Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Airlines – Zimbabwe – Economic aspects'

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.

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.

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.

Less than two decades ago, Zimbabwe was a symbol for the rest of the world of what Africa could become (Dell, 2005). DiSilvio (2007) contends that independent Zimbabwe was an economic success on route to attaining status of the most “developed country” in Africa. Contrary to expectations, by 2003 the Zimbabwean economy was shrinking faster than any other economy in the world at 18 percent per year (Richardson, 2005). Reports indicate that the Zimbabwean economy is in crisis and has since been set back by more than 50 years (Matikinye, 2005). This phenomenon necessitated the need for an investigation to ascertain its cause in Zimbabwe. As a result, the research identifies and presents hyperinflation as the root cause of the crisis in Zimbabwe and illustrates the validity of this assertion with a focus on the Zimbabwean construction industry. As part of the research inquiry, a review of related literature was conducted. The literature review illustrated the generic effects of hyperinflation as well as the effects of this phenomenon in action in Zimbabwe. The literature study was followed by a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was completed by 23 contractors and 7 clients from a census of contractors and clients in Zimbabwe. The questionnaire consisted of a number of variables, which the respondents were asked to rate vis-à-vis the effects of hyperinflation in the construction industry. In summary, the questionnaire sought to determine the causes of hyperinflation in Zimbabwe, its specific effects on the construction industry and how respondents thought the phenomenon could be mitigated so as to revive the Zimbabwean construction industry. The techniques of re-scaling, in conjunction with descriptive and inferential statistics, ranking and quadrant analysis were applied to the data. Results from these analyses revealed a high degree of agreement among respondents vis-à-vis the effects of hyperinflation on the Zimbabwean construction industry. The interpretation of the results further revealed that hyperinflation has undoubtedly led to the collapse of the Zimbabwean construction industry. In conclusion, the research, applying the interpretations of v the survey findings, prescribes a number of ways in which the Zimbabwean construction sector may be resurrected. Among the recommended prescriptions, there are a number of debatable issues that arise that the researcher proposes should be subject to future study.

The government of Zimbabwe started implementing its fast track resettlement programme in July 2000, the objective being to accelerate both land acquisition and land redistribution. This programme witnessed a massive movement of people from various localities into mainly large-scale commercial farms in search of agricultural land. Under this programme, people were settled under the A1 model (which involves villages and land use pattern similar to those found in communal areas) as well as the A2 model, which involves commercial farming. This study investigates, documents and analyses the opportunities and constraints currently being faced by newly resettled crop production farmers in one example of an A1 model resettlement project (Fair Ranch Estate in Masvingo Province). A questionnaire was used to gather data on livelihood sources, income, assets and also aspects of the associational life of crop production farmers. Seventy households were interviewed, and a number of key informant interviews were undertaken with both government officials and the local leadership. The greatest opportunity that A1 crop production farmers in Fair Range Estate experienced was the fact that they now have access to land that they can call their own, without having to go through the market to try to acquire such land. In terms of crop production, however, farmers in Fair Range Estate face a number of challenges and constraints: they lack adequate access to tillage and livestock
the supply of inputs is inadequate
generally negative socio economic conditions prevailing in the country have led to sharp increases in prices of all basic commodities, including inputs such as fertilisers and seeds
they lack tenure security
the amount of rainfall received in the area is generally not sufficient for crop production
and many lack crop production skills. Measures to reverse this decline must include the availability of foreign currency to buy spare parts for tractors, rebuilding of the national herd, which was greatly affected by both drought and the disturbance of commercial agriculture as a result of the controversial land reform programme. Fuel should also become more readily available, and urgent policy measures be put in place to revamp institutional frameworks in the agricultural sector to make them more farmer-oriented.

How a country is perceived by foreign investors is becoming increasingly significant to the ability of individual countries to attract foreign direct investment into their economies. In Africa, existing negative perceptions of the continent as an investment destination have been considered as an obstacle for foreign direct investment inflows to the continent in general. Although Zimbabwe offers foreign investors multiple lucrative investment opportunities, attracting foreign direct investment to the country presents a unique challenge due to the image of the country post the 1998-2008 economic crisis. Despite the vast research on the determinants of foreign direct inflows to particular countries, little is known about whether non-financial image-related factors influence the inflow of foreign direct investment to a particular country, especially a country with a unfavourable global image like Zimbabwe. The primary objective of this study was therefore to determine the perceived non-financial nation brand image factors considered to be influential for attracting specific foreign direct investment inflow opportunities in Zimbabwe. A comprehensive literature review resulted in the identification of nine independent variables (tourism, governance, people, culture and heritage, exports, investment and immigration, factor endowments, infrastructure, and legal and regulation frameworks), as well as four dependent variables (market-, resource-, efficiency- and strategic asset-seeking foreign direct investment inflow opportunities in Zimbabwe). A hypothesised model was developed in order to examine whether the independent variables have an influence on the dependent variables, and as a result nine hypotheses were formulated to test the relationships between the nine independent variables and each of the four dependent variables. A cross-sectional, quantitative deductive approach to research was employed in order to generate the data required for hypothesis testing. Purposive sampling techniques were employed to draw the sample frame for the study. A self-administered online survey was conducted, and generated empirical data from a final sample comprised of 305 investors who had applied to invest in Zimbabwe through the Zimbabwe Investment Authority between January 2009 and April 2015. Data was analysed using STATISTICA 12 software. Exploratory factor analysis was utilised to extract the constructs and validate the measuring instrument. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were calculated in order to test the reliability and internal consistency of the measuring instrument. As a result, a total of six valid and reliable independent variables, and four dependent variables were retained for further analysis. The results of the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients revealed mostly moderate correlations. The Multi-Collinearity diagnostics test confirmed the absence of collinearity between the independent variables and dependent variables respectively. Subsequently, the results of the four sets of multiple regression analyses, disclosed thirteen statistically significant relationships between the six independent variables and the four categorical dependent variables. Tourism had significant relationships with market-, efficiency- and strategic asset-seeking FDI inflow opportunities. Government actions had significant relationships with resource- and strategic asset-seeking FDI inflow opportunities. People had significant relationships with resource- and efficiency- seeking FDI inflow opportunities. Export had significant relationships with market-, resource-, efficiency- and strategic asset-seeking FDI inflow opportunities. Regulatory framework had significant relationships with market- and resource-seeking FDI inflow opportunities. The results of the Analysis of Variance revealed that investor status can be used to predict which non-financial nation brand image determinants played a role in the ultimate decision for taking up foreign direct investment opportunities in Zimbabwe. Further analysis of the role that the demographic profiles of the investors played in predicting which non-financial nation brand image determinants are considered influential in taking up foreign direct investment opportunities in Zimbabwe was confirmed in the Multivariate Analysis of Variance with thirty-four statically significant relationships identified. Further analysis by means of post-hoc Scheffé testing and Cohen’s d-values calculations confirm that thirty-nine practically significant mean differences were evident. This study makes a novel contribution to the empirical body of nation branding, foreign direct investment and investment promotion research by developing and testing a hypothetical model that synthesises facets of the three fields of study. This study represents a new discourse in the identification of the determinants of FDI (that being non-financial determinants) and provides an explanatory framework for the non-financial nation brand image determinants influencing each type of FDI inflow opportunity sought in Zimbabwe. It is within this framework that recommendations, based on empirical evidence, are made for the Government of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Investment Authority. Some of these recommendations could be implemented within the short-term, while others may be more strategic in the long term. Recommendations made include that the Government of Zimbabwe undertakes significant policy reviews, continues its engagement with key external stakeholders such as other governments, supra-national financial institutions, and foreign investors, as well as adhering to existing favourable FDI policies. It is also recommended that the Zimbabwe Investment Authority adopt an intermediary role, by linking the Government of Zimbabwe with potential foreign investors through investor targeting, as well as promoting Zimbabwe as an investment destination by engaging in image-building activities such as public diplomacy, investor relations, specialised advertising and hosting investor forums with multiple, distinct investor segments. These image-building activities should be centered on the non-financial nation brand image determinants that foreign investors consider to be influential to foreign direct investment in Zimbabwe, and should be geared towards improving and managing the perceived image of Zimbabwe as an investment destination.

There is consensus that Small to Medium Enterprises (SME) exports play a critical role in the development of economies. It has been widely acknowledged in empirical research done around the world that small businesses make a significant contribution to economic development, employment, competitiveness and the reduction of regional disparities. However, empirical literature gives conflicting evidence on the determinants of export performance among SMEs. The study contributes towards the debate on SME exports by: (i) investigating the variables that determine export performance among SMEs in Zimbabwe (ii) establishing the competi-tiveness of Zimbabwe’s exports and (iii) ascertaining the major constraints faced by SME ex-porters in Zimbabwe The researcher gathered data from 120 SMEs and 10 institutions in Zimbabwe for the period 2009 to 2015. SME samples were chosen from Harare, Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland East provinces while all 10 of the institutions were chosen from Harare province. Convenient non-probability sampling method was used to select SMEs while stratified sampling technique was applied in the selection of institutions. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed. For the quantitative approach, panel data ordinary least squares method was used in the form of the gravity model of trade. Export intensity (used as a measure of exports) was regressed against support institutions, business ownership, research & development, educational years, use of export processing zones, product type, export years, firm size, firm age, gender, distance from trading partner, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of trading partner, and GDP of Zimbabwe. The random effects estimation method was used, basing on results from the Durbin-Wu-Hausman test. The null hypothesis was based on the premise that the variables under study do not determine export intensity of SMEs in Zimbabwe. Other null hypothesis were that the major constraint faced by SME exporters in Zimbabwe is not access to finance and that Zimbabwe’s exports are not competitive in the mining, agricultural and manufacturing sectors. The revealed comparative advantage index was computed to measure the competitiveness of Zimbabwe’s exports.For the qualitative approach, the study used the triangulation method which involved combining and utilising the questionnaire, interviews and focus group discussions. The results from the study indicated that following variables increased export intensity of Zimbabwean SMEs; business ownership, use of export processing zones, export years, firm size, and GDP of trading partner. The following variables have an inverse relationship with the export intensity of Zimbabwean SMEs: gender, distance from trading partner and research & development. The results also indicated that these further variables do not determine the export intensity of SMEs in Zimbabwe: support institutions, years of education, product type, firm age and GDP of Zimbabwe. The major constraint faced by exporting SMEs in Zimbabwe is limited access to finance. Zimbabwe is competitive in the agricultural and mining sector exports, but not in manufacturing sector exports The policy implication of the findings is that SME support needs to go beyond support institutions when it comes to SME export promotion. Further SMEs in the agriculture and mining sectors need to be promoted for export growth since Zimbabwe is competitive in these sectors. However the manufacturing sector cannot be ignored, since many economies have developed due to exports of manufactured products and a country needs to have balanced export growth in both primary and manufacturing sectors. In order to have motivated, career SME exporters, entrepreneurship education should begin from primary school right up to university so as to improve entrepreneurial aspirations, attitudes and behaviour in the long run.

This study sought to probe the exclusion of young people from the land distribution process and therefore, overlooking their economic empowerment and development. The focus was on economic empowerment of the youth to participate meaningfully or undertake agricultural initiatives in the resettlement areas of Mutare district in Zimbabwe; youths’ ownership and control of economic assets. The data was gathered using a case study research design with the qualitative method being the main research approach.

