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This paper explores the scourge of infrastructure vandalism in South Africa and Zimbabwe, with a particular focus on electricity and rail transport companies within the two countries. The paper sought to document the manifestation of infrastructure vandalism; identify the socio-economic impacts of infrastructure vandalism; and explore the challenges of curbing vandalism. The paper reveals that vandalism mainly manifests through copper cable theft; vandalism of transformers, pylons and rail infrastructure; theft of transformers; and tampering with railway points machines. Vandalism of infrastructure comes with direct and costs to the utility companies, as well as negatively impacting the economy, essential services, and the overall community safety. Involvement of employees in the criminal activities, corruption, incessant power cuts, well organised crime syndicates and a weak legal framework were identified as the current challenges to anti-vandalism efforts. The paper also proffers mitigatory measures to deal with the scourge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically explores the use of satire and humour by fast-foods outlets in South Africa and Zimbabwe to advertise and market their menu through digital media platforms, Facebook and Twitter. Using Nando's South Africa and Mambo's Chicken, in Zimbabwe, as case studies, we examine how satire and humour are used as advertising strategies, and as a reflection of these countries' economic and political environments. Consumers are overwhelmed with information coming from different sources such as Television, radio, newspapers and Internet. The paper's theoretical approach is gleaned from advertising and satire. We argue that through their encounter with food, consumers tend to understand the reason behind their 'empty stomach', and mediate on prevailing socio-political and economic issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Rural doctors typically work in low resource settings and with limited professional support. They are sometimes pushed to the limits of their usual scope of practice to provide the medical care needed by their community. In a previous phenomenological study, we described the concept of clinical courage as underpinning rural doctors' work in this context. In this paper, we draw on rural doctors' experiences during the unfolding COVID pandemic to re examine our understanding of the attributes of clinical courage. Methods: Semi structured interviews were conducted with rural doctors from 11 countries who had experience preparing for or managing patients with COVID 19. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded using NVivo. A deductive thematic analysis was undertaken to identify common ideas and responses related to the features of clinical courage. Results: Thirteen interviews from rural doctors during the unfolding COVID 19 pandemic affirmed and enriched our understanding of the attributes of clinical courage, particularly the leadership role rural doctors can have within their communities. Conclusion: This study extended our understanding that rural doctors' experience of clinical courage is consistent amongst participants in many parts of the world, including developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses relations between South Africa and Southern Rhodesia from 1939 to 1948. The article begins in 1939 when the outbreak of the Second World War brought mixed fortunes for the two neighbours. For Southern Rhodesia, which relied mainly on imported manufactured goods from the United Kingdom, the war induced shortages resulting in huge domestic demand. Shortages stimulated calls for local industry to fill the vacuum. Consequently, an import substitution industrialisation (ISI) drive developed. In addition to the ISI, South Africa, which had a comparatively established secondary industry by the time the war broke out, increasingly became an essential source for Southern Rhodesian imports. This, however, was not without its challenges. Southern Rhodesia's economic interest groups often raised complaints against South Africa's economic competition and its threat to the Rhodesian economy. Nonetheless, Pretoria and Salisbury worked closely and found ways to ease the challenges. By 1948, the end date of the paper, Southern Rhodesia and South Africa's relationship had resulted in the signing of a Customs Union Agreement. Thus, the article demonstrates, thematically and chronologically, that relations between the two countries evolved through cooperation and competition during the Second World War until the onset of Apartheid in South Africa and the Customs Agreement. The paper relies on primary material from the Zimbabwean and South African archives comprised of correspondences of Customs Agreements negotiations, economic policies and relations, and Parliamentary debates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article's purpose is to analyse the political work of binaries used in both domestic and global migration governance responses with a particular focus on Zimbabwean "survival migration" at the Zimbabwe–South Africa border. This article finds that there is peculiar complementarity between South Africa's domestic migration governance framework and global migration governance frameworks aimed at a migration management approach. This article argues that this nice fit normalises the ostensibly clear distinction between migrants and refugees to deny protection to deserving asylum-seekers, which is productive in serving the political interests of the South African government. Without access to the appropriate papers and encountering a border refugee reception office that has developed de facto gatekeeping measures to prevent them from seeking asylum, as well as a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees field office that perceives them as economic migrants, many Zimbabweans living in South Africa occupy a liminal area of categorisation and protection. Hence, the possibilities of the global migration governance providing legitimacy to exclusionary practices at the national level in South Africa are immense. This points to the need for