Economics of wetland cultivation in Zimbabwe: case study of Mashonaland East Province
- Authors: Taruvinga, Amon
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Wetland management -- Zimbabwe Case studies , Wetland ecology -- Zimbabwe , Sustainable agriculture -- Zimbabwe , Rural development -- Zimbabwe , Wetland restoration -- Zimbabwe , Nature conservation -- Government policy -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Agricultural Economics)
- Identifier: vital:11169 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1001002 , Wetland management -- Zimbabwe Case studies , Wetland ecology -- Zimbabwe , Sustainable agriculture -- Zimbabwe , Rural development -- Zimbabwe , Wetland restoration -- Zimbabwe , Nature conservation -- Government policy -- Zimbabwe
- Description: Wetlands are stocks of natural resources limited in supply, in the middle of unlimited human wants with multiple uses to society, presenting an economic problem in as far as their rational and sustainable use is concerned. To that end, conflicting recommendations have been forwarded regarding wetland cultivation as a possible land use across the globe and from within the same regions. On one extreme, wetland cultivation has been linked to degradation of wetlands with pure wetland conservation as the prescribed viable and sustainable land use option to society. Closer to reality, partial wetland conversion to crop land has been found compatible with wetland bio-diversity; implying that partial wetland cultivation is the prescribed wetland use option viable and sustainable to societies, a dictum mainly claimed by rural communities. With that conflicting background and based on the “Safe Minimum Standard” approach, a ban on wetland cultivation was maintained in several early environmental policies in Zimbabwe as a basis for legislative protection of wetlands, a position that is still legally binding in current statutes. Contrary to that, rural communities have responded by invading wetlands as a coping strategy in pursuit of the claimed values of wetland cultivation, further conflicting with standing policies. This scenario has managed to “lock” and is currently locking the claimed 1,28 million hectares of wetlands in Zimbabwe in a “legal-operational impasse”, at a cost to the entire nation since no meaningful investment is possible in wetlands when there is a legal conflict.
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Potential of sorghum and finger millet to enhance household food security in Zimbabwe's semi-arid regions: a case study of communal areas in Masvingo Province
- Authors: Mukarumbwa, Peter
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Food security -- Zimbabwe Case studies , Food supply -- Zimbabwe Case studies , Crops -- Zimbabwe Case studies , Sorghum -- Zimbabwe , Poverty -- Zimbabwe , Millets -- Economic aspects -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Agricultural Economics)
- Identifier: vital:11186 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/368 , Food security -- Zimbabwe Case studies , Food supply -- Zimbabwe Case studies , Crops -- Zimbabwe Case studies , Sorghum -- Zimbabwe , Poverty -- Zimbabwe , Millets -- Economic aspects -- Zimbabwe
- Description: 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.
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A Biblical theology of ministry to refugees for Baptist Churches in South Africa
- Authors: Stemmett, David John
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Baptists -- South Africa , Church and social problems -- South Africa , Church work with refugees
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Th
- Identifier: vital:11799 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/131 , Baptists -- South Africa , Church and social problems -- South Africa , Church work with refugees
- Description: The issue of refugees in South Africa has come under the spotlight recently, particularly in the light of the xenophobic violence that swept the country in 2008. As a Baptist pastor, working in a congregation which has a vital ministry towards refugees, the writer became aware that only a handful of Baptist congregations in the Western Cape had a similar concern for refugees and asylum seekers. These observations raised the question of ministry to refugees on the part of Baptist churches in SA. As Baptist churches adhere to the principle of the supremacy of Scripture, the motivation for churches to minister to refugees should to be based upon biblical theology. This dissertation seeks to provide such a biblical theology of ministry to refugees that can in turn provide a basis from which local congregation can develop such ministry. To provide the context of refugees in SA, this study begins by outlining the phenomenon of refugees in the context of SA, as well as the conditions experienced by refugees. This dissertation further seeks to delineate a number of Baptist principles that relate to the issue of Baptist churches and ministry to refugees. It also seeks to look at the role that various Baptist agencies such as the Baptist Union of Southern Africa (BUSA) and the Western Province Baptist Association have to play in ministry to refugees. The study then goes on to discuss biblical material from both the Old and New The issue of refugees in South Africa has come under the spotlight recently, particularly in the light of the xenophobic violence that swept the country in 2008. As a Baptist pastor, working in a congregation which has a vital ministry towards