This study first explored the rate of forest deforestation in Shamva resettlement areas. It then identified and estimated the extent to which these resettled farmers depend on forest for their livelihoods. Evaluation of farmer perceptions on management issues and willingness to participate in indigenous forest conservation and the socio-economic and institutional factors which affect their willingness to participate were also done. Finally the study sought to identify incentives for forests conservation. The study was conducted in Shamva district in Mashonaland Central province. And the respondents were stratified into three groups: A1, A2 and Old resettlement models. The three models differ on how they were implemented and supported which might render them to have different deforestation rates, livelihood strategies and forest dependency. A total of 247 respondents were surveyed, consisting of 98 A1 farmers, 50 A2 farmers and 99 Old resettled farmers. The data was collected using GIS and remote sensing, structured questionnaire interviews and direct observation. The data was analysed using descriptive analysis, KAP analytic framework and binary logistic regression analysis. The land cover/changes results revealed that both deforestation and afforestation are taking place in Shamva resettlement. Woodland and bushland were decreasing, croplands were also decreasing. However woodland dense and grasslands were increasing. Deforestation was found to be as a result of the resettled farmers’ livelihood strategies which were found to be diverse and agriculture being dominant in all models. All the farmers depended on the forest but at varying levels of 19 percent for Old and 14 percent forA1 and 0.02 percent for A2 resettle farmers. 84 percent of the interviewed farmers however, indicated that they are willing to conserve forest with A1 farmers being the highest followed by A2 86 percent and lastly Old resettled farmers at 76.8 percent. Results of the binary regression model revealed that the significant factors which explain willingness to participate in indigenous forest conservation are age, marital status, education, gender, institution, culture and belief, employment and household size. The highest preferred incentive was the provision of free seedlings and the lowest was out grower scheme. The study recommends that GIS and remote sensing should be used to monitor deforestation, off farm projects be encouraged, exotic and indigenous trees be promoted and forest conservation education be promoted in resettlement areas.

In recent years, proponents of 'green and clean fuel' have argued that the costs of overreliance on fossil fuels could be reduced through transition to biofuels such as bio-ethanol. Global biofuel discourses suggest that any transition to biofuel invariably results in significant benefits, including energy independence, job creation, development of agro-industrial centres at local level and high revenue generations for the state with minimum negative impacts on the environment. With many risks and costs associated with traditional 'dirty' fuels, it is likely that many countries, particularly African countries, will move towards the 'green and clean fuel' alternative. However, until recently research has arguably paid limited attention to the local livelihood impacts related to land acquisition for biofuel development or the policy frameworks required to maximise biofuel benefits. With regards to biofuel benefits, some recent studies suggest that the much bandied potential for greater tax revenue, lowered fuel costs and wealth distribution from biofuel production have all been perverted with relatively little payoff in wage labour opportunities in return (e.g. Richardson, 2010; Wilkinson and Herrera, 2010). Based on work done in Chisumbanje communal lands of Zimbabwe (Thondhlana, 2015), this policy brief highlights the local livelihood impacts of biofuel development and discusses policy implications of the findings. By highlighting the justifications of biofuel development at any cost by the state, the study sheds some light on the conflicts between state interests and local livelihood needs.

This study investigates the impact of informal cross border trading on poverty reduction in Zimbabwe. In the context of this study, the term Informal Cross Border Trade (ICBT), is used to describe the activities of small entrepreneurs who are involved in buying and selling across national borders. The study focuses on whether the stated activities are lifting those participating out of poverty. The research problem is examined through an assessment of the income levels, assets acquirement, expenditures patterns, food security and family relations. The hypotheses tested in the research are that, “The extent of ICBT is significant in Zimbabwe; ICBT in the Southern Africa region is mainly dominated by women; and that ICBT contributes positively to poverty reduction”. In this context, poverty reduction is said to have occurred when informal cross border trading would have resulted in an improvement in the socio-economic wellbeing of traders‟ households. The Poverty Datum Line (PDL) is used as the measure of households‟ well-being. To assess the impact of ICBT on well-being, a survey was conducted whereby in-depth interviews using the questionnaire method were used to collect primary data. Secondary information was obtained from documentary searches at institutions and also using internet searches. From this study it has been found that ICBT has both positive and negative impacts with regard to social welfare. With regard to economic welfare, based on poverty indicator measures used in the study, ICBT contributes positively to Poverty Reduction. Thus the analysis revealed that informal cross border trade plays an important role in alleviating economic hardships, reducing poverty and enhancing welfare and human development in Zimbabwe.

Regulations to reduce the consumption of tobacco products have dual effects on economies. Economies that are net consumers of tobacco products experience welfare enhancing effects as a result of these regulations. However, these regulations can have adverse welfare effects among net producing economies. Many studies have explored these welfare effects on net consuming economies, whereas the impacts among net producing economies have been neglected. This research paper examined the adverse welfare effects of smoking regulations on small tobacco exporting economies with, a comparative advantage in tobacco production.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is concerned with the analysis of the factors that contribute to the viabililty of the airline industry. The viability of the airline industry in Africa is the subject of debate amongst African airline executives, governments and potential investors. The debate is a complex one because of the lack of reliable financial data from the airlines themselves. Governments are still financing airlines and it is therefore difficult to assess and evaluate airline viability on the basis of available financial information. This study project describes the industry as a whole, assesses the current situation and identifies an airline statistic that is closely related to airline profitability. The macro economic factors, social and political factors set the framework for the industry. The current situation does not look positive for Africa at that level. African governments, executives and airline organisations are aware of the problems, but an approach to addressing them is still the subject of discussion. The critical success factors of an airline revolve around the management of the balance between revenues and costs. In this case, the load factor was found to be a critical variable. The role played by the load factor in profitability is modelled using correlation and regression techniques. It could be established from the USA data that high regulation distorts the relationship between the load factor and profit. However, when the industry is deregulated and market forces determine the product, price and demand, the load factor has been found to play an important role. A break-even load factor was computed using the statistical techniques. This was then used as a basis for analysis. Although Africa meets the break even load factor, the trend is not improving in line with the America and Europe. It is recommended that the African airline industry need to improve its viability by deregulation, privatisation, forming strategic alliances and product development.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studiestuk behandel die oorsig van die faktore wat bydra tot die lewensvatbaarheid van die lugdiensbedryf in Afrika tans 'n onderwerp van bespreking tussen Afrika-Iugdiensverteenwoordigers, regerings en potensiele beleggers. Die debat word bemoelik as gevolg van die gebrek aan betroubare finansiële inligting van die lugdienste self. Meeste lugdienste in Afrika word deur regerings finansiel ondersteun en bedryf met die gevolg dat bedryfsresultate moeilik bekombaar is. Dit is dus moeilik om lugdienste se lewensvatbaarheid te bepaal as gevolg van die gebrekkige finansiele inligting. Hiedie studiestuk beskryf die lugdiensbedryf as 'n geheel, ontleed die huidige omstandighede en identifiseer lugdienstatistiek wat lugdienswinsgewendheid similleer. Die makro ekonomiese -, sosiale - en politiekefaktore wat die raamwerk vir die bedryf uitmaak, lyk op hierdie vlak nie positief vir Afrika nie. Regerings in Afrika, uitvoerende besture en lugdiens-organisasies is van hierdie probleem bewus, maar die aanspreeklikheid van hierdie probleem is steeds 'n onderwerp van bespreking. Die kritiese sukses faktore van 'n lugdiens rus om berus op die bestuur van 'n balans tussen inkomste en uitgawes. In hierdie geval is bevind dat die sitplekbesettingsfaktor die kritieke variant is. Die rol wat die sitplekbesettingsfaktor in winsgewingheidsmodelering speel, word deur korrelasie en regressie tegnieke weerspieël. Dit is uit Amerikaanse data vasgestel dat die mate van regulering van lugrederye in Afrika die verhouding tussen sitplekbesettings en wins, verwring. Sodra die bedryf gedereguleer word en markkragte die produk, prys en aanvraag bepaal, is bevind dat die sitplekbesettingsfaktor 'n meer verteenwordigende aanduiding van winsgewindheid weerspieel. Met die gebruik van statistiese tegnieke is 'n gelykbreek sitplekbesettingsyfer bepaal, wat hierdie grondslag van die analise is. Alhoewel lugrederye in Afrika die gelykbreek sitplekbesettingsyfer behaal, verskil dit van die verbeterende tendens in Amerika en Europa. Dit word aanbeveel dat die lugdiensbedryf in Afrika sy lewensvatbaarheid verbeter deur middel van deregulering, privatisering, vorming van strategiese bondgenootskappe, en die ontwikkeling van 'n beter produk.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The emergence of low cost airlines (LCAs) has attracted attention from passengers, competitors, the public, and researchers alike. It seems prodigious that LCAs prosper in today's time of economic downturn and are therefore able to counter the industry's trend. lATA's member airlines have accumulated losses of $31 billion since the beginning of the new millennium. Furthermore, industry icons such as American Airlines and British Airways are fighting for survival while some, namely Air Canada, are on the edge of bankruptcy: a fate which others, like Sabena, have not been able to escape. However, the low cost business model has triumphantly entered the aviation market since the deregulation of the markets in the U.S. in 1978. Low cost airlines like Southwest Airlines and Ryanair not only achieve double-digit profit margins, but also have the highest market capitalisation of the industry. This thesis examines the reason for the success of LCAs in the U.S. and EU. LCAs operate with a much lower cost base than most carriers, especially the major hut-and-spoke (H&S) airlines. The low cost business model aims at increasing both aircraft and staff productivity. It also simplifies the sequence of operations workflow and pricing structure. The thesis gives special consideration to the cost structure of LCAs. The advantages of LCAs lie within the areas such as labour, seat density, and distribution. The second objective of this thesis is to evaluate the development of LCAs and consider the implications for the European transport industry. Whereas American LCAs have operated for more than twenty-five years, the boom of their European counterparts did not commence until the end of the 1990s. Ryanair and easyJet have growth rates of more than thirty percent. The author agrees with the expectations of aviation experts that LCAs will grow until they serve approximately a quarter of the market; hence, the business model of low cost is sustainable. However, only three to four low cost airlines will survive the fierce competition in Europe.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die dringendheid van lae koste lugrederye (LKL'e) het die aandag getrek van passasiers, mededingers, die publiek en navorsers. Dit is vreemd dat LKL'e floreer in die huidige ekonomiese afswaai en gevolglik die tendens van die industrie teenwerk. Lugrederye, wat lid is van "lATA" , het sedert die begin van die eeu verliese gelei van 31 biljoen dollar. Daar teenoor is industriele ikone soos die Amerikaanse en Britse lugdienste (American Airlines and British Airways) besig om te veg vir oorlewing, terwyl ander soos die Kanadese lugdiens (Air Canada) op die grens van bankrotskap is: 'n ramp wat sommige soos Sabena nie kon vryspring nie. Sedert die deregulering van die lugvaart in die VSA in 1978 het die lae koste besigheidsmodel egter die mark triomfanlik betree. Lae koste lugrederye soos SuidWes lugdiens en Ryanair ervaar nie alleen dubbel-syfer wins-marges nie, maar het ook die hoogste mark-kapitalisasie in die industrie. Hierdie verhandeling ondersoek die redes vir die sukses van LKL'e in die V.SA en E.U. LKL'e werk teen 'n baie laer koste basis as die meeste vervoerders, veral die belangrikste "hub-and-spoke" lugrederye. Die doel van die lae koste besigheidsmodel is om beide die vliegtuie en die personeel se produktiwiteit te verhoog. Dit vereenvoudig ook die volgorde van prosedures, werkvloei en prysstruktuur. Hierdie verhandeling gee spesiale aandag aan die kostestruktuur van LKL'e. Die voordele van LKL'e lê op die gebied van arbeid, sitplekplasing en verspreiding. Die tweede doel van hierdie verhandeling is om die ontwikkeling van LKL'e te evalueer en te kyk na die invloed op die Europese vervoer-industrie. Die Amerikaanse LKL'e word reeds vir meer as vyf-en-twintig jaar bedryf terwyl hulle Europese eweknie nie 'n opswaai voor die einde van die 1990's ervaar het nie. Ryanair en easy Jet het 'n groei getoon van meer as 30%. Die argument is dat volgens lugvaartkundiges die LKL'e sal groei totdat dit ongeveer 'n kwart van die mark bedien; daarom sal die lae koste model die beste oorleef. Nogtans sal slegs drie of vier van die lae koste lugrederye egter die hewige kompetisie in Europa oorleef.