serious engagement with "survival migration" as a category of mobility in analysis, policy, law as well as practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does the COVID‐19 pandemic impact migrant worker visibility? This paper examines how the pandemic underscores the invisibility of Zimbabwean migrant farm workers employed at ZZ2, one of the largest commercial farms in South Africa. I argue that Zimbabweans are made invisible in three ways. First, employer and state restrictions on mobility, alongside rising xenophobia in South Africa, leave migrant workers hyper‐visible to ZZ2 management, yet invisible to most people outside the farm. Second, ZZ2 avoids discussion of its migrant workforce in public forums, even as it faces increased scrutiny for its treatment of its workers during the pandemic. Third, the most prominent critic of ZZ2—the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)—grants migrant workers only a partial visibility as undifferentiated foreigners with no voice, a construction that ultimately maintains their invisibility at the company. Taken together, these interlocking forms of invisibilization diminish the structural and associational power of workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What do experiences in South Africa and Zimbabwe teach us about the relationship between social accountability and public participation? The relationship between social accountability and public participation is widely acknowledged as important, yet the nuances that inform such a relationship are not critically discussed. To understand such nuances, this paper critically engages two cases: Vuwani (South Africa) and Gweru (Zimbabwe). The study underscores the importance of social accountability and public participation in local governance. Robust and open citizen engagement is critical to hold the state accountable. Thus, the two cases show how lack of a constructive participatory framework, wherein all relevant stakeholders are given a voice and informed about all developments, is problematic and can cause destructive outcomes in one case and sustained political frustrations in another. Using interviews with various social actors, document analysis and observations to bring to the fore social accountability and public participation nuances, this paper argues that public participation applies in different contexts and forms part of social accountability initiatives which largely depend on the extent of public engagement with non‐state actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The idea of convergence of cultural institutions, especially the libraries, archives and museums (LAMS) to operate as one, has a long theoretical history which unfortunately has not been translated into practice. This subject has been discussed by a number of scholars but the implementation has just remained theoretical with only a few countries practically adopting such an organisational structure. In Africa, this concept of LAMS is yet to gain traction. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is aimed at proposing such LAMS structures for African nations, especially in Zimbabwe and South Africa considering the emergence of community "archives" which have blurred further the distinction between museology, archiving and librarianship. The motivation in advocating for the adoption of LAMS is also driven by the theory behind participatory archives which thrive on the advanced use of internet including social media platforms that can make it possible to have one-stop virtual archive on the cloud that also incorporates museums and libraries. Design/methodology/approach: This is a concept paper which reviewed the literature on national and community archives in Zimbabwe and South Africa which were purposively selected because of their long history in archiving. This was done to come up with a proposed "independent" national heritage organisational structure. "Independent" structure because this paper was based on the assumption that the independence of decision-making in national archival structures in Zimbabwe and South Africa is compromised and biased towards the ethos of political parties' ruling governments. Findings: Proposed integrated framework for community archives into the sustainable national archival system which also incorporates the role that can be played by universities. The framework is likely to be feasible and of benefit in the countries that are struggling to have national mainstream independent archives which are just not paying allegiance to those who are in power. Originality/value: This study is unique in the sense that it mixes LAMS and the concept of independent archival structure in a regional comparative nature that involves Zimbabwe and South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remain vulnerable to HIV infection. While pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective in preventing HIV transmission as a daily or on-demand regimen, tailored approaches are necessary. The Combined HIV Adolescent PrEP and Prevention Study (CHAPS) is a mixed-methods research program investigating the acceptability and feasibility of implementing daily and on-demand PrEP among young people in SSA. It also aims to determine an on-demand dosing schedule for insertive sex. For this paper, we explored preferences for daily versus on-demand PrEP amongst adolescents as part of CHAPS. Methods: Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants from Soweto and Cape Town (South Africa), Wakiso district (Uganda) and Chitungwiza (Zimbabwe). At the time of the study in 2018/2019, Uganda had not rolled out PrEP to the general population; in Zimbabwe, PrEP for young people was only available at selected sites with one located within the study recruitment area. In South Africa, PrEP was made available to selected high-risk groups. We conducted 60 in-depth interviews and 24 group discussions amongst young people aged 13–24 without HIV in South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. All in-depth interviews and group discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated to English. Data were analysed using framework analysis. The main themes were centered around