refugees, the writer became aware that only a handful of Baptist congregations in the Western Cape had a similar concern for refugees and asylum seekers. These observations raised the question of ministry to refugees on the part of Baptist churches in SA. As Baptist churches adhere to the principle of the supremacy of Scripture, the motivation for churches to minister to refugees should to be based upon biblical theology. This dissertation seeks to provide such a biblical theology of ministry to refugees that can in turn provide a basis from which local congregation can develop such ministry. To provide the context of refugees in SA, this study begins by outlining the phenomenon of refugees in the context of SA, as well as the conditions experienced by refugees. This dissertation further seeks to delineate a number of Baptist principles that relate to the issue of Baptist churches and ministry to refugees. It also seeks to look at the role that various Baptist agencies such as the Baptist Union of Southern Africa (BUSA) and the Western Province Baptist Association have to play in ministry to refugees. The study then goes on to discuss biblical material from both the Old and New Testaments pertaining to refugees. The dissertation then seeks to develop a theology of ministry to refugees based upon the biblical material that can be used to motivate local Baptist congregations to minister to refugees. In the final section the theology of ministry to refugees is used to evaluate current models of ministry directed towards refugees.
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A critical study of Charles Dickens' representation of the socially disadvantage
- Authors: Makati, Pamela
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: People with disabilities
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA (English)
- Identifier: vital:11501 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/173 , People with disabilities
- Description: This research is an examination of Charles Dickens’ representation of the underprivileged in the Victorian society. The socially disadvantaged members that will be under discussion are the poor, women and children, who are of major concern in Dickens’ selected texts namely Bleak House, Great Expectations, Hard Times and Oliver Twist. It is evident that Dickens noted the impact of industrialisation on the Victorian society as it created a massive urban development, leading to a higher class division. Initially, the English society consisted of the aristocracy, the landed gentry and the servants who belonged to the lower class. The influx of industrialisation created a further division of these classes in which there emerged the capitalists or bourgeoisie, who were the industrialists like Mr. Bounderby in Hard Times, and the working class, who were the industrial workers. Although the Industrial Revolution fostered urban growth, it is unfortunate that the number of the poor also increased. Many of them lived under squalid conditions with poor sanitation leading to fatal diseases and even death. Being a socially conscious writer, Dickens depicts the world in which he lives, as a strategy to raise awareness in his readers of what was really happening, and hopefully, to bring social reforms. Apart from the poor, Dickens also portrays the brutal treatment of children at the workhouses. This research will show that Dickens was an obstinate critique of the Poor Law and its administration. Furthermore, it will be proven that Dickens also abhorred child labour because of his own childhood experience. Moreover, his repugnance is also noted in the way he creates child characters like Oliver Twist who are mistreated and exploited as child workers. Dickens representation of women is largely influenced by the Victorian ideology surrounding the role of women in society. It is evident that the English society was very patriarchal and strongly confined women to domesticity. Women were also expected to uphold virtue and purity and if they lost both, they were despised and not tolerated at all by society. Although Dickens creates both the Victorian stereotypical woman who is the “angel in the house,” and the antitypical women who comprise of the prostitutes, those who bear children out of wedlock and the larger than life characters like Mrs. Joe Gargery and Molly in Great Expectations, he is revealing the different types of women one can find in society. Moreover, the juxtaposition of the stereotype and the antitype is also a suggestion of the latter’s struggle to fight against patriarchy by assuming the unexpected. Therefore, this research will prove that Dickens is not a patriarchal writer but he actually sympathizes with the plight of women. A realist and naturalist reading of Dickens’ selected texts will provide literary theory for this research. Writing during the time that both theories were grounded, it is evident that Dickens adopted both elemental forms of writing. A feminist approach to Dickens’ female characters will also foster the analysis. Being a realist and naturalist writer, Dickens is comparable to writers of his time such as Nikolai Gogol from Russia who also employs a similar mode of writing in his works. Dickens’ antitypical female characters are comparable to those of the later feminist writers who have placed much emphasis on the independent female characters. It is evident that Dickens’ creation of violent or impure female characters influenced the feminist writers to use them as representations of female independence.