This study endeavors to explore the value of informal cross-border trade to household poverty reduction. Informal cross-border trade has become a panacea to most Zimbabweans both employed and unemployed in the middle of the socio-economic crisis which has eroded the standards of living in Zimbabwe. This study is an eye opener to those who view informal cross-border trade as merely a survival strategy. It explores the efficacy of informal cross-border trade as a poverty reduction strategy looking at its viability and sustainability despite criticism by many people who associate informal cross-border trade with all kinds of negativity. It thrusts forward the agenda of participatory poverty reduction agenda within a nexus of partnerships and relationships between the government, non-governmental organization, institutions and families. Informal cross-border traders have maneuvered their way out of the chains and shackles of poverty even though it has been tough due to many obstacles from different angles. They have helped to distribute the scarce goods and products in Zimbabwe as a consequent of the socio-economic crisis. If they are given a better platform they can 5 perform much better than they are getting at present. Thus this study advocates the forging of networks between various stakeholders in both the formal and informal sector in order to fight against poverty.

The major aim of this study was to analyse the dynamics of stakeholder participation in the agricultural sector during the first five years of the water reform process in Zimbabwe. Specific reference is made to water allocation, conflict management and the payment of costs related to water use. Stakeholders investigated are those in communal smallholder irrigation schemes, large-scale commercial white and black farms and those resettled under the government's fast track land resettlement programme. The study was undertaken in the Middle Manyame Subcatchment area, which falls under the Manyame Catchment area.

Successive droughts, in Zimbabwe compounded by other economic shocks in recent years have resulted in decreased maize productivity amongst the communal farmers most of whom reside in regions IV and V which are considered semi-arid. This has given rise to the need to find alternative food crops, which may be suitable for these areas. Generally, research in the world indicates that sorghum and millet have the potential to end chronic food insecurity in semi-arid areas because of their drought tolerance. Whilst this might be the case, research, government policy and assistance from non-governmental organizations on food crop production in Zimbabwe have shown a continual inclination to maize production in semi-arid areas. However, maize is regarded as a high risk crop in these regions. The main objective of the study was to investigate major factors affecting smallholder farmers in semi-arid areas, from increased production of small grains, specifically sorghum and finger millet. The study was conducted in two rural districts of Masvingo and Gutu, which lie in natural region IV in Masvingo Province. The questionnaire was used as the main tool of inquiry to gather data from households in selected villages within these districts. Questionnaires were administered through face-to-face interviews. The total sample size was 120. The logistic regression model was used to analyze data. The results revealed that, at the 5% level, labour, cattle ownership, farm size, age, extension, yields and access to credit significantly influence sorghum and finger millet production. These findings suggest that an adjustment in each one of the significant variables can significantly influence the probability of participation in small grain production. In view of these research findings, a policy shift that encourages increased production of finger millet and sorghum in Zimbabwe‟s semi-arid regions is proposed. It is suggested that this may increase household food security in these regions.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
Fiscal deficits, which are the end result of fiscal indiscipline and lack of fiscal space, have been the focus of fiscal and macroeconomic adjustment in developed and developing countries. Developments in the euro zone between 2007 and 2011, have reminded policy makers about the macro-economic dangers posed by government debt. The nasty experiences of Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain forced policy makers in Europe to introduce painful austerity measures. Up to this day, the eurozone debt crisis threatens the survival of the European Union. Although most African countries were not directly affected by the contagion of the euro zone debt crisis, they too had their own structural problems of unsustainable fiscal deficits and bad governance which caused macroeconomic imbalances. This study examines the macroeconomic effects of fiscal deficits and the contribution of bad governance to macroeconomic instability in Zimbabwe. In chapter one the problem and methodology of the study are introduced. The key questions are basically whether deficits are harmful or neutral? Linked to this is of course, the political economy of these deficits, especially the method of financing them and how this affects the macro-economic equilibrium. In order to investigate these issues, this study uses a qualitative and comparative methodology which juxtaposes Zimbabwe’s experiences with those of other developing countries, namely Ghana, Morocco, Zambia and Botswana. These countries are chosen as they collectively depict both cases of good fiscal management (Botswana and Morocco) on the one hand, and bad fiscal management (Ghana and Zambia), on the other. This methodology adequately captures political economy issues which are not capable of being estimated without running the risk of lack of validity and spurious inferences given the softness of data under hyperinflationary conditions that occurred in Zimbabwe prior to 2009. In chapter two the study examines various theoretical propositions on the relationship between the fiscal deficit and selected macroeconomic variables. The traditional theory postulates that the fiscal deficit has a negative impact on macroeconomic performance whereas the Ricardian Equivalence Theorem posits that the impact of the deficit is neutral. Keynesians argue that deficits arising from public expenditure on investment as opposed to consumption actually crowd-in rather than crowd out private sector investment. In theory, there is a close connection between a monetized deficit and inflation. A positive theoretical relationship is also found between the twin deficits (that is, the trade and fiscal deficits). However, the relationship between the budget deficit, interest rates and exchange rate is ambiguous. In chapter three we find that the majority of empirical studies support the view that budget deficits are generally inflationary when they are financed by printing money. A causal link is also found between the budget deficit and trade deficit. However, empirical evidence on the relationship between the deficit, exchange rate and interest rates is largely ambiguous. The comparative politico-economic and fiscal experiences of Ghana, Zambia, Morocco and Botswana in chapter four are used to provide the trajectory for the Zimbabwean case study in chapter 5. The review of the experiences of Ghana and Zambia showed that fiscal indiscipline resulted in high fiscal deficits which led to the deterioration of macroeconomic performance whereas in Morocco and Botswana, fiscal discipline resulted in low fiscal deficits and improved macro-economic performance. But central to the politico-economic performance of these countries, was the issue of bad governance and how this worsened the impact of fiscal deficits. In chapter five the experiences of Zimbabwe confirm the view that fiscal deficits are harmful to the economy. Many years of fiscal indiscipline and bad governance, led to macro-economic instability that resulted in record hyperinflation levels in 2008. Finally, the study concludes that, cumulative fiscal deficits in Zimbabwe since 1980, precipitated macroeconomic instability and fiscal unsustainability. Prolonged fiscal and quasi-fiscal deficits, which were largely financed by printing money, triggered hyperinflation and macroeconomic disequilibria. The lack of fiscal probity and the profligacy of the state, corruption, macroeconomic mismanagement and dirigistic policies, all rolled into one, caused the unprecedented economic meltdown and eventual economic collapse in Zimbabwe. The study finds that fiscal indiscipline in Zimbabwe, other than causing macroeconomic instability, also contributed to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, never witnessed in a country not waging a war. Going forward, the study recommends a battery of policy measures in the area of institutional, fiscal and macro-economic adjustment in order to control and manage the deficit in Zimbabwe.

Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Zimbabwe’s land-reform process has been widely debated and severely criticised, yet seldom been analysed at greater depth. In the transition from startup small-holding farmer to the long-run goal of commercial farmer, Zimbabweans currently experience a phase of increasing “contract farming”. New farmers are producing for contractors who buy up their produce at predetermined prices. Ideally, these contractors or agribusinesses also help the smallholders to get the seeds and fertiliser, obtain the necessary equipment, help with the production technology and assist in other ways. On the basis of interviews with 25 farmers and 12 agribusinesses in different regions of the country, the study tries to asses the merits, risks and preconditions for success of contract farming. The responses from both sides of this contract farming system suggest that overall success will largely depend on the effective co-operation between the two sides and the facilitation of the process by relevant government departments and/or supportive NGOs. Ideally, the lessons to be learned from these transitional reform processes are directly relevant for land reform and agricultural development efforts in other African countries.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Zimbabwe se grondhervormingsstelsel is in die jongste tyd wyd bespreek en skerp gekritiseer, maar dit is selde in groter diepte ontleed. In die oorgang van beginners-kleinskaal-boerdery tot die lang-termyn oogmerk van kommersiele boerdery word die land tans gekenmerk deur ‘n vinnig toenemende proses van “kontrak-boerdery”. Nuwe boere produseer vir kontrakteurs wat hul produksie teen voorafonderhandelde pryse opkoop. Op hul beste voorsien dié kontrakteurs ook die saadgoed en kunsmis, verskaf die nodige toerusting, help met die produksie-tegnologie en voorsien ander take. Op die grondslag van diepte-onderhoude met 25 kleinboere en 12 landboubesighede in verskillende dele van die land, probeer die studie die meriete, risikos en suksesvoorwaardes van hierdie stelsel van kontrakboerdery te bepaal. Terugvoering van die twee kante van dié stelsel toon dat sukses grootliks afhang van die effektiewe samewerking en interaksie van die twee partye tot die stelsel asook ondersteuning deur die betrokke staatsdepartemente en ander ondersteunende organisasies. Lesse geleer uit hierdie studie van Zimbabwe se hervormingsproses behoort direk relevant te wees vir soortgelyke hervormingsprosesse in ander Afrikastate.

The study was conceptualised against the background that leading migration theories explain return migration based on failure and success alone. The neo-classical economics theory of migration perceives return migration as a by-product of a failed migration experience while the new economics of labour migration perceives return as occurring after successful achievement of migration objectives. This study questions these theoretical positions through an exploration of the factors that deter South Africa-based Zimbabwean skilled migrants from returning home permanently notwithstanding a successful or failed migration experience. Furtive economic factors in Zimbabwe and South Africa that dissuade skilled migrants from returning home permanently are explored. Social factors in Zimbabwe and in South Africa that influence return migration decision making are also examined. Furthermore, the study analysed whether and how Zimbabwean skilled migrants are forced into a permanent settlement in South Africa as a result of what this study calls the ‘diaspora trap’. This ‘diaspora trap’ framework argues that Zimbabwean skilled migrants in South Africa do not return following their experiences of failure and success in South Africa. Central to the absence of return is the social construction of migrants as successful in Zimbabwe. Skilled migrants are deterred from returning due to their failure to meet family and communal expectations of success. In addition, return migration is deferred as a means to hide poverty in South Africa. Moreover, new diaspora family ties weaken attachments with Zimbabwe and contribute to deferred return migration. Skilled migrants are thus entrapped in South Africa by their failure to live up to the success social construct and the inability to mitigate adversities in the host country.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
Contract farming is being given renewed attention on the African continent in the wake of reduced public expenditure for credit programmes. Many African countries have recognised the potential of contract farming in linking farmers to viable markets and stimulating agricultural production in the face of globalisation. In Zimbabwe prior to 1998, smallholder farmers were poorly integrated in the cash economy and had extremely low incomes, largely due to poor access to productivity-enhancing inputs. Small-scale farmers were marginalised as the economy focused on the larger commercial farms. Currently, mainstream banks have been unable to provide funding due to their own capital inadequacy and the view that smallholder farming is a risky and unprofitable sector. There is also a shift in roles as the government moves from direct participation in agricultural production and marketing towards facilitation, legislation and enforcement. The private sector is now participating more actively in the agricultural sector, providing credit to smallholder farmers. This research seeks to better understand the partnership between private and public sector players in Zimbabwe’s agricultural credit programmes, through a study of Leo Marketing and the Zimbabwe Agricultural Market Development initiative called the Agricultural Input Supply Programme (AISP). In this research, the Mutasa Garlic Project, implemented by the AISP, has been analysed to achieve the objective. One hundred smallholder farmers have been contracted to commercially produce garlic in the Mutasa district. Using a sample of 20 farmers, the study examined how this financing model contributes to improved access to productivity-enhancing inputs, viable markets and technical expertise for the farmers. The analysis indicates that farmers have access to inputs but the model still needs improvement in distributing them efficiently to ensure that all farmers have their inputs in time for the planting season. Marketing and extension services in the project are operating well. The study reveals that there is potential for growth in the number of farmers contracted to the programme. As the contracting model continues to improve, the same model can be used for similar projects in surrounding districts.