preferences for daily and on-demand PrEP. Results: Reasons for on-demand preferences included stigma, pill fatigue, adherence and side effects. Reasons for daily PrEP preferences included factors related to sexual risk behaviour, continuous protection against incidents of unintentional exposure, and the increased efficacy of a daily dose. Participants at all sites preferring daily PrEP identified the same reasons, with more males than females citing inadvertent blood contact or perceived increased efficacy. Similarly, participants at all sites preferring on-demand PrEP gave the same reasons for their preferences for on-demand PrEP; the exception was South Africans who did not mention the hope of having fewer side effects by not taking daily PrEP. Additionally, more males than females cited intermittent sex as a reason for opting for on-demand PrEP. Conclusions: Our study is the first known to explore and describe youth preferences for daily versus on-demand PrEP. While the choice is clear-cut, the reasons cited in the different options provide invaluable insights into their decisions, and the actual and perceived facilitators and barriers to access to PrEP. Further education is needed amongst young people, not only about PrEP but also in other areas of comprehensive sexuality education. Exploring all options of HIV prevention is crucial to provide a tailored, one-size-does-not-fit-all approach to adolescent care in SSA to reduce and, the continued and increasing risk of this preventable infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa is one of the few countries in Africa that has a running oral history association. In some countries, especially in southern Africa, these oral history associations have arisen and then died a natural death. For example, Oral Traditions Association of Zimbabwe (OTAZI) did not last long. Therefore, it is a positive development for South Africa to have a functioning oral history association. The Oral History Association of South Africa (OHASA) is the brainchild of the government and is mainly funded by the government. It is involved in the coordination and documentation of stories that were silent during the apartheid era. Therefore, with this highly perceived task it is necessary to critically evaluate its successes and failures in meeting the objectives of the National Oral History Programme (NOHP). This paper, through document analysis and purposively selected interviews, critically evaluates the achievements and shortcomings of the OHASA from its inception to present with the aim of proposing a 'working' model which involves the setting up of a monitoring and evaluating system. The paper concludes that although OHASA unveiled the muted marginalised voices, its oral history programme demonstrate elitism in critical emancipatory as mostly the stories of the elites are covered. Furthermore, such recorded stories are not accessible as the recordings are stashed in the boxes in archives repositories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many challenges faced by scholars when designing research that is ethically compliant. These include issues of consent, confidentiality, and how to give feedback to participants, for example. However less is known about how non-South African researchers, specifically Zimbabwean doctoral students, navigate ethical dilemmas when conducting their fieldwork whilst being registered in South African universities. This gap is especially concerning given the high number of Zimbabwean doctoral students in South Africa. This paper poses the following questions: (1) What are the challenges encountered by a Zimbabwean doctoral student doing fieldwork in Zimbabwe whilst being supervised in a South African university? (2) How can these challenges be mitigated? In answering these questions, the paper uses a collaborative autoethnographic approach to empirically ground its arguments. The paper argues that South Africa's higher education institutions have a duty to ensure research integrity of its students even if those students are conducting fieldwork outside South African borders. We observe that there is often a disconnect between formal ethical administrative processes and what actually happens on the ground. Potential solutions are to increase the autonomy and improvisation of students and supervisors in overseeing and doing research in these contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents WhatsApp as a means of data collection among vulnerable populations, reporting on a study conducted in South Africa and Zimbabwe, to determine the terminology used for and among different genders and sexually diverse individuals. 19 LGBTIQ+ individuals, recruited through a modified snowballing technique, participated in the study. Using WhatsApp text-based information, the interview questions and information regarding the study and ethics-related information were forwarded from one participant to another. The same approach was used for data-collection purposes, where responses (either voice notes or written texts) were forwarded until they reached the initial two participants and/or the principal investigator. Data were analysed using Collazi's steps for data analysis. As the study focus was on the data collection technique, the paper highlights the ethical implications related to using WhatsApp as a data collecting tool. The study also indicates the advantages and disadvantages of using this platform and further emphasises that voice note WhatsApp messages yielded higher-quality and more in-depth responses than text messages. The limitations of using WhatsApp, and ways of enhancing its use as a means of data collection among vulnerable populations, are also addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the socioeconomic and health security ramifications of the COVID-19 sickness since the beginning of the year 2020, the discovery of vaccinations has been a huge breakthrough. The international community and national governments' common commitment to preserve citizens' right to the greatest attainable health standards have fuelled the urgent need for vaccine development. Even though any COVID-19 vaccination should be seen as a global public good, the