Livelihood strategies of female headed households in Zimbabwe: the case of Magaso Village, Mutoko District in Zimbabwe
- Authors: Musekiwa, Pamela
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Women heads of households -- Zimbabwe , Women in agriculture -- Zimbabwe , Sustainable development -- Zimbabwe , Household surveys -- Zimbabwe , Poverty -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M SW
- Identifier: vital:11763 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1005967 , Women heads of households -- Zimbabwe , Women in agriculture -- Zimbabwe , Sustainable development -- Zimbabwe , Household surveys -- Zimbabwe , Poverty -- Zimbabwe
- Description: This research study explored livelihood strategies that female headed households adopt in Magaso village of Mutoko district in Zimbabwe. The study intended to achieve the following objectives: (i) examine the existing livelihood strategies of female headed households (ii) explore the various challenges faced by female headed households and (iii) establish the support mechanisms in place for female headed households to cope with life challenges .The literature reviewed in the study was drawn from several researchers, and the study was shaped by the strengths perspectives and the liberal feminism perspective. The study was qualitative in nature and used interviews to collect data from fifteen (15) female headed households. The data collection process used an interview guide. The research employed a qualitative research design in the form of a case study cum a phenomenological study design. Data was analysed qualitatively using the content thematic data analysis which used interpretive approaches and presentation is textual rather than statistical. The study findings were the following: engaging in subsistence farming was found to be the main livelihood activity of the female heads; engaging in home gardens; exchanging labour for food; involvement in business; reliance on temporary employment from different agencies; reliance on handouts from government and other bodies; and household heads sanctioning child labour that compromises school attendance. Moreover, these female heads faced numerous difficulties ranging from emotional, social to financial problems that resulted in worsening the condition of women, and hence validating feminization of poverty among them. Several support mechanisms were discovered to be available for the female heads but they fail to produce to fruitful results to the lives of the female heads. The study made the following recommendations: mainstreaming gender education from childhood stage; efforts aimed at job creation; financial empowerment through setting up of micro schemes for rural women amongst; seeking the services of agricultural extension services to the female head farmers; improving the social services delivery in Zimbabwe equitably across genders and strengthening informal strategies to improve women‘s social capital. Lastly, the study concluded that little is being done in terms of policy formulation to make the support structures responsive to the female headed households especially in rural areas, hence the need for sustainable development through empowerment.
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- Date Issued: 2013
Towards an information security awareness process for engineering SMEs in emerging economies
- Authors: Gundu, Tapiwa
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Computer security -- South Africa , Information technology -- South Africa , Computer networks -- Security measures -- South Africa , Information resources management -- South Africa , Small business -- South Africa , Engineering firms -- South Africa , Confidential communications -- South Africa , Information Security Awareness , Information Security Behaviour , Information Security Training
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Information Systems)
- Identifier: vital:11138 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007179 , Computer security -- South Africa , Information technology -- South Africa , Computer networks -- Security measures -- South Africa , Information resources management -- South Africa , Small business -- South Africa , Engineering firms -- South Africa , Confidential communications -- South Africa , Information Security Awareness , Information Security Behaviour , Information Security Training
- Description: With most employees in Engineering Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) now having access to their own personal workstations, the need for information security management to safeguard against loss/alteration or theft of the firms’ important information has increased. These Engineering SMEs tend to be more concerned with vulnerabilities from external threats, although industry research suggests that a substantial proportion of security incidents originate from insiders within the firm. Hence, technical preventative measures such as antivirus software and firewalls are proving to solve only part of the problem as the employees controlling them lack adequate information security knowledge. This tends to expose a firm to risk and costly mistakes made by naïve/uninformed employees. This dissertation presents an information security awareness process that seeks to cultivate positive security behaviours using a behavioural intention model based on the Theory of Reasoned Action, Protection Motivation Theory and the Behaviourism Theory. The process and model have been refined and verified using expert review and tested through action research at an Engineering SME in South Africa. The main finding was information security levels of employees within the firm were low, but the proposed information security awareness process increased their knowledge thereby positively altering their behaviour.
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- Date Issued: 2013
Digital forensic model for computer networks
- Authors: Sanyamahwe, Tendai
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Computer crimes -- Investigation , Evidence, Criminal , Computer networks -- Security measures , Electronic evidence , Forensic sciences , Internet -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Information Systems)
- Identifier: vital:11127 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1000968 , Computer crimes -- Investigation , Evidence, Criminal , Computer networks -- Security measures , Electronic evidence , Forensic sciences , Internet -- Security measures
- Description: The Internet has become important since information is now stored in digital form and is transported both within and between organisations in large amounts through computer networks. Nevertheless, there are those individuals or groups of people who utilise the Internet to harm other businesses because they can remain relatively anonymous. To prosecute such criminals, forensic practitioners have to follow a well-defined procedure to convict responsible cyber-criminals in a court of law. Log files provide significant digital evidence in computer networks when tracing cyber-criminals. Network log mining is an evolution of typical digital forensics utilising evidence from network devices such as firewalls, switches and routers. Network log mining is a process supported by presiding South African laws such as the Computer Evidence Act, 57 of 1983; the Electronic Communications and Transactions (ECT) Act, 25 of 2002; and the Electronic Communications Act, 36 of 2005. Nevertheless, international laws and regulations supporting network log mining include the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the Bribery Act of the USA. A digital forensic model for computer networks focusing on network log mining has been developed based on the literature reviewed and critical thought. The development of the model followed the Design Science methodology. However, this research project argues that there are some important aspects which are not fully addressed by South African presiding legislation supporting digital forensic investigations. With that in mind, this research project proposes some Forensic Investigation Precautions. These precautions were developed as part of the proposed model. The Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) Theory is the framework underpinning the development of the model and how it can be assimilated into the community. The model was sent to IT experts for validation and this provided the qualitative element and the primary data of this research project. From these experts, this study found out that the proposed model is very unique, very comprehensive and has added new knowledge into the field of Information Technology. Also, a paper was written out of this research project.
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- Date Issued: 2011
The effectiveness of traditional leaders in the development of the rural Eastern Cape
- Authors: Kewana, Nonzaliseko Gladys
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Tribal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Political leadership -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Soc Sc (Dev)
- Identifier: vital:11411 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/296 , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Tribal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Political leadership -- South Africa
- Description: Traditional leadership is a contested field in social and political environments. The new, democratic government has created an environment that accommodates the existence of traditional leadership by introducing policies that guide their functioning. The White Paper on Traditional Leadership of 2003 spells out the roles and responsibilities of traditional leaders. This document when used with the Municipal Structures Act 117 of 2003 may minimise the existing tensions between the traditional leaders and the democratically elected councillors. The White Paper on Traditional Leadership of 2003 has been designed accordingly with the Bill of Rights. Equality and prevention of unfair discrimination, has been entrenched in the Bill of Rights of the Republic of South Africa. Traditional leaders, therefore, do have a space in the governance of South Africa. They are expected to participate in development programmes and in promoting service delivery. This study used the method of a case study. It is a qualitative study. Questionnaires and interviews are tools used to collect data. Various observations and findings were made with proposed recommendations. Most important to note is that, the traditional leaders are aware of the White Paper on Traditional Leadership but do not know what to do about it. This reveals that there is a gap between practice and policy. is the recommendation of the study that, the officials from Local Government and Traditional Affairs and those from the municipalities workshop and mentor the traditional leaders as well as the democratically elected councillors. Such a practice could minimise if not eliminate the tensions that result in poor service delivery.
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- Date Issued: 2009
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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- Date Issued: 2008