and abuse of human rights. As a result of this partisan representation of political reality by the two press camps, they became directly implicated in the conflicts thereby ceasing to be credible sources of information. This clearly illustrates the enormity of challenges faced by the press in political conflicts in politically polarised environments such as Zimbabwe. The thesis argues that when reporting political conflicts ideological considerations of the press take precedents at the expense of the informational and educational mandate of the press as ethics and professional interests of the press are pushed to the back stage. Contrary to the view that the press is a neutral and impersonal purveyor of information, it is an active participant in the framing of political conflicts and its framing is ideological. The study has broadened the body of knowledge on the framing of political conflicts in polarised political environments. / Communication Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication Science)