African continent has lagged in the dissemination of COVID-19 vaccines. The human rights implications of the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out on the African continent are examined in this research, which is based on secondary data sources and focuses on Zimbabwe and South Africa, two neighbouring Southern African countries. The research demonstrates that the African continent is confronted with a slew of concerns, including vaccine accessibility, price, and transparency. The paper also reveals a conflict that has arisen between governments' recommendations that everyone is vaccinated to protect all members of society and the freedom of some members of society to interpret the vaccine through the lens of their religious and cultural beliefs, including their freedom to express their beliefs and choose whether or not to be vaccinated. This circumstance is providing and will continue to pose a significant challenge for African governments in their efforts to implement mass immunization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clinical trials have found that a monthly dapivirine vaginal ring was well-tolerated and reduced HIV-1 risk among women in sub-Saharan Africa. However, in order for the ring or other novel prevention methods to have optimal impact, it is necessary to understand and address women's challenges to uptake and adherence. This paper provides insight into a few key challenges noted by women using the ring and contraceptives simultaneously.Methods: The qualitative portion of the MTN-020/ASPIRE study consisted of data collection using single in-depth interviews, serial in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions, conducted with 214 participants across 15 sites in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe. A coding team used qualitative analysis software to identify themes within the interviews.Results: The primary qualitative themes among participant data pertained to side effects. Participants reported negative side effects related to menses, in some cases attributing these effects to their contraceptives and in others to the vaginal ring. Participants also expressed concern over the long-term impact of contraception and ring use on fertility, including the reversibility of the contraceptive, especially among nulliparous women.Conclusions: Women's attitudes toward contraceptives can impact their willingness to concurrently use and adhere to a novel HIV prevention product. To optimize the potential of both prevention products, researchers should pre-emptively address concerns about contraceptive impact on fertility and counsel women about the expected side effects of contraceptives versus the ring. Clinical trials identifier NCT01617096. Registered on 6-12-2012 at clinicaltrials.gov https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01617096. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micronutrient deficiencies remain common among women and children in Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA); in pregnant/lactating women, the intakes of essential fatty acids may also be low. Enriching home‐prepared foods with small‐quantity lipid‐based nutrient supplements (SQ‐LNSs) is a promising new strategy of delivering additional micronutrients, essential fatty acids and good quality protein to women and children. This narrative review aimed to examine the impact of SQ‐LNSs supplementation among women and infants and young children in SSA, and to discuss the differential impact of SQ‐LNS consumption across different settings. Papers reporting randomized trials conducted in SSA in which apparently healthy women and/or ≥6‐mo‐old children received SQ‐LNSs were identified through electronic and manual searches. Prenatal SQ‐LNS consumption reduced the prevalence of low gestational weight gain in Ghana when compared with multiple micronutrients supplementation, and was associated with poorer iron/hemoglobin status when compared with iron‐plus‐folic acid supplementation. SQ‐LNSs received alone or as intervention package improved infant/child growth in two trials in Ghana and one trial each in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa, but had no impact on growth in two trials in Malawi. SQ‐LNSs supplementation improved motor development in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Malawi, Kenya, and South Africa, but had no impact on language, socio‐emotional, and executive functions in Ghana and Malawi and on Griffiths' developmental scores in Malawi. SQ‐LNSs may contribute to improving child growth in SSA. More research is needed to determine the iron level in SQ‐LNSs effective for improving both maternal hemoglobin/iron status and birth outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies of homicides in South Africa have examined serial murders and mass killings. While some scholars have examined parricides in African countries such as Ghana and Zimbabwe, few have examined the intersection of parricide and multiple victim homicides in the context of South Africa. This paper examines multiple victim parricides in a South African context using newspapers and court records as data. Eighteen cases of multiple-victim parricides were identified and analysed. Our findings indicate that multiple victim parricides in South Africa are shaped by residential patterns as well as social and cultural factors that are unique to South Africa that are embodied in the offence characteristics. The implications on the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The historic meltdown in the Zimbabwean economy and the violent nature of the country's politics since the year 2000 triggered a massive exodus that swelled the diaspora population, particularly in South Africa. The arrival of Zimbabweans in the diaspora, triggered diversity challenges. These included social cohesion and integration. Although some scholars have examined the impact of immigration on social cohesion and integration in the new society, little is known about how Zimbabweans settled in many parts of the world. Nor is there a clear, scientifically constructed understanding of the nature of relationships with relatives and acquaintances who remained in the country. This paper seeks to bridge that gap in knowledge by providing the results of a study that was carried out in Chimanimani District of Manicaland Province of Zimbabwe. Semi-structured interview guides were used in an exploratory study to facilitate conversations with a judgmental sample of twenty-eight people who left Chimanimani District for South Africa. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data. Diversity brought about high levels of mistrust with their neighbours, verbal and physical xenophobic attacks, identity crisis, general family disorientation and disintegration were cited as some of the consequences of the forced migration into the diaspora. Most of the respondents expressed a strong desire to return home once the political and economic situation improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Introduction: Previous studies of soil eating, or geophagia, among pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa indicate the practice is widespread. Various explanations have been explored to explain the global phenomenon of soil eating, with the most compelling explanation focused on clay's ability to prevent or treat intestinal infection. The urban South African context for clay eating is not well understood. This paper explores clay consumption amongst pregnant migrants who are nationals of countries where clay consumption may be common.Methods: I conducted in-depth interviews with a purposively selected group of Somali, Congolese, and Zimbabwean women (n = 23). Interviews included questions broadly related to maternal and infant nutrition. In addition, I conducted nine focus group discussions (n = 48) with adult Somali, Congolese (DRC), and Zimbabwean men (N = 3) and women (N = 6), segregated by country of origin and gender. This paper focuses specifically on responses related to geophagia.Results: While Somali women did not report consuming clay or charcoal, Congolese and Zimbabwean participants self-reported commonly consuming clay during pregnancy, and at times also when not pregnant. Despite having heard public health messaging that discouraged the practice, participants largely did not describe this consumption in terms of health, but rather in terms of craving and habit. Participants described continued consumption of clay in South Africa, and the only reason for ceasing consumption was in cases of severe constipation.Discussion: The widespread consumption of clay soil by Congolese and Zimbabwean women during pregnancy may be a mechanism through which identity was reasserted and reproduced in a foreign country. Participants' emphasis on clay consumption seemed related to the absence or expense of other craved foods, and perhaps also to feelings of loss in Cape Town. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The HIV response is hampered by many obstacles to progression along the HIV care cascade, with men, in particular, experiencing different forms of disruption. One group of men, whose stories remain untold, are those who have succumbed to HIV-related illness. In this paper, we explore how next-of-kin account for the death of a male relative. We conducted 26 qualitative after-death interviews with family members of male PLHIV who had recently died from HIV in health and demographic surveillance sites in Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The next-of-kin expressed frustration about the defiance of their male relative to disclose his HIV status and ask for support, and attributed this to shame, fear and a lack of self-acceptance of HIV diagnosis. Next-of-kin painted a picture of their male relative as rebellious. Some claimed that their deceased relative deliberately ignored instructions received by the health worker. Others described their male relatives as unable to maintain caring relationships that would avail day-to-day treatment partners, and give purpose to their lives. Through these accounts, next-of-kin vocalised the perceived rebellious behaviour of these men, and in the process of doing so neutralised their responsibility for the premature death of their relative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to critically examine and compare the structure, governance, and accountability's development and presentation by five non-profit organizations through their official websites for their stakeholders. These five non-profit organizations belong to South Africa, Ghana, and Zimbabwe are surveyed by applying content analysis as a case study and ranked between 1st to 5th position. We found that the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund that belongs to South Africa is at the top position in developing and presenting the best structure, governance, and accountability mechanism towards its stakeholders. The study presents theoretical contribution for non-profit organizations literature, with practical implications that the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund could be considered a model foundation by existing and prospective non-profit organizations. The findings of the study also open another useful debate that developing countries, such as Pakistan, Portugal, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan communities can use these models of non-profit organizations to overcome multiple community issues, like poverty, women and child harassment, clean water, and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pentecostalism continues to spread in Africa like a veld fire. This paper will pay attention to the phenomenon's pervasive presence in South Africa and Zimbabwe. The new forms of pentecostalisation, characterised by modern-day flamboyant 'Prophets' who initiate and run Pentecostal ministries have become the order of the day. Apart from enriching themselves, these 'Prophets' propagate a kind of gospel that is a complete departure from basic Christian teachings. They also use unorthodox means in delivering people from illnesses and in conducting their business in general. This new manifestation of pentecostalism has drawn criticism from both the public and the Church, but it would seem that no one clearly knows how to curb these 'shrewd business people masquerading as Christian Prophets'. While