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Determination and validation of ethno-veterinary practices used as alternatives in controlling cattle ticks by resource-limited farmers in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Moyo, Busani
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Traditional veterinary medicine -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Province , Ethnozoology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Province , Ticks -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Province
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Animal Science)
- Identifier: vital:11806 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/165 , Traditional veterinary medicine -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Province , Ethnozoology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Province , Ticks -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Province
- Description: Ticks are the most common external parasites of economic importance in the livestock farming sector of Southern Africa. They are vectors of tick-borne diseases and are commonly controlled using conventional acaricides, which are expensive and not readily available to resource-limited farmers. As a result many resource-limited farmers resort to use of alternative materials to control ticks on their livestock. Tick resistance to acaricide is an increasing problem in Southern Africa and poses a real economic threat to livestock and veterinary pharmaceutical industries. The objective of this study was to document and validate the ethno-veterinary remedies used as alternative methods of controlling cattle ticks by resource-limited farmers. A questionnaire survey was conducted in May 2007, at Qolora by-Sea and Nontshinga in Centane district, to determine tick control methods used by resource limited farmers in the Amathole District Municipality of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments were done to validate the acaricidal properties of ethnoveterinary remedies used by resource-limited farmers. Ticks were reported to be a major problem, transmitting diseases like anaplasmosis (89.8%), babesiosis (55.9%) and ehrlichiosis (16.9%), they also cause wounds that predispose cattle to screwworm infestation, tick worry and teat damage. All farmers used acaricides and dipping tanks provided by the government to control ticks, as the main tick control method. However, the majority (94.9%) were of the opinion that the dip wash was not effective in controlling ticks. As a result, farmers complemented the government dipping service with use of own initiatives like spraying with conventional acaricides (22%), household disinfectants such as Jeyes fluid (18.6%), used engine oil (10.2%), chickens feeding on ticks (5.1%), manual iv removal (5.1%), and pouricides (1.7%). In addition, some farmers also use plants (6.8%), mainly the leaf of Aloe ferox and the bark of Ptaeroxylon obliquum. The in vitro repellency models showed Jeyes fluid (76.8 and 100% concentrations) and P. obliquum (40%) had repellent properties that lasted 6 hours and 40 minutes respectively while that of, Tabard (35% diethyltoluamide) positive control, lasted for 4 hours when applied against nymphal stages of Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks. In the contact bio-assay, undiluted used engine oil, T. minuta oil (50%), Ektoban® (Cymiazol 17.5% and cypermethrin 2.5%) and Jeyes fluid (76.8%) caused higher tick mortality of more than 86%. Other materials (A. ferox, Lantana camara and Tagetes minuta) had no repellence and acaricidal properties. In the in vivo study, Jeyes fluid at a concentration of 76.8% and used engine oil displayed efficacy of 71 and 76.4% respectively which was similar to that of the positive control Ektoban® at 97.8% tick load reduction. Among plant materials L. camara at 40% concentrations had an efficacy of 57% while A. ferox, P. obliquum and T. minuta were not effective at all. The remedies used by resource-limited farmers to control ticks vary in efficacy. Their ability to reduce tick load on cattle appears to be promising and a welcome development as their use could probably reduce tick burdens in cattle with less expenditure. However, further investigations need to be done before they are recommended for use. Despite being effective some of the materials have potential toxic effects in animals and also cause environmental contamination and I recommend used engine oil, Jeyes fluid and L. camara for further testing as they showed some efficacy compared to other remedies.