The thesis seeks to understand how emerging communities borne out of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme in Zimbabwe have been able to ensure social cohesion and social service provision using farm level institutions. The Fast Track Programme brought together people from diverse backgrounds into new communities in the former commercial farming areas. The formation of new communities meant that, often, there were 'stranger households'living next to each other. Since 2000, these people have been involved in various processes aimed at turning clusters of homesteads into functioning communities through farm level institutions. Fast track land reform precipitated economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe characterised by a rapidly devaluating Zimbabwean dollar, enormous inflation and high unemployment figures. This economic crisis has impacted heavily on new farmers who find it increasingly difficult to afford inputs and access loans. They have formed social networks in response to these challenges, taking the form of farm level institutions such as farm committees, irrigation committees and health committees. The study uses case studies from small-scale 'A1 farmers‘ in Mazowe district which is in Mashonaland Central Province. It employs qualitative methodologies to enable a nuanced understanding of associational life in the new communities. Through focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, narratives, key informant interviews and institutional mapping the study outlines the formation, taxonomy, activities, roles, internal dynamics and social organisation of farm level institutions. The study also uses secondary data collected in 2007-08 by the Centre for Rural Development in the newly resettled areas in Mazowe. The major finding of the study is that farmers are organising in novel ways at grassroots levels to meet everyday challenges. These institutional forms however are internally weak, lacking leadership with a clear vision and they appear as if they are transitory in nature. They remain marginalised from national and global processes and isolated from critical connections to policy makers at all levels; thus A1 farmers remain voiceless and unable to have their interests addressed. Farm level institutions are at the forefront of the microeconomics of survival among these rural farmers. They are survivalist in nature and form, and this requires a major shift in focus if they are to be involved in developmental work. The institutions remain fragmented and compete amongst themselves for services from government without uniting as A1 farmers with similar interests and challenges.

Two of the main challenges facing communities and governments in developing countries are the reduction of risks of hydro-meteorological hazards and adaptation to climate change. As climate variability and change impacts are becoming more visible in the form of disasters, and are negatively affecting climate sensitive livelihoods and eroding communities' ability to fully recover, leading to increased vulnerability to subsequent climate risks. The unpredictability of current weather systems, therefore, makes it very difficult for poor governments and households to deal with adverse impacts of climate change. Furthermore, the fragmented approach to DRR and CCA with regards to practice, policy and organisational frameworks for dealing with climate risks is resulting in coordination challenges for the government departments. This study aimed to explore how local households and communities perceive and are experiencing and coping with climate change and drought, and what that means for integrating hydro-meteorological disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. The study was carried out in Chirumhanzu district and the methods used for data collection included: 217 household surveys; six focus group discussions; participatory learning actions methods; key informant's interviews and document review. The majority of households owned low value material assets and had low levels of livelihood capitals and this exposed them to the impacts of climate variability and successive droughts. This low adaptive capacity largely affected their ability to engage effective drought risk reduction and adaptation strategies for their livelihood activities in small-scale farming and livestock rearing. Vulnerability to climate risks was exacerbated by seasonal weather forecasts, which were deemed by some households to be unreliable, inaccurate and not easily understood, while others used of indigenous knowledge. Successive droughts affected households' access to food and cash income for other household demands. Other non-climatic factors that contributed to adverse drought impacts at the household level were an emphasis on reactive humanitarian aid approach and the poor economy in Zimbabwe. Additionally, the policy framework for dealing with climate change and drought hazards is fragmented and weak; and is housed in different government departments making it difficult to coordinate and implement. To improve climate risk management, there is need for the government to appreciate that drought risk reduction and climate change adaptation are all about reducing vulnerability. Understanding this, might assist in improving government focus on addressing the underlying causes of vulnerability and mainstreaming DRR and CCA into development processes through addressing specific and generic adaptive capacities. The thesis argues that as long as rural households are involved in climate sensitive livelihood activities and not getting meaningful intervention to diversity and/or better intensify their livelihood activities, they will continue to be vulnerable to successive climate risks. This fragmented approach to dealing with climate risks, is not yielding any successful results with regards to building resilience, risk reduction or adaptation of rural households.

The land reform that has unfolded in Zimbabwe since 1980 used different models and had diverse consequences. Since the implementation of the fast tract land reform programme in 2000, Zimbabwe experienced heavy reduction in yield and output at farm level that led to a 70% shortfall in production to meet annual food requirements (Richardson, 2005). The economic crisis in Zimbabwe has been characterized by worsening food insecurity especially in the rural areas where harvests continue to be poor. In the beef sector, Zimbabwe has failed to meet its export quota to the EU. The shortfall in production to meet annual food requirements shows a very grim situation but do not tell us about the performance of resettled farmers who now occupy much of the productive land. The broad objective of the study was to determine and compare the production efficiency of resettled farmers in Zimbabwe across land reform models. In addition, the study determined land use intensity. The study was conducted in the Mashonaland Central Province of Zimbabwe mainly because a wide variety of field crops were grown by resettled farmers. The respondents were stratified into three groups. These were: beneficiaries of land reform before 2000 (resettle scheme), fast track A1 model and fast track A2 model. The three models differ on how they were implemented and supported and this might result in different efficiencies of the models. A total of 245 copies structured questionnaire were administered on the resettled farmers from June to September 2010. Descriptive statistics was applied to the basic characteristics of the sampled households. The effect of model of land reform, gender of the household head, marital status, age of the household head, education, household size, religion, dependence ratio, whether the farmer was fulltime or part-time in farming, experience of the farmers in farming at that environment, total land size owned by the farmers and soil type on revenue per hectare and land use rate were determined using the GLM procedure of SAS (2003). Significance differences between least-square group means were compared using the PDIFF test of SAS (2003). The relationship between Revenue and land utilization was examined using the Pearson‟s correlations analysis. Dependance between response variables that had an effect on either revenue per hectare or land utilization with all the other response variables was tested using the Chi-square test for dependance. To find the effect of arable land used and herd size on revenue per hectare and land use the RSREG Procedure of SAS (2003) was used. Input oriented DEA model under the assumption of constant return to scale was used to estimate efficiency in this study. To identify factors that influence efficiency, a Tobit model censored at zero was selected. The mean land use rate varied significantly (p<0.05) with the land reform model with A2 having highest land use rate of 67%. The A1 and old resettlement households had land use rates of 53% and 46%, respectively. Sex, marital status, age of the household head, education and household size significantly affected land use (P<0.05). Revenue per hectare was not affected by any the factors that were inputted in the model. Results from the DEA approach showed that A2 farmers (large land owners) had an average technical efficiency score of 0.839, while the lowest ranking model (A1) had an average score of 0.618. Small land holders (A1 and the old resettled farmers) are on average less cost-efficient than large land owners, with a score of 0.29 for the former compared with 0.45 for the latter. From the factors that were entered in the Tobit model, age of household head, excellent production knowledge and farmer status affected technical efficiency whereas allocative efficiency was only affected by good production knowledge, farm size, arable land owned and area under cultivation. Factors which affected economic efficiency of the resettled farmers are secondary education, household size, farm size, cultivated area and arable land owned. None of the included socio-economic variables has significant effects on the allocative and economic efficiency of the resettled farmers. Thus, the allocative and economic inefficiencies of the farmers might be accounted for by other natural and environmental factors which were not captured in the model.

The fast track land reform programme resulted in a fundamental reorganisation of rural relations in Zimbabwe, changing the landscape in an irreversible way with people from diverse backgrounds converging on former white-owned farms. This thesis tells the story of how the newly resettled land beneficiaries are organising themselves socially in response to various economic challenges. It makes a contribution towards understanding how redistributive land reforms and local government restructuring influence rural social organisation and agency. Furthermore the study examines local perceptions on the meanings of the „farm‟ and „land redistribution‟. An utterance by one war veteran “what used to be your farm is now our land and you are free to take your farm but leave our land” provides an alternative rendition to contestations of restitution versus a purely farm productionist discourse. The study, through an analysis of primary and secondary data, provides a fresh understanding of the social outcomes of fast track. It traces the evolution of land and agrarian reforms in post-independence Zimbabwe and the political and social economic context that led to „fast track‟. Through an analysis of field findings the thesis is able to define the dominant social groups that were resettled during fast track and the challenges they face in utilising the land. The findings show that the majority of the land beneficiaries were from the customary areas, with limited agricultural experiences. Local cooperation within informal networks and local farmer groups has been identified as one of the ways in which social reproduction is being organised. These groups are responsible for enhancing production capacity but they face a number of constraints. The study derives its theoretical foundation from the post 1980s debates on rural society dominated by Mafeje (1993, 2003), Rahmato (1991) and Mamdani (1996). The debates centred on how institutions of inclusion, authority and cooperation such as the lineage groups, local farmer groups and traditional authority remain relevant in the organisation of post-independent rural African society especially in a context of increased commoditisation of rural relations of production. Using theoretical insights derived from analysing the role of the lineage groups in the allocation of critical resources such as land and the influence of traditional authority (indirect rule) as a form of local government, the study examines how social organisation is emerging in areas where neither lineage nor traditional authority are not dominant. The thesis of rural cooperation through local groups as advanced by Rahmato (1991) and Moyo (2002) provides partial insights into the response mechanisms that land beneficiaries invoke in this instance. It is not necessarily an autonomous space of organisation but rather the state is actively involved through various functionaries including extension officers who invariably advance a very productionist approach. The state‟s monopoly through its local functionaries hides its political cooptation effect by emphasising organisation for production without questioning the manner in which that production is externally controlled through limited rights over land, the state‟s monopoly over inputs supply and markets for commodities. Whilst land reform has been driven by local participation through land occupations, local government reform has been technocratically determined through Ministerial directives. There is however little innovation in the form of local government that is being introduced. It expands the fusion of authority between elected Rural District Councils and unelected traditional authority functionaries. The forms of social organisation and agency that have emerged remain subordinated to the state with no links to other networks of rural producers‟ associations and urban civil society organisations. These developments form part of a longheld tradition within the Zimbabwean state where the legitimacy of local organisation and authority is usurped to service the interests of the state. Thus whilst land reform has to a certain extent accommodated the majority poor, the ensuing local government and agrarian reforms are more focused on limiting their participation in broader processes of political engagement around distribution and accumulation and their own governance.

