<p>Land ownership, control and reform have been some of the most contentious issues in contemporary Zimbabwe. The land question has generated a lot of emotional debate and there is a general consensus that it represents a critical dimension to the crisis the country is going through. This thesis intended to offer some insights into the modus operandi and outcomes of land reform in the country.</p>

<p>The food security crisis which gripped the sub Sahara Africa after the drought in 1999/2000 threatened development initiatives in these countries. Zimbabwe&rsquo / s situation has since worsened and the country has failed to recuperate from the food problems, even after an improvement in the climatic conditions. International and local food aid activities then became a priority in the fight to sustain the right to food for the affected regions. It is argued in this research that if food aid is distributed on the basis of need it will enable the vulnerable populations recuperate form food insecurity problems. It is also postulated that if well implemented, food aid programmes are also able to play the dual role of averting starvation and leading to long term development. This thesis departs from the allegations of food aid politicisation in Zimbabwe.</p> <p><br /> Using the rational choice and neopatrimonial theories of individual behaviour, this research endeavored to ascertain whether political decisions influenced the government food aid distributions which were conducted through the Grain Marketing Board. In line with these theories, it is argued in this study that politicians behave in a manner that maximizes the fulfillment of their individual needs rather than the needs of the people who vote them in positions of power.</p> <p><br /> A qualitative approach was adopted in this study and data was gathered through household interviews in the Seke and Goromonzi districts of the Mashonaland East province in Zimbabwe. Furthermore, interviews were conducted with food aid experts from the governmental and non governmental organisations dealing with food security issues in Zimbabwe.</p>

This study was an investigation of the relationship between political conditionality and self-determination using Zimbabwe as a case study. The Zimbabwean land issue illustrates the challenges posed by external influences on supposedly autonomous domestic policy decision-making processes.

A dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement of the Master of Arts in Political Studies, Faculty of Humanities at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2016 / The governance of natural resources plays an important role in the distribution of resources in any state. The failure of a government to effectively administer natural resources will result in a country failing to benefit from the resources economically. This research paper explores how from 2006 to 2013 the Zimbabwean government handled the discovery of diamonds in the Marange area which is situated just outside Zimbabwe’s third largest city, Mutare. Zimbabwe has had a tumultuous millennium which has seen farm invasions, controversial elections and a crippled economy. The discovery of the diamonds was expected to aid the country’s faltering economy, but instead the diamonds only benefitted a close knit group of individuals who were aligned to the ruling party, ZANU PF. The ruling party in Zimbabwe has enjoyed a stranglehold on the Zimbabwean political landscape and the discovery of the Marange diamonds solidified this stranglehold. The diamonds helped ZANU PF revive its waning political fortunes after the party had joined a coalition government with MDC T after the controversial elections in 2008. The diamonds in Marange are an example of how ZANU PF has been able to use the country’s resources to prop up its waning influence on the Zimbabwean political landscape. The discovery of the diamonds in Zimbabwe mirrors other African countries where rather than being a blessing to local communities natural resources become a curse. / MT2017

A report on a research study presented to the Department of Social Work School of Human and Community Development, Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Social Work in the Field of Social Development, March 2017 / Poverty is one of the biggest challenges that the global community is struggling with. In attempting to address poverty, there has been a tilt towards a microenterprise approach to social development mostly in the global South. The purpose of the study was to explore the role of microenterprises in poverty alleviation and how microenterprises can be optimised as a strategy for poverty alleviation. The primary aim of the study was to explore ways in which microenterprises are contributing to the reduction of household poverty in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. This was a qualitative study and a multiple case study design was employed. A semi-structured interview schedule was used during interviews with nine participants who had either gone through entrepreneurship or technical skills training and two key informants were selected based on their expertise in enterprise development. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants and thematic analysis was applied to analyse the collected data from all participants. The major findings of this study were that microenterprises have a pivotal role in ensuring basic sustenance, for example basic needs like rent, food, health care and education. All the participants had received business training, however, there still is a disjuncture between business knowledge and application. Challenges that affected participants in the study included lack of machinery, access to credit and lack of a market for their products as indicated in the findings of the study. The participants expressed that microenterprises are a step towards breaking the poverty cycle. The main findings of this study are that microenterprises as a tool in poverty alleviation manages only to afford people basic sustenance, however, it cannot alone be the panacea for poverty reduction, hence it should be seen amongst other interventions in social development. / XL2018

Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Finance & Investment in the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management Wits business school at the University of the Witwatersrand, 2016 / Zimbabwe as a country went through severe economic crisis between the years 2000 and 2008. Hyperinflation, ill conception of policies by a desperate government that was in panic because of the shock that the crisis had on the economy, a declining exchange rate were among the serious challenges that were facing the economy. As investors and ordinary citizens scrambled for ways to store the value of their wealth, they all trooped to the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) to buy shares. As the demand of shares increased, so did share prices. Share prices had stopped to reflect economic fundamentals as the stock exchange became a mere market place of raising money. Stock markets have several functions which are crucial to an economy among them giving support to and facilitation of the growth of key sectors as well as provide accurate signals for resource allocation (Aurangzeb, 2012). Darskuviene (2010) says stock markets act as barometers of economies; in particular stock market movements tend to be leading indicators which means that they provide indications of likely future changes in the level of activity in the economy as a whole. Contrary to these crucial functions, the Zimbabwe Sock Exchange had become a repository of trapped local savings as Zimbabwean citizens scrambled for shares. The scrambling for shares was either for speculative purposes, store of wealth or just a place of raising fast cash as hyperinflation became a daily phenomenon. The prices of shares are supposed to reflect economic fundamentals, all things being equal but for the case of Zimbabwe, the stock prices were now reflecting activities of the ‘black market”. Money has several characteristics that it carries among them durability, hard to counterfeit, and stability in value and one of its major function is to act as a store of value. The Zimbabwean dollar had seized to serve any of the above mentioned functions as hyperinflation corroded the value of the currency. In 2009 Zimbabwean government adopted full dollarization as the Zimbabwean dollar had become useless as a medium of exchange. This saw the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange start to quote prices of shares in the United States Dollar (USD). This research examined the effect of dollarization on the performance of the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange. It attempts to measure and iv assess using empirical models the extent to which the adoption of dollarization enhanced the performance of the bourse. The study uses two sample periods namely the pre-dollarization era and the post dollarization era representing the years 2003 to 2008 and 2009 to 2014 respectively. The sample is made up of sixty two listed companies that make up the Zimbabwe stock Exchange industrial index, which is used as the benchmark index. Two soft wares have been used in carry out this research namely Eviews 8 and SPSS. These were used to in trend analysis, mean difference analysis and regression or correlation analysis. The analysis was carried out using these three techniques in order to assess the effect of dollarization on the performance of the ZSE. The results gathered from this research shows that dollarization has enhanced the performance of the ZSE. Shares prices have stabilized as compared to the pre-dollarization era where they would change a number of times in one day. This stability in share prices was brought about by the use of the US dollar to quote shares because the dollar is a more stable currency. It was found that market capitalization has significantly improved in the dollarization era. There is also strong evidence showing that Price Earnings ratio has decreased significantly which is a good for the Zimbabwean stock market. Turnover ratio did not show any statistical significance in terms of performance. Its correlation with dollarization was negative. This is due to the liquidity challenges that the country is experiencing as well as political uncertainty which is making the stock market unattractive to foreign investors. Therefore, I recommend further research on alternative ways of solving the problems that the country is facing for example de-dollarization and strategies that bring about monetary policy freedom. / GR2018

Submitted to the Development Studies, School of Social Sciences in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa 2016 / The predatory state has received considerably less attention than the developmental state in the development literature. In this thesis I probe three understudied questions on the characteristics of the predatory state and its construction. First, what are the underlying class forces and power dynamics of a predatory state and how does it function? Second, what are the modes of accumulation that characterise the predatory state? Finally, what are the implications for development outcomes? This thesis answers these questions by examining Zimbabwe’s power elite (state, military and business) anti-developmental accumulation patterns across key economic sectors: land and agriculture, mining, transport and energy, and banking and finance. I adopt an historical approach beginning in the colonial period to understand the key choices made to explain the changing role of the state in mediating accumulation patterns and implications for development in both pre- and post-independence periods. Based on my empirical research, I suggest that the predatory state is a ruling class anti-developmental accumulation and reproduction project characterised by: (1) party and military dominance in the state; (2) state-business relations shaped by domination and capture; and (3) state-society relations shaped by violence and patronage. I differentiate the notion of predation from most political economy approaches on post-colonial Africa that emphasise the absence of central authority. I challenge the developmental state concept that views the predatory state as simply the opposite of a developmental state. Finally, I also show that contrary to suggestions that the predatory state is autonomous from society, the predatory state is also in fact deeply embedded with business albeit in a different way. / GR2017