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Economic valuation of communal rangelands in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
- Authors: Gombakomba, Gift
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Rangelands -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Evaluation , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Evaluation , Commons -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Agricultural Economics)
- Identifier: vital:11166 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/351 , Rangelands -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Evaluation , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Evaluation , Commons -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The exploitation and conversion of rangeland ecosystems is often explained by economists as being the result of an undervaluation of the goods and services provided by the rangelands. Undervaluation of rangelands may contribute to their mismanagement or their transformation to monoculture, such as livestock or gathering. Similarly, this may lead to inappropriate policy recommendations and prescriptions. This study undertakes a valuation exercise in an effort to address causes of undervaluation. The objective of the study is to estimate the annual direct, indirect and non-use values per household of communal rangelands in the Eastern Cape Province, based on both primary and secondary data. The exercise incorporates the two major direct uses, both marketed and non-marketed, of rangelands - livestock and gathering. Contingent valuation method based on stated preferences by individual household was used to value the indirect and non-use values of the communal rangelands (e.g. erosion protection and burial sites). Data was collected using PRAs, structured questionnaires and interviews by trained enumerators. The study shows that half of the households owned livestock, which is the main economic use of the rangelands and gathering of natural resources also made an economic contribution. Every household was involved in collection of range resources such as fuel wood, wild fruits, thatch grass, building poles, hunting, fishing make a significant contribution to the direct use values: in the case of gathering it shows that there is “hidden harvest” of many of the natural resources from the rangelands. Indirect and non-use values are shown to be important in the communal areas but are difficult to quantify; the results of these are based on qualitative analysis. Keywords: communal rangelands, demand curve, direct use values, indirect use values, individuals’ preferences, non-use values, willingness-to-accept and willingness-to-pay.
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The efficiency of a fiscally decentralized government in the provision of social services: the case of the Eastern Cape provincial government in South Africa
- Authors: Mahuni, Fortunate Jaqueline Runyararo
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Public welfare -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Social service -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Com
- Identifier: vital:11454 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/209 , Public welfare -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Social service -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Governments strive to improve the efficiency of service delivery with the intention of achieving societal goals. Thus, in order to ensure the quality of public services and goods provided to the people, central governments need to follow a decentralised governance approach. The decentralisation theorem states that, if the consumption of public goods and services over different geographical regions of the total population and the cost of providing these public goods and services in each region are the same for both the central and the sub-national government, the provision of public goods and services will be more efficient if they are provided by the sub-national government to their respective jurisdictions. This dissertation’s main aim is to investigate the extent to which the Eastern Cape Provincial Government (ECPG) is efficient in the provision of social services to the people under their jurisdiction. The efficiency scores obtained using the Data Envelopment Analysis Computer Program (DEAP) 2.1 version proved that the ECPG, education, health, social welfare and the housing departments are inefficient in the provision of social services. In this case, fiscal decentralisation as an appropriate vehicle for service delivery seems not to be working for the Eastern Cape Province, unless there is an improvement in the efficiency levels at which the social services are provided by these departments.