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

Thesis (MDF (Development Finance))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Meer en meer mense werk buite hul land van herkoms as ooit tevore, en die geld wat hulle stuur na hul tuislande kan bestempel word as ‘n belangrike ekonomiese krag. Hierdie geld kan ’n belangrike rol speel in die ekonomie wat die geld ontvang. Die geld wat reiswerkers tuis stuur word remise of geldsending genoem en oortref reeds Offisiële Ontwikkelingshulp en oortref selfs Buitelandse Investering in sommige lande. Hierdie navorsingsverslag fokus op Zimbabwe, ’n land waarvan die ekonomie volgens sommiges reeds lank gelede moes ineengestort het. Die studie ondersoek tot watter mate geldsending die Zimbabwe ekonomie beskerm teen ineenstorting. Die verslag gebruik ’n opname onder verskeie rolspelers om te wys hoe geldsending die Zimbabwe ekonomie beskerm teen internasionale uitsluiting en sanksies. Zimbabweërs wat die ekonomiese swaarkry vrygespring het in hul land van herkoms stuur voortdurend geld na vriende en familie. Remise word deels gebruik as investering in kleinsake, terwyl deel van die buitelandse valuta investeer word in komoditeite wat die land moeilik deur offisiële kanale sou kon bekom. Die studie het bevind dat geldsending in 2005 en 2006 ongeveeer 25.5% en 25 persent respektiewelik tot die Bruto Nasioanle Produk van Zimbabwe bygedra het. Die studie het verder ’n paar interresante bevindinge gemaak. Een van hierdie is die ongedokumenteerde verskynsel van defleksie van geldsending na meer stabiele ekonomieë of geldeenhede. Sulke remise word dan in die land gehou waar dit gegenereer is, of dit word gestuur in ’n stabiele geldeenheid, of dit word selfs in die vorm van produkte soos kos gestuur.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: More and more people are working outside their countries of citizenship than before. These people are now a major economic force to their countries of origin as they are sending a lot of money to relatives back home. This income plays a key role in receiving economies. The money migrants send home is referred to as remittances and the amount transferred globally has eclipsed official development assistance (ODA) and in some economies it is well ahead of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). This research focuses on Zimbabwe, a country whose economy has long been anticipated to collapse but has so far evaded that implosion. It explores to which extent remittances are cushioning Zimbabwe’s economy from collapse. This report uses a survey of a number of role players to show how remittances have cushioned that economy from the effects of international isolation and sanctions. Zimbabweans who “escaped” the economic hardships in their country of origin have been consistently sending money home to their friends and relations. Money received has partly been invested in small businesses and part of the forex has been used to procure commodities that the country has struggled to acquire through official channels. The study found that the amount of remittances sent for 2005 and 2006 has respectively contributed approximately 25.5 and 25 percent to the GDP of Zimbabwe. The study further made a number of interesting findings. One of these seems to be the undocumented phenomenon of the deflection of remittances to more stable economies or currencies. Such remittances would be kept in the country where it is generated, or it would be sent back in a stable country, or could even be in the form of products such as food.

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research study has examined the impact of contract farming on enhancing efficiencies with the agricultural value chain for smallholder tobacco farmers in Mashonaland Central Province in Zimbabwe. The major challenges facing smallholder farmers in Africa in general and Zimbabwe in particular relate to financial constraints, technical expertise and market access. Contract farming as a transactions-cost-focussed-model is considered more effectively responsive to those challenges than the pure market approach which insufficiently addresses the impact of information asymmetries, bounded rationality, uncertainty, governance challenges and infrastructure challenges, among others. It allows for closely monitored smallholder financing by agribusiness entities which reduces or eliminates the probability of loan default. Contract farming is seen as an important mechanism in transforming the fragmented, subsistence agriculture in rural Africa into high commercialised and viable business undertakings. In this study, extensive reference is made to literature on agriculture financing; empirical research data on smallholder productivity and loan recoverability is drawn and analysed using the quantitative research methodology. The analysis sought to test for relationships among a set of variables and in the process examined the impact of contract farming. A comparative analysis of national data on the contract and auction system of tobacco marketing was done with emphasis on production and sales volumes, crop quality, price stability and market access. The results from the quantitative analysis of farmer-level and country-level data indicated a strong correlation between smallholder farmer production, productivity and loan recoverability and contract farming value chain intervention mechanisms.

Migration is recognised as an escalating phenomenon of human behaviour worldwide. In the Southern African region African migrations and migrants have remained a focal point of discussion amongst politicians, citizens and migrants themselves in recent years. In South Africa, a major destination of migrants from various African Diasporas, this renewed interest in the topic has occurred in the context of xenophobic related violence aimed at foreigners within the broader economic, political and social arena. These factors extend to South Africa’s relationships with her near neighbours. Thus, Zimbabwe’s political, economic and social crisis has overflowed into South African borders, contributing large numbers of migrants to her population. Previous research has underrepresented the perspectives of migrants and Zimbabwean migrants in particular. Zimbabwean migrants seek economic opportunities to better themselves and maintain the survival of their families who remain in their country of origin. They are transnationals who engage in continuous movement between one place and the next, supporting various livelihoods. Little is understood about migrant adaptation to their complex contexts. In this research project, content analysis was conducted of data gathered during interviews and participant-observation of Zimbabwean migrant traders on the beachfront informal market in Port Elizabeth. The maintenance of the cultural values and identity of the myth of the hero as upholder of household honour was found to be significant in the adaptation of migrants to their multi-faceted lives. The findings indicate that migrant life is indeed uncertain and ever-changing. Their resilience in the face of continual change illustrated both conflict and compromise between “social cohesiveness (and) social flexibility” (Bauman, 1998: 15-16)

"Zimbabwe and South Africa are facing an HIV/AIDS epidemic of such proportions that the populations of these countries will markedly decline in the next ten years despite the existence of effective drugs to treat the symptoms of AIDS and dramatically lower the communicability of the virus. These drugs are under patent protection by companies in the developed world and the patents raise the prices above the level of affordability for HIV infected persons in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has declared a national emergency on HIV/AIDS, apparently in conformance with TRIPS and has issued compulsory licenses to a local company that has started to manufacture and sell cheap anti-retroviral drugs. South Africa has not declared a national emergency and has not invoked the TRIPS flexibilities or utilized flexibilities inherent in its own legislation. However, while thousands of people die every week in the two countries, neither government has yet provided an effective HIV/AIDS policy. Extensive litigation and public pressure in South Africa has led the government to announce a policy of supplying free HIV drugs in public hospitals while the Zimbabwean government has announced the provision of the same drugs, also in public hospitals, apparently utilising the state of emergency. The TRIPS agreement under which the two governments undertook to protect international patents allows compulsory licensing under certain circumstances (not limited to a national emergency) and the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health, and subsequent agreements by the Ministerial Council of the WTO allow the manufacture and, in limited circumstances, the parallel importation of generic drugs. These provisions provide a theoretical mechanism for poor countries to ensure their citizens' rights of access to health (care). The research is aimed at identifying the extent of the effectiveness of the legal norms created by Articles 20 and 31 of TRIPS, the Doha Declaration and subsequent Council of Ministers' decisions, which together ostensibly provide a framework to allow provision of generic drugs. It is further aimed at investigating how the state of emergency in Zimbabwe has been utilised to provide cheap generic drugs to Zimbabweans and whether this would be an option for South Africa. A comparison of the legal provisions governing the provision of drugs in the two countries will also be undertaken to examine the extent to which international and national constitutional and legal provisions may be utilised to give effect to the right to health." -- Introduction.
Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2004.
Prepared under the supervision of Dr. Enid Hill at the American University in Cairo.
http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html
Centre for Human Rights
LLM

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)

M.Comm.
The development of aviation in the 20th century presented a new mode of transportation within South Africa. Soon it was recognised that air transportation would play an important role in the development of South Africa, as the country was ideally suited to it due to favourable weather conditions and relatively long distances between larger community settlements. Air transportation also presented a new form of competition to an existing mode of transport - railways. The interest of the public in air transportation was soon recognised and control applied in various forms. These included legislation, regulations, conditions to licenses as well as contractual provisions of agreements. Two forms of control over air transport developed, namely: air navigational (or technical and operational) aspects; and economical / commercial aspects.

A dissertation presented to the School of Economic and Business Sciences (SEBS) University of the Witwatersrand in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Commerce Degree (MCom) June 2017
Based on the significant amount of entries and exits of low-cost airlines in the commercial airline industry within South Africa, this brought on the question of whether such business models are sustainable in an emerging market. Incidents such as the exits of 1time and Velvet Sky brought about a high degree of concern. Analysts have suggested that the main reasons for airlines departing are the global financial crisis in 2009 which led to a decrease in passenger numbers, decreasing market size, the volatility of the fuel price, route density on major routes, market size and currency risk. (1time Holdings, 2010; South African Airways, 2014; Comair Limited, 2014; Hedley, 2012). These factors are all external and indicate possible reasons for low-cost airline market exit. However, the business model of the airline is not considered as a possible reason for a low-cost airline’s exit from a market. Johnson, Christensen and Kagermann (2008) stated that the business model has four key components and, when these components are combined, they deliver value. These components are customer value proposition, profit formula, key resources, and key processes. Using the components provided by Johnson et al (2008) as a basis for the theoretical model, the study aimed to investigate key factors that enable or inhibit a disruptive innovation, such as a low-cost airline, in an emerging market like South Africa, and propose a conceptual model (that will be empirically tested in a subsequent study) for sustainability within the context of disruptive innovations, such as a low-cost airline, in a developing country setting. Five managers of leading low-cost airlines and airline consulting firms in South Africa were selected using judgmental sampling method and were requested to participate in separate individual in-depth interviews. The data from the interviews was analysed using the Glaserian coding method. Based on the data analysis, three themes were developed. These themes were: the business model, business model evaluation and external factors. From the themes, a conceptual model was developed. The model alleged that specific elements of the airline business model (the organisation, the product, costs and cash sources) have a possible influence on the competitive advantage of an airline while the competitive advantage of an airline has a possible contribution to its sustainability.
MT 2018

Liberalisation of trade is deepening, and so have the incentive schemes put in place by a number of countries to promote it. International trade promotion agencies in developing countries are actively promoting their countries as the best, with which to trade. With international trade emerging as a favourite source of revenue and technology transfer for most countries, profound questions about the impact of trade liberalisation to economic growth are addressed in this study. The main purpose of this study is to empirically assess the relationship between trade liberalisation and economic growth in Zimbabwe using annual time series data from 1980 to 2017. Autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to cointegration and Error Correction Mechanism (ECM) are applied in order to investigate the long run and short run impact of trade liberalisation on economic growth. The results proved the existence of a positive long-run relationship between trade liberalisation and economic growth. The study therefore concludes that policy makers and government negotiators in Zimbabwe should introduce policies that promote openness through the removal of barriers to trade and export promotion in order to promote overall growth of the economy.
Economics
M. Com (Economics)

Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuhlola izingqinamba zezenhlalo nezomnotho abesifazane basemakhaya abaseZimbabwe ababhekana nazo. Abesifazane basemakhaya bakhishwa inyumbazane emphakathini futhi bakhishwa inyumbazane ezinhlelweni zokuthuthukisa umphakathi, ngenxa yalokho izindima zabo zicekelwa phansi namazwi abo ezintweni ezibathintayo ayenziwa buthaka. Izici ezifana nesomiso esiqhubekayo, ukungabi bikho kwezinsizakusebenza, isiko nesimo sezulu esingesihle seziqhubekile nokubeka isikhundla sabesifazane basemakhaya engcupheni. Ukuziphilisa ngokulima kube ngomunye wemisebenzi emikhulu eyenziwa ngabesifazane basemakhaya ekukhiqizweni kokudla emakhaya, kepha lokhu bekungalethi imiphumela elindelwe kakhulu ngenxa yokuntuleka komanyolo nemishini yokukhuthaza isivuno esingcono. Ucwaningo lusebenzise indlela ephathelene nesimo futhi kwaqoqwa nemininingwane ngezingxoxo zocingo ngokuya ngamaphrothokholi woKhuvethe Alert Level 3. Lolu cwaningo luveza izinselelo eziningi zezenhlalo nezomnotho abesifazane besemakhaya eZimbabwe ababhekana nazo. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo ikhombisa ukuthi abesifazane basakhishwa inyumbazane emikhakheni eminingi yemisebenzi yokuthuthukisa umphakathi ngenxa yezinqubomgomo ezingazinaki izidingo zabo. Ucwaningo lukhombe ukuthi abesifazane basemakhaya bahlala besengozini futhi bavuleleke kumazinga aphezulu obuphofu njengoba behluleka ukuthola ukwesekwa okudingeka kakhulu kubayeni babo, abaholi bomphakathi kanye nohulumeni kazwelonke ngezinqubomgomo zabo ezibahlukanisile. Ngendlela yokukhishwa ngaphandle kwezenhlalo, amalungelo abesifazane aphuliwe futhi isithunzi sabo sonakalisiwe futhi sancishiswa, ngoba nje benganikwanga ukwesekwa okudingekayo ukuze babandakanyeke ekuthathweni kwezinqumo kwezepolitiki. Amagama asemqoka afana nokuba sengozini, ubuphofu ngokuphelele nokuvalelwa ngaphandle emphakathini kuchazwa njengezinye zezinto ezibe nomthelela ebuphofini besifazane basemakhaya. Izinhlelo zomphakathi iv ziqhubekile nokubeka abesifazane enhluphekweni futhi bahlala njengeqembu elizimele elihluleka ukubamba iqhaza ngokugcwele futhi lisizakale ezikhungweni zomphakathi. Okutholakele ocwaningweni kunikeza ezinye izindlela ezihlukile njengezindlela zokubhekana nabesifazane basemakhaya okudingeka bazilandele ukuze benze kangcono ngokwesimo sabo sobumpofu. Izisombululo ezahlukahlukene ezingaba khona njengoba amasu okubhekana nazo nezinhlelo zokungenelela zichaziwe ocwaningweni. Ukuze ekugcineni ngikwazi ukusho ukuthi igebe lobuphofu kubantu besifazane selivaliwe, kuzodingeka izinqubomgomo ezinamandla ezingekho lapho ngenjongo yokuhlobisa kuphela kepha ezifuna ukubhekana nokwenza ngcono amazinga okungalingani osekuyisikhathi eside kuthinta abesifazane basemakhaya. Lezi zinqubomgomo kuzofanele zisetshenziswe ngendlela efanele ukubhekana nezidingo nezinselelo zabesifazane basemakhaya.
Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuhlola izingqinamba zezenhlalo nezomnotho abesifazane basemakhaya abaseZimbabwe ababhekana nazo. Abesifazane basemakhaya bakhishwa inyumbazane emphakathini futhi bakhishwa inyumbazane ezinhlelweni zokuthuthukisa umphakathi, ngenxa yalokho izindima zabo zicekelwa phansi namazwi abo ezintweni ezibathintayo ayenziwa buthaka. Izici ezifana nesomiso esiqhubekayo, ukungabi bikho kwezinsizakusebenza, isiko nesimo sezulu esingesihle seziqhubekile nokubeka isikhundla sabesifazane basemakhaya engcupheni. Ukuziphilisa ngokulima kube ngomunye wemisebenzi emikhulu eyenziwa ngabesifazane basemakhaya ekukhiqizweni kokudla emakhaya, kepha lokhu bekungalethi imiphumela elindelwe kakhulu ngenxa yokuntuleka komanyolo nemishini yokukhuthaza isivuno esingcono. Ucwaningo lusebenzise indlela ephathelene nesimo futhi kwaqoqwa nemininingwane ngezingxoxo zocingo ngokuya ngamaphrothokholi woKhuvethe Alert Level 3. Lolu cwaningo luveza izinselelo eziningi zezenhlalo nezomnotho abesifazane besemakhaya eZimbabwe ababhekana nazo. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo ikhombisa ukuthi abesifazane basakhishwa inyumbazane emikhakheni eminingi yemisebenzi yokuthuthukisa umphakathi ngenxa yezinqubomgomo ezingazinaki izidingo zabo. Ucwaningo lukhombe ukuthi abesifazane basemakhaya bahlala besengozini futhi bavuleleke kumazinga aphezulu obuphofu njengoba behluleka ukuthola ukwesekwa okudingeka kakhulu kubayeni babo, abaholi bomphakathi kanye nohulumeni kazwelonke ngezinqubomgomo zabo ezibahlukanisile. Ngendlela yokukhishwa ngaphandle kwezenhlalo, amalungelo abesifazane aphuliwe futhi isithunzi sabo sonakalisiwe futhi sancishiswa, ngoba nje benganikwanga ukwesekwa okudingekayo ukuze babandakanyeke ekuthathweni kwezinqumo kwezepolitiki. Amagama asemqoka afana nokuba sengozini, ubuphofu ngokuphelele nokuvalelwa ngaphandle emphakathini kuchazwa njengezinye zezinto ezibe nomthelela ebuphofini besifazane basemakhaya. Izinhlelo zomphakathi iv ziqhubekile nokubeka abesifazane enhluphekweni futhi bahlala njengeqembu elizimele elihluleka ukubamba iqhaza ngokugcwele futhi lisizakale ezikhungweni zomphakathi. Okutholakele ocwaningweni kunikeza ezinye izindlela ezihlukile njengezindlela zokubhekana nabesifazane basemakhaya okudingeka bazilandele ukuze benze kangcono ngokwesimo sabo sobumpofu. Izisombululo ezahlukahlukene ezingaba khona njengoba amasu okubhekana nazo nezinhlelo zokungenelela zichaziwe ocwaningweni. Ukuze ekugcineni ngikwazi ukusho ukuthi igebe lobuphofu kubantu besifazane selivaliwe, kuzodingeka izinqubomgomo ezinamandla ezingekho lapho ngenjongo yokuhlobisa kuphela kepha ezifuna ukubhekana nokwenza ngcono amazinga okungalingani osekuyisikhathi eside kuthinta abesifazane basemakhaya. Lezi zinqubomgomo kuzofanele zisetshenziswe ngendlela efanele ukubhekana nezidingo nezinselelo zabesifazane basemakhaya
Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuhlola izingqinamba zezenhlalo nezomnotho abesifazane basemakhaya abaseZimbabwe ababhekana nazo. Abesifazane basemakhaya bakhishwa inyumbazane emphakathini futhi bakhishwa inyumbazane ezinhlelweni zokuthuthukisa umphakathi, ngenxa yalokho izindima zabo zicekelwa phansi namazwi abo ezintweni ezibathintayo ayenziwa buthaka. Izici ezifana nesomiso esiqhubekayo, ukungabi bikho kwezinsizakusebenza, isiko nesimo sezulu esingesihle seziqhubekile nokubeka isikhundla sabesifazane basemakhaya engcupheni. Ukuziphilisa ngokulima kube ngomunye wemisebenzi emikhulu eyenziwa ngabesifazane basemakhaya ekukhiqizweni kokudla emakhaya, kepha lokhu bekungalethi imiphumela elindelwe kakhulu ngenxa yokuntuleka komanyolo nemishini yokukhuthaza isivuno esingcono. Ucwaningo lusebenzise indlela ephathelene nesimo futhi kwaqoqwa nemininingwane ngezingxoxo zocingo ngokuya ngamaphrothokholi woKhuvethe Alert Level 3. Lolu cwaningo luveza izinselelo eziningi zezenhlalo nezomnotho abesifazane besemakhaya eZimbabwe ababhekana nazo. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo ikhombisa ukuthi abesifazane basakhishwa inyumbazane emikhakheni eminingi yemisebenzi yokuthuthukisa umphakathi ngenxa yezinqubomgomo ezingazinaki izidingo zabo. Ucwaningo lukhombe ukuthi abesifazane basemakhaya bahlala besengozini futhi bavuleleke kumazinga aphezulu obuphofu njengoba behluleka ukuthola ukwesekwa okudingeka kakhulu kubayeni babo, abaholi bomphakathi kanye nohulumeni kazwelonke ngezinqubomgomo zabo ezibahlukanisile. Ngendlela yokukhishwa ngaphandle kwezenhlalo, amalungelo abesifazane aphuliwe futhi isithunzi sabo sonakalisiwe futhi sancishiswa, ngoba nje benganikwanga ukwesekwa okudingekayo ukuze babandakanyeke ekuthathweni kwezinqumo kwezepolitiki. Amagama asemqoka afana nokuba sengozini, ubuphofu ngokuphelele nokuvalelwa ngaphandle emphakathini kuchazwa njengezinye zezinto ezibe nomthelela ebuphofini besifazane basemakhaya. Izinhlelo zomphakathi iv ziqhubekile nokubeka abesifazane enhluphekweni futhi bahlala njengeqembu elizimele elihluleka ukubamba iqhaza ngokugcwele futhi lisizakale ezikhungweni zomphakathi. Okutholakele ocwaningweni kunikeza ezinye izindlela ezihlukile njengezindlela zokubhekana nabesifazane basemakhaya okudingeka bazilandele ukuze benze kangcono ngokwesimo sabo sobumpofu. Izisombululo ezahlukahlukene ezingaba khona njengoba amasu okubhekana nazo nezinhlelo zokungenelela zichaziwe ocwaningweni. Ukuze ekugcineni ngikwazi ukusho ukuthi igebe lobuphofu kubantu besifazane selivaliwe, kuzodingeka izinqubomgomo ezinamandla ezingekho lapho ngenjongo yokuhlobisa kuphela kepha ezifuna ukubhekana nokwenza ngcono amazinga okungalingani osekuyisikhathi eside kuthinta abesifazane basemakhaya. Lezi zinqubomgomo kuzofanele zisetshenziswe ngendlela efanele ukubhekana nezidingo nezinselelo zabesifazane basemakhaya
Ngudo i ṱoḓa u wanulusa khaedu dza ikonomi ya matshilisano dzine vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani kha ḽa Zimbabwe vha livhana nadzo. Vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani a vho ngo katelwa kha matshilisano na u siwa nnḓa kha mbekanyamushumo dza mveledziso ya tshitshavha, nga nṱhani ha zwenezwo mishumo yavho i dzhielwa fhasi na musi vha tshi amba zwine zwa vha kwama zwi thudzelwa kule. Nyimele dzi ngaho sa gomelelo ḽi sa gumi, u shayea ha zwiko, mvelele na mihumbulo ya poḽotiki i sa takadzi zwo ḓi bvela phanḓa na u vhea vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani kha vhuimo ha khombo. Vhuḓilimeli ho vha muṅwe wa mishumo mihulwane ine vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani vha ita kha mveledzazwiḽiwa muṱani, fhedzi hezwi a zwo ngo bveledza mvelelo dze dza vha dzo lavhelelwa zwihulu zwo itiswa nga nṱhani ha u shaya zwishumiswa na manyoro u bveledza khaṋo dza khwine. Ṱhoḓisiso yo shumisa kuitele kwa ngona ya khwaḽithethivi ngeno data yo kuvhanganywa nga kha inthaviwu dza luṱingo u ya nga matshimbidzele a u Dzhiela nṱha Vhuimo ha 3 ha Covid-19. Ngudo yo wanulusa khaedu dzo vhalaho dza ikonomi ya matshilisano dzine vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani kha ḽa Zimbabwe vha livhana nadzo. Mvelelo dza ngudo dzo sumbedzisa uri vhafumakadzi vha kha ḓivha vho siwa nnḓa kha masia manzhi a mveledziso dza tshitshavha nga nṱhani ha mbekanyamaitele dzine dza sa dzhiele nṱha ṱhoḓea dzavho. Ngudo yo topola zwauri vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani vha dzula vhe khomboni na u ṱanea kha vhuimo ha vhushai vhuhulwane musi vha tshi kundelwa u wana thikhedzo khulwanesa ine vha i ṱoḓa u bva kha vhafarisi vhavho, vharangaphanḓa vha zwitshavha na muvhuso wa lushaka nga kha mbekanyamaitele dzawo dze dza vha khethelula. Nga kha u siwa nnḓa kha matshilisano, pfanelo dza vhafumakadzi dzo pfukekanya ngeno tshirunzi vi tshavho tsho tsitsela fhasi na u hoṱefhadzwa, ngauri a vho ngo ṋetshedzwa thikhedzo yo teaho u dzhenelela kha tsheo dza zwa poḽotiki. Maipfi a ndeme a ngaho sa u vha khomboni, vhushai ha vhukuma na u sa katelwa kha matshilisano zwo ṱalutshedzwa sa dziṅwe dza nyimele dzo shelaho mulenzhe kha vhushai ha vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani. Sisiṱeme ya matshilisano yo bvela phanḓa na u ṱana vhushai ha vhafumakadzi na u dzula vhe tshigwada tsho khethululwaho tsho kundelwaho u dzhenelela tshoṱhe na u vhuelwa kha zwiimiswa zwa matshilisano. Mawanwa a ngudo o ṋetshedza nḓila dza u ṱhaḓula dzo fhambanaho sa zwiṱirathedzhi zwa u tshila zwine vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani vha ṱoḓa u zwi tevhela u itela u ita zwa khwine kha vhuimo havho ha vhushai. Khonadzeo dzo fhambanaho dza thasululo sa zwiṱirathedzhi zwa u tshila na mbekanyamushumo dza u dzhenelela dzo bviselwa khagala kha ngudo. U swikela hune ra kona u amba uri gake ḽa vhushai kha vhushai ḽo ṱumanywa, mbekanyamaitele dzo khwaṱhaho dzi ḓo ṱoḓiwa dzine dza sa vhe henefho fhedzi u itela u khavhisa fhedzi u itela u amba na u khwinisa vhuimo ha u sa lingana he ha kwama lwa tshifhinga tshilapfu vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani
Ngudo i ṱoḓa u wanulusa khaedu dza ikonomi ya matshilisano dzine vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani kha ḽa Zimbabwe vha livhana nadzo. Vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani a vho ngo katelwa kha matshilisano na u siwa nnḓa kha mbekanyamushumo dza mveledziso ya tshitshavha, nga nṱhani ha zwenezwo mishumo yavho i dzhielwa fhasi na musi vha tshi amba zwine zwa vha kwama zwi thudzelwa kule. Nyimele dzi ngaho sa gomelelo ḽi sa gumi, u shayea ha zwiko, mvelele na mihumbulo ya poḽotiki i sa takadzi zwo ḓi bvela phanḓa na u vhea vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani kha vhuimo ha khombo. Vhuḓilimeli ho vha muṅwe wa mishumo mihulwane ine vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani vha ita kha mveledzazwiḽiwa muṱani, fhedzi hezwi a zwo ngo bveledza mvelelo dze dza vha dzo lavhelelwa zwihulu zwo itiswa nga nṱhani ha u shaya zwishumiswa na manyoro u bveledza khaṋo dza khwine. Ṱhoḓisiso yo shumisa kuitele kwa ngona ya khwaḽithethivi ngeno data yo kuvhanganywa nga kha inthaviwu dza luṱingo u ya nga matshimbidzele a u Dzhiela nṱha Vhuimo ha 3 ha Covid-19. Ngudo yo wanulusa khaedu dzo vhalaho dza ikonomi ya matshilisano dzine vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani kha ḽa Zimbabwe vha livhana nadzo. Mvelelo dza ngudo dzo sumbedzisa uri vhafumakadzi vha kha ḓivha vho siwa nnḓa kha masia manzhi a mveledziso dza tshitshavha nga nṱhani ha mbekanyamaitele dzine dza sa dzhiele nṱha ṱhoḓea dzavho. Ngudo yo topola zwauri vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani vha dzula vhe khomboni na u ṱanea kha vhuimo ha vhushai vhuhulwane musi vha tshi kundelwa u wana thikhedzo khulwanesa ine vha i ṱoḓa u bva kha vhafarisi vhavho, vharangaphanḓa vha zwitshavha na muvhuso wa lushaka nga kha mbekanyamaitele dzawo dze dza vha khethelula. Nga kha u siwa nnḓa kha matshilisano, pfanelo dza vhafumakadzi dzo pfukekanya ngeno tshirunzi vi tshavho tsho tsitsela fhasi na u hoṱefhadzwa, ngauri a vho ngo ṋetshedzwa thikhedzo yo teaho u dzhenelela kha tsheo dza zwa poḽotiki. Maipfi a ndeme a ngaho sa u vha khomboni, vhushai ha vhukuma na u sa katelwa kha matshilisano zwo ṱalutshedzwa sa dziṅwe dza nyimele dzo shelaho mulenzhe kha vhushai ha vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani. Sisiṱeme ya matshilisano yo bvela phanḓa na u ṱana vhushai ha vhafumakadzi na u dzula vhe tshigwada tsho khethululwaho tsho kundelwaho u dzhenelela tshoṱhe na u vhuelwa kha zwiimiswa zwa matshilisano. Mawanwa a ngudo o ṋetshedza nḓila dza u ṱhaḓula dzo fhambanaho sa zwiṱirathedzhi zwa u tshila zwine vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani vha ṱoḓa u zwi tevhela u itela u ita zwa khwine kha vhuimo havho ha vhushai. Khonadzeo dzo fhambanaho dza thasululo sa zwiṱirathedzhi zwa u tshila na mbekanyamushumo dza u dzhenelela dzo bviselwa khagala kha ngudo. U swikela hune ra kona u amba uri gake ḽa vhushai kha vhushai ḽo ṱumanywa, mbekanyamaitele dzo khwaṱhaho dzi ḓo ṱoḓiwa dzine dza sa vhe henefho fhedzi u itela u khavhisa fhedzi u itela u amba na u khwinisa vhuimo ha u sa lingana he ha kwama lwa tshifhinga tshilapfu vhafumakadzi vha vhuponi ha mahayani
Development Studies
M.A. (Development Studies)