Thesis (MTech (Tourism and Hospitality Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / A well-packaged tourism product is the deciding factor in the choice of tourists about which destination to visit. A tourism product can be bundled with many tourism elements such as accommodation, attractions, activities and tours, price, image and climate. The tourism elements that build up a tourism product are the principle factors that contribute to the decision to choose one destination over another destination. Tourists can put a number of tourism products on the table, based on their needs and wants. However, they opt for one tourism product that promises to satisfy their demands. Destinations that offer unique tourism products are the most successful in a competitive industry since tourists will visit such destinations to fulfil their needs. However, even though some destinations like Victoria Falls offer unique tourism products, it is important to understand the nature and trends of tourists visiting this destination and their perceptions of the tourism product. This will assist in planning how to address any areas of concern as well as maintaining areas that are performing well. Limited research exists on tourist perspectives of the Victoria Falls tourism product and hence this is the focus of the current research. It will help in broadening the knowledge of the relevant tourism bodies in Zimbabwe on how tourists view the tourism product, as well as aiding sustainable development and growth of the tourism product. This study followed a quantitative methodology design. The interviewer administered 377 questionnaires on face-to-face basis to tourists on a voluntary participation basis. Systematic sampling was used to collect the data.Key findings indicate that despite the increasing number of females visiting this destination, males still dominate the tourist numbers. The majority of tourists fell within the age bracket of 21-50 years. The findings further show that availability of attractions, price of the tourism product, and accessibility of the destination play a paramount role in influencing tourists to visit the destination. Most tourists’ expectations were met and they would visit again in future and recommend the destination to friends and relatives. The most satisfactory results were noted on the attractions, activities, tours, and tourist accommodation. Despite these positive results, tourists felt that prices of accommodation, activities, tours, as well as dining, was too high. Furthermore, too many police roadblocks and unnecessary fines were noted as being detrimental to the tourism product. The researcher noted all concerns and made recommendations to overcome these negative aspects. The experience of tourists at a destination is strongly associated with an amalgamation of different elements of a tourism product. It is crucial to understand the performance of each tourism element as this contributes significantly to the success of the tourism product. The results of this study will afford the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority an understanding of the Victoria Falls tourism product from a tourist perspective. These entities will be able to improve the product, make it more attractive to tourists, and hence grow future visitor numbers. In addition, the results of this study create a baseline for future research. Monitoring of tourist perspectives over time and an evaluation and assessment of the tourist demands can be done, which will help in the modification and upgrading of the tourism product to match the demands of the consumers (tourists).

The research investigates whether it is appropriate, practically and theologically, to think of the United Church of Christ in Chipinge, Zimbabwe as a community as set in the struggle against poverty. A number of key questions were asked and explored concerning the context of poverty in Chipinge, the theological grounds for understanding itself as a community asset in the struggle against poverty in Chipinge, and whether the 'asset portfolio' can actually contribute to the eradication of poverty. The thesis is rooted in a contemporary development approach known as Asset Based Community Development which argues that sustainable community life is built on what exists in a community rather than what is lacking. The theory and its relevance are explored in the thesis. Further, drawing on contemporary thinking about missiology and ecclesiology, the thesis argues whether the Church should understand itself as a 'community asset'. This leads to the use of the metaphor taken from Matthew 5: 13, where the people of God are called to be ' the salt of the earth' who would draw others together into a living relationship with God. It is argued that being the salt of the earth requires the Church to take faith into action through utilizing the God given gifts which are available in the Church and Chipinge community. Through a key informant survey of the pastors from seventeen UCC Churches in Chipinge. the thesis demonstrates that the United Church of Christ (UCC) in Chipinge, Zimbabwe, has a range of assets, or what we could call an "asset portfolio" which can and should contribute to the struggle against poverty in the region. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

There has been an expansion of the informal economy globally, in both developed and developing countries. Among those joining the informal economy are Zimbabwean cross border traders coming to South Africa. This study explores the business environment within which the Zimbabwean cross border traders coming to South Africa operate. It gives an overview of the demographics of traders, the socioeconomic and political environment in which they operate and the nature of their supply relations. It also explores trader's experiences, the problems they face, the role of financial and social capital and the economic contribution of traders. The study made use of business tools, thus introducing new dimension of analysis into the field of informal economy studies. This study not only fills a gap in the literature on migration and informal activities but also concludes by making key policy recommendations. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.