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Photovoltaic-powered wireless communication system for rural schools outside national utility grid
- Authors: Kaseke, Richmore https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8295-5016
- Date: 2007-02
- Subjects: Photovoltaic power systems , Photovoltaic power generation
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/29032 , vital:76492
- Description: Access to global information is inarguably one of the key ways of bringing development to any community. In developing worlds, many rural schools lie outside both the Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) cable network and the national utility grid. Rapid developments in information and communication technology (ICT) continue to widen the digital divide between urban and rural schools. In South Africa, although these rural areas are outside the ISP’s cable network, they enjoy excellent mobile (cellular) communications network coverage. Fortunately, leading mobile operators in the country (MTN and Vodacom) have incorporated mobile data packet services into their cellular communication networks since 2002. A stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system for powering ICT equipment in off grid rural schools was designed and installed; and its performance monitored. Performance of the system was considered in two categories, which are; cost and service performance. In cost performance, return on investment (ROI) and payback period (PB) are the two critical considerations. The PV system designed in this study gave an impressive ROI and PB of 286percent and 5 years, respectively. In order to monitor and evaluate the service performance a data acquisition system (DAS) was designed and installed. Besides proving the potential of PV in powering ICT equipment, results from the DAS also suggested a more efficient way of employing PV as a power source for powering equipment that is based on Switched-Mode Power Supply Units. Concurrent and continuous change in irradiance and temperature result in a four-segment pattern of rising and falling module efficiency throughout the day. Generally, modules produce more energy on cooler sunny days than hotter sunny days. Infrared (IR) Thermography was also used as part of both indoor and outdoor module tests. During indoor tests at pre-deployment stage, IR Thermography showed development of hot spots in mismatched cells of reverse-biased modules. On the outdoors, IR Thermography reiterated the effect of bird droppings on module surfaces byshowing hot spots forming on areas covered by the droppings. For internet connectivity, a customized Mobile Internet Device (MIDevice) was designed, built and tested. The device allows remote computer systems to be connected to the Internet via the already existing mobile communication network using General Packet Radio Services (GPRS). An entire rural school local area network (LAN) can be connected to the Internet via a single MIDevice. An experimental setup was designed in order to monitor and evaluate performance of GPRS in specific and mobile Internet solutions in general. Results obtained proved that GPRS can indeed be a solution for remote Internet connectivity in rural schools. In order to improve performance of GPRS or mobile Internet connections, caching, pop-up blocking and proxy filtering are necessary. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2007
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Design and implementation of a network revenue management architecture for marginalised communities
- Authors: Tarwireyi, Paul
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Computer network architectures -- South Africa -- Design and construction , Computer network protocols -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Design and construction , Revenue management , Computer networks -- Social aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Computer Science)
- Identifier: vital:11374 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/72 , Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Computer network architectures -- South Africa -- Design and construction , Computer network protocols -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Design and construction , Revenue management , Computer networks -- Social aspects
- Description: Rural Internet connectivity projects aimed at bridging the digital divide have mushroomed across many developing countries. Most of the projects are deployed as community centred projects. In most of the cases the initial deployment of these projects is funded by governments, multilateral institutions and non-governmental organizations. After the initial deployment, financial sustainability remains one of the greatest challenges facing these projects. In the light of this, externally funded ICT4D interventions should just be used for “bootstrapping” purposes. The communities should be “groomed” to take care of and sustain these projects, eliminating as soon as possible a dependency on external funding. This master thesis presents the design and the implementation of a generic architecture for the management of the costs associated with running a computer network connected to the Internet, The proposed system, called the Network Revenue Management System, enables a network to generate revenue, by charging users for the utilization of network resources. The novelty of the system resides in its flexibility and adaptability, which allow the exploration of both conventional and non-conventional billing options, via the use of suitable ‘adapters’. The final goal of the exploration made possible by this system is the establishment of what is regarded as equitable charging in rural, marginalized communities - such as the community in Dwesa, South Africa.
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Advanced Administrative Law: LAA 422E
- Authors: Moeketse, W , Katurura, A
- Date: 2006-10
- Subjects: Administrative law
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17357 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1009523
- Description: Advanced Administrative Law: LAA 422E, November Examination 2006
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An appraisal of the role of the universities in city development : a case study of the University of Fort Hare in East London, South Africa
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5485 , vital:29277
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Genetically modified (GM) maize cultivation by smallholders in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa :|beffects on target and non-target organisms and adoption challenges
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/4770 , vital:28511
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Kaseke Richmore.pdf
- Authors: Phakama
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25486 , vital:64285
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Moko_201316839_Geography.pdf
- Authors: Phakama
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20639 , vital:46416
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Nomalungisa Mbangcolo Dissertation LATEST 13 APRIL 2018.pdf
- Authors: PK
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/13017 , vital:39433
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