Inequalities in levels of development between regions within a country are frequently regarded as a problem. The magnitude of the problem is more severe in developing countries than in developed countries. Zimbabwe, as a developing country, is no exception and the country is characterized by severe regional inequalities. This research is concerned with the spatial patterns of socio-economic development in Zimbabwe. The composite index method was used to rank administrative districts of Zimbabwe according to level of development. The composite indices together with socio-economic characteristics were used to demarcate the administrative districts into development regions according to Friedmann's (1966) model. Attention was given to the spatial development policies applied in Zimbabwe. Friedmann's (1966) guidelines, for the development of the different regional types in his model, were applied to the Zimbabwean spatial economy. Suggestions were made regarding possible adjustments to previous strategies used in Zimbabwe, for spatial development planning.
Anthropology and Archaeology
M.A.

The study involves, describing the nature of the airline industry, especially in the African situation with some of its problems being high airfares and inaccessibility within the continent. In order to address these problems an analysis of the minimal operating costs and challenging factors affecting route costs needs to be carried out. The aim of the study was to develop from first principles, a cost model to calculate operating costs along any route in the African continent. The costing of an airline service is reviewed through existing literature and a compilation of the structure, components and their equations and default values was done. A model structure to calculate these operating costs on a route is set up, while data is analysed to provide inputs to the model. The model is then applied to carry out an analysis of the type of service provided in terms of costs and service quality. Africa specific data is then included in the model in terms of passenger trips and sector distances and these are embedded into the model. The main conclusion drawn from the study was that this model could be used to design optimally an airline service based on operating costs using existing passenger demand and sector distance. The model was applied to a route within Africa and results showing how smaller capacity aircraft even though limited by maximum range are the most economical to run along routes when the frequency of flights is high.
Dissertation (M Eng (Transportation Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2006.
Civil Engineering
unrestricted

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Built Environment in Housing
This study unpacks the obstacles in the trajectory of parallel development implementation in Zimbabwe. Parallel development approach to housing allows housing construction to be carried out simultaneously with the provision of services (Government of Zimbabwe, 2012).Parallel development was implemented in Victoria Ranch with the aim to improve home ownership through affordability. The implementation of parallel development approach in Victoria Ranch produced a township without basic infrastructure and supporting services. Despite rapid house construction beneficiaries are unable to connect to services. This scenario affects the technical and social sustainability of the township. Thus this study interrogates the obstacles in the trajectory of the Victoria Ranch development. I employ a qualitative design which involved policy evaluation through a case study. I conducted fourteen semi-structured interviews with beneficiaries and officials from relevant ministries who are involved in the development of the Victoria Ranch. The interviewees were selected purposively. I also employed observation and transact walks. Following the study, this research report found that the project is affected by the politicisation of the project, lack of transparency, change of currency, lack of proper guidelines on policy implementation and less monitoring of the developers.
GR2018

Information on deforestation and forest management is limited due to lack of understanding as to how socioeconomic factors affect deforestation. Without adequate data, it is difficult to manage deforestation; particularly in Chipuriro where deforestation is occurring at a rapid rate. This research was carried out to address the problem. Surveys and landsat images were used to collect data. To quantify deforestation, images were processed using Geographical Information System. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient was used to deduce the relationship between socioeconomic factors and deforestation. Socioeconomic factors were obtained through household surveys and focus group discussions. Results indicated high rates of deforestation in Ward 18 (4.7% per annum) while in Ward 16 woodland cover increased throughout the study period (7.7% per annum). Population growth with its demand on fuel wood, settlement and agricultural land caused a significant decrease in woodland cover in Ward 18. Plantations increased the area under woodlands in Ward 16.
Environmental Sciences
M. Sc. (Environmental Management)

Against a background of declining macro-economic conditions in Zimbabwe, significant challenges confront management in changing the financial performance of debt-ridden parastatals or public corporations. Chronic budget deficits, poor economic policies and mismanagement have ensured that these under capitalised companies post successive losses thus increasing the burden on the tax payer who must pay for their survival. The research study seeks to establish the strategies which management can implement to raise revenue and improve cash flows in preparation for privatisation. If the companies are to be competitive in a deregulated sector, the chosen strategies must offer quick and sustainable solutions. The shareholder's intention is to place these companies in a profitable position in order to gain maximum value from prospective investors. The recommended strategies are intended to improve financial performance of a telecommunications company confronted by a myriad of problems, which include: - • Critical shortages of foreign currency required to implement network development and maintenance programmes as well as payment of traffic handling obligations. • Competition from new entrants, • Government intention to privatise a company weighed down by a huge local and foreign debt. • An economy experiencing negative growth, high unemployment and chronic inflation. MBA-Strategic Financial Management • A population on the verge of starvation resulting from food shortages created by badly implemented land policy and drought conditions afflicting Zimbabwe and Southern Africa in general. The study focuses on key processes that create improvements in revenue and cash flow generation in the short to medium term. The processes are considered against a background of declining macro economic conditions and telecommunications sector deregulation. Experiences on deregulation of telecommunications sector in other countries are considered, and in Zimbabwe, the work done by BT consultants during restructuring and commercialization of the Post and Telecommunications Corporation is assessed. The study shall consider and recommend changes necessary to improve revenues and cash flows. In particular, the study shall: - • Critically review service provision for new customers, line transfers, reallocation of recovered lines, the delayed billing of connected customers and meter reading timetable for statement generation. • Consider and develop improvements in international traffic and accounting rates management in order to increase revenues, which contribute half of the company's profits. MBA-Strategic Financial Management • Assess and develop debt management strategies in order to improve cash flow and profitability. • Assess the company's cash handling procedures and recommend process improvements in order to realise the computed servings in overdraft interest or earnings arising from timely investments. • Develop a system of continuous improvement through tracking, feedback and training.
Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2003.

The study sought to explore possibilities of using African languages and their literature to enhance socio-cultural and economic development in Zimbabwe. In broad terms the study considered empowerment through language. Basically the research was an exploration of the different linguistic patterns and attitudes that prevail in the African continent in general and Zimbabwe in particular. The descriptive survey research design was employed for its usefulness in exploratory studies. A total of 600 people participated in the research. Respondents were from across the breath of linguistic divides in the country. Questionnaires, interviews, observations and documentary reviews were used to gather data. Data gathered was subjected to both quantitative and qualitative analysis resulting in data triangulation for validation. Major findings of the research indicated a disparity in the roles and functions allocated to languages in Zimbabwe. English is preferred and over valued in administration, education and wider communication as a carrier of modern knowledge in science and technology Zimbabwe’s dependence on English provides selective access to socio-cultural and economic services that results in the exclusion of a majority of indigenous people. Zimbabwe’s dependence on English therefore limits adequate exploitation of potential in socio-cultural and economic development. The linguistic landscape of Zimbabwe is not adequately exploited. Zimbabwe is a multi-lingual and multi-cultural country without a clear defining instrument for the status and use of indigenous languages, (Gatawa, 1998; NLPAP, 1998 and Nziramasanga et al, 1999). A clear language policy that recognises that language is a resource is likely to be linguistically all-inclusive and facilitate socio-cultural and economic participation by all Zimbabweans Implementation of proposals for inclusion of African languages is retarded by centuries of linguistic marginalisation and fossilised attitudes in the belief that English carries modern knowledge, coupled with the lack of resources theory. Zimbabwe’s pursuance in the use of English is mainly for nationistic reasons.Proposals and recommendations to avoid reverse discrimination and come up with an all-inclusive multi-lingual policy that uplifts the status of indigenous languages and their literature without annihilating English were made. The level of development for English should illuminate and challenge the heights to which African languages can be developed.
African languages
D.Litt. et Phil.

The US airline industry is going through a period of consolidation through mergers between leading airlines. A number of recent mergers have been approved by the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) based on the presence of Southwest Airlines in merger-affected markets. In doing so, the DOJ makes a key assumption that Southwest is unresponsive to the reduced competition when its competitors merge. We find that Southwest raised fares more in markets where Delta/Northwest and US/America-West used to operate jointly between 2005-2010. However, Southwest's fares either decreased or rose by less if facing direct or adjacent competition from a low-cost carrier (LCC). Furthermore, Southwest is now merging with AirTran Airways, its biggest LCC competitor. This implies that the DOJ should not rely on Southwest Airlines as a post-merger deterrent to fare increases.
Graduation date: 2012

D.Comm.
Economic conditions in deregulated domestic air transport markets developed differently from what was originally anticipated and the commercial conduct of airlines also differed from the conduct foreseen at the time of deregulation. The result was also different from what governments that had implemented air transport policies based on economic deregulation had expected. The overall result in such deregulated market was more consolidation and less competition than had originally been anticipated. It has been established that market access by means of economic deregulation is not sufficient to ensure a competitive domestic air transport market. Certain regulatory steps need to be taken to promote competition in the domestic air transport industry. It was established that competition in the airline industry differs from competition in many other industries in the following respects: •Airlines compete over networks. •Airlines compete using multiple competitive tools. •The air transport industry, as a network industry, has fundamentally different characteristics from those of the other industries on which traditional classic microeconomic models have been based. Apart from supply side efficiencies that are central in the traditional microeconomic models, the demand side effects within the airline industry have given rise to many of the commercial practices that the airlines have perfected (like loyalty programmes, including FFPs). These commercial practices have been designed to raise the switching costs for users of air services to change suppliers and to reduce the level of competition for the preferred customers. This would have to be taken into account in the formulation of policy. It was found that certain economic features of network industries, however, are also applicable in the airline industry and that this creates competition concerns as a result of the following features: •The bigger the network of an airline, the more useful it is. •The demand for air services on a particular airport-pair, city-pair, or even country-pair is derived from a multitude of separate origin/destination markets - a fact which creates a need for complex market definitions in airline competition. •The “indivisibility” of seating capacity on aircraft and of the deployment of aircraft within route networks can result in extremely low short-run marginal costs, with consequent difficulties in applying competition law to cases involving allegations of predatory pricing. •Many of the costs are sunk and unrecoverable once they are committed. •There is a history relating to cyclical provision of an overall excess capacity in the industry. Economies of scope in the airline industry clearly indicate that a larger network of services would be more attractive to the traveller, since the traveller will have more destinations and frequency of services to choose from and have a larger probability of finding a suitable connection from the passenger’s particular origin to any given destination. In particular, on a firm level, it has been found that economies of scope on the demand side are intensified by certain airline marketing practices including: •Frequent flyer programmes (FFPs). •Travel agent overriding commission agreements (TACOs). •Corporate discount schemes. The above create synthetic economies of scope on the demand side of the airline industry as they make it more attractive for passengers and travel agents to concentrate their demand on one airline and increase the loyalty of the customers towards the airline through an artificial increase in the switching costs. Predatory behaviour in the airline industry differs from such behaviour in other industries, where it mostly revolves around the approach of predatory pricing, as the increase of the provision of capacity cannot normally be implemented or dispersed as rapidly in other industries as in the airline industry. The air transportation industry was found to be especially susceptible to predatory responses of dominant airlines compared to dominant firms in other industries owing to the following factors: •Mobility of aircraft, as incumbents incur virtually no additional sunk costs when they increase capacity on challenged routes, while new entrants can be readily induced to depart because of their ability to move their equipment out of particular routes. As a result, network airlines can shift resources between markets much more readily to increase service frequency and capture a disproportionate share of traffic. •Access of airlines to comprehensive, “real time” information on their competitors’ activities through booking and other data generated by computer reservations systems (CRS). •Extreme sophistication of the yield-management practices of the major airlines using CRS, which enables such airlines to increase sharply the availability of deeply discounted fares on individual routes in response to competitive challenge and to withdraw them when the challenge disappears. •Ability of a major airline to price-discriminate to a much greater extent and to adjust its prices much faster in advance of flights actually taking place. As a result, airlines can respond to competitive initiatives more precisely and swiftly than enterprises in other industries, which implies that the competition rules should take cognisance of the differences in the commercial practices of airlines in the air transportation industry compared to those of enterprises in other industries. A number of problems relating to the competition policy and legislation in South Africa have been identified. They included the following: •Prohibited agreements are not immediately void in terms of the South African Competition Act. •Applying a narrow cost based standard of marginal or average variable cost is inappropriate for the airline industry in South Africa when compared to the principle of avoidable cost. •No specific guidance currently exists in the domestic air transport industry in South Africa relating to the particular forms of conduct that would be regarded as having an anti-competitive effect. •No measures currently exist in South Africa that enable the competition authorities to respond timeously (as required in the airline industry) to prevent anti-competitive or predatory conduct, to stop such conduct (in contravention of those guidelines) by means of cease and desist orders and effective interim orders where there is a danger that competition will be eliminated. •The dominant airline in South Africa, South African Airways (SAA), which is owned by the State, has not achieved an adequate return on assets and has received substantial financial state aid without any published conditions that would mitigate the anti-competitive effect of such state aid and promote competition in the air transport market. The risk of such state aid could enable the dominant state-owned airline, SAA, to: Deploy too much capacity on an uneconomical basis. Operate many services (frequency) at a lower income level than the cost of providing such services. Dump excess capacity on competitive routes at a lower fare than needed to provide a reasonable return on assets, and Conduct operations with the objective of earning a lower return on investment than would be required as a reasonable return on assets by competitors that are subject to normal financial markets and do not receive state financial aid. This study specifically dealt with: •The specific commercial practices adopted by airlines in domestic passenger air transport markets as well as the use of a combination of commercial practices in an anti-competitive or predatory manner. Some measures adopted elsewhere to mitigate the anti-competitive effect of such commercial practices and to stimulate competition following economic deregulation or liberalisation of such domestic air transport markets were identified. •Most importantly, the occurrence of anti-competitive conduct as well as predatory behaviour by airlines was investigated: generally, and specifically in the United States of America (USA) as well as in Canada. It was found that, in particular, predatory conduct in the airline industry that involves price cuts combined with significant capacity expansion by dominant incumbent airlines appears to be the most troublesome in domestic air transport industries in respect of a number of jurisdictions. In addition, it was established that incumbent airlines also conduct predatory actions in response to new entry by using tools other than price and quantity. An important recommendation is that a policy objective approach should be adopted to enhance or promote competition as criteria for regulatory consideration in the South African domestic air transport market. In this regard, the recommendations include an active involvement by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in matters affecting competition in the South African domestic air transport market and that the Competition Commission, the Commissioner of Competition and the Competition Tribunal be given greater authority to specifically deal with particular aspects of concern relating to the air transport market. Recommendations have also been made relating to competition policy, competition legislation and some commercial practices within the domestic air transport industry in order to promote competitiveness in the South African domestic air transport industry.
Prof. J. Walters

Globally, old age has been identified as one of the key causes of poverty. Governments all over the world have taken the initiative to introduce policies aimed at protecting the elderly from poverty. However in most developing countries, the plight of the elderly often falls on the informal systems of care such as the extended family. This often leaves the elderly more vulnerable to poverty as the informal systems of care are becoming increasingly unreliable. This study explored the impact which an economic crisis characterized by hyperinflation and high unemployment had on the lives of elderly persons in a suburb called Mucheke in Masvingo, Zimbabwe, focusing mainly on their social networks. Most of the literature on Zimbabwe emphasizes that often people who are institutionalized in old age homes in Zimbabwe were those people who had weaker social networks, particularly due to the fact that they were of foreign origin. These individuals did not have an extended family they could rely on in Zimbabwe, whilst at the same time their links with their families had been broken due to a prolonged stay in a foreign country. Black locals rarely sought to be institutionalized in old age homes. However with the economic crisis, many facets of the elderly people’s lives were altered. These alterations included the depletion of the extended family’s capacity to continue its role of providing care to the elderly as resources were limited. The government on its own had been paralyzed by the economic crisis and no longer provided care for the destitute and desperate elderly people as had been the norm. The elderly established different coping strategies to see them through the crisis. The civil society also began to play a more central role in assisting the needy as the crisis worsened.
Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

D. Tech. Business Administration
The study attempts to identify and quantify socio-economic factors that are influence the production and distribution of biofuels products in Zimbabwe. It also seeks to provide an empirical analysis of the importance of stakeholders in Biofuel production and distribution and how their perceptions and influences tend to affect production and distribution.

This study concerns the contribution that the church can make to small businesses in Zimbabwe through the development of an appropriate holistic training programme for entrepreneurs. Through a case study on the situation in Masvingo undertaken through participant observation and interviews with various role players, this thesis first identifies the fundamental reasons that lead to the lack of viability of the small businesses in Zimbabwe. To develop a response for the church, this study adopts a three pronged approach. Firstly, the theological basis for freedom is laid through a reading of four biblical stories: the creation story, the Exodus story, the prophets' story and the Messianic story. It is argued that these stories can influence and challenge the church to be meaningfully engaged in a freedom centred development process that can foster the freedoms and values that small businesses need in order to grow and flourish. Secondly, Amartya Sen's theory of freedom as development was engaged in a bid to find an interface between economic and development theory and the theological vision of freedom for socio-economic freedom in Zimbabwe. Thirdly, having established a linkage between a theoretical and a theological essence for freedom the research then examined the role the church can play in enhancing the freedoms for the operators of small businesses in Zimbabwe. The study suggests a freedom-centred entrepreneurial training model that is based on Paulo Freire's dialogical education model. A formal proposal of the key elements of such a training programme is explored. The study recognises that the socio-economic situation in Zimbabwe continues to deteriorate so rapidly that all research seems out of date; but it has proceeded with the hope that when the economic situation improves this study would become an important tool through which the church can begin to contribute to development and the revival of small businesses in Zimbabwe.
Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

The study into the socio-economic challenges of HIV and AIDS on widowed women in rural communities of Zimbabwe was carried out in the village of Mukadziwashe. The main aim of the study was to find out the socio-economic challenges that are faced by HIV and AIDS widows. Of particular concern has been role played change agent since the dawn of the HIV and AIDS pandemic and its devastating socio-economic impact on families, especially widows. The findings of this study are based on a sample of limited number (12) widows based in the village of Mukadziwashe in Gutu Central District, as well interviews of key informants who happen to be representatives of change agents in the main. In-depth interviews were the tool used to collect information from the research participants identified above. The findings of the study revealed that widows still suffer from the serious social and economic challenges posed by HIV and AIDS such as cultural oppressions and prevention of women from inheriting their late husbands’ wealth The continued denial of women of their constitutionally enshrined rights is difficult to understand, because many studies have been conducted on this subject. It is reasonable to expect noticeable progress in promoting the rights of women, especially widows. What is apparent in this sad story is the mute role of change agents, be they government, non-governmental or community based, in affirming widows’ rights. Based on these observations, the study strongly recommends the design, implementation and constant monitoring of intervention programmes aimed at women empowerment in general.
Sociology
M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV and AIDS)