the public has attempted to stage protests against this new form of pentecostalism, the governments in both South Africa and Zimbabwe have also been considering ways of regulating practice in religious organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Using a qualitative approach, the study examines the female academics experiences in academia and the hurdles they encounter in their career trajectories regardless of the Staff Development Programmes (SDPs). The sample consisted of two public universities in South Africa and Zimbabwe and ten senior female academics participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured face to face interviews. The findings revealed that indeed both universities had on and off the job SDPs. However, it emerged that both universities could still do more to ensure that the SDPs in place meet the female academics needs theoretically and practically through capacity building programmes and adequate human and financial resources. The paper recommends that adequate funding should be provided for the SDPs offered in both universities, identifying capacity building programmes to ensure that the training provided to the female academics will meet their needs and enhance their career mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Operational research is required to design delivery of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and early antiretroviral treatment (ART). This paper presents the primary analysis of programmatic data, as well as demographic, behavioural, and clinical data, from the TAPS Demonstration Project, which offered both interventions to female sex workers (FSWs) at 2 urban clinic sites in South Africa.Methods and Findings: The TAPS study was conducted between 30 March 2015 and 30 June 2017, with the enrolment period ending on 31 July 2016. TAPS was a prospective observational cohort study with 2 groups receiving interventions delivered in existing service settings: (1) PrEP as part of combination prevention for HIV-negative FSWs and (2) early ART for HIV-positive FSWs. The main outcome was programme retention at 12 months of follow-up. Of the 947 FSWs initially seen in clinic, 692 were HIV tested. HIV prevalence was 49%. Among those returning to clinic after HIV testing and clinical screening, 93% of the women who were HIV-negative were confirmed as clinically eligible for PrEP (n = 224/241), and 41% (n = 110/270) of the women who were HIV-positive had CD4 counts within National Department of Health ART initiation guidelines at assessment. Of the remaining women who were HIV-positive, 93% were eligible for early ART (n = 148/160). From those eligible, 98% (n = 219/224) and 94% (n = 139/148) took up PrEP and early ART, respectively. At baseline, a substantial fraction of women had a steady partner, worked in brothels, and were born in Zimbabwe. Of those enrolled, 22% on PrEP (n = 49/219) and 60% on early ART (n = 83/139) were seen at 12 months; we observed high rates of loss to follow-up: 71% (n = 156/219) and 30% (n = 42/139) in the PrEP and early ART groups, respectively. Little change over time was reported in consistent condom use or the number of sexual partners in the last 7 days, with high levels of consistent condom use with clients and low use with steady partners in both study groups. There were no seroconversions on PrEP and 7 virological failures on early ART among women remaining in the study. Reported adherence to PrEP varied over time between 70% and 85%, whereas over 90% of participants reported taking pills daily while on early ART. Data on provider-side costs were also collected and analysed. The total cost of service delivery was approximately US$126 for PrEP and US$406 for early ART per person-year. The main limitations of this study include the lack of a control group, which was not included due to ethical considerations; clinical study requirements imposed when PrEP was not approved through the regulatory system, which could have affected uptake; and the timing of the implementation of a national sex worker HIV programme, which could have also affected uptake and retention.Conclusions: PrEP and early ART services can be implemented within FSW routine services in high prevalence, urban settings. We observed good uptake for both PrEP and early ART; however, retention rates for PrEP were low. Retention rates for early ART were similar to retention rates for the current standard of care. While the cost of the interventions was higher than previously published, there is potential for cost reduction at scale. The TAPS Demonstration Project results provided the basis for the first government PrEP and early ART guidelines and the rollout of the national sex worker HIV programme in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gaining access to participants in rural, politically unstable settings demands authority and consent not only from the participants and immediate line managers, but also from other players with interests in the research sites. This paper discusses data gathering experiences and challenges encountered during fieldwork for a PhD amidst a politically volatile situation in Zimbabwe in mid-2008. The article highlights the challenges encountered, how the researcher overcame some of them, and was stymied by others. Specifically, political challenges related to gaining access to schools and participants, which created time constraints and frustrations, fears and anxieties for the researcher. Issues of poor topography and interview space also emerged as other challenges. The paper proposes that the snags and surprises, the feelings of frustration, fear and anger that go with researching participants in politically unstable settings should not stall the research process but instead, handled with flexibility and patience, and used as motivation to continue. The experiences not only enhance the researcher's own reflexivity and reflectivity but also provide insights into the human conditions and actions as viewed from multiple perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zimbabwean migration into South Africa represents a challenge to standard global models for responding to large-scale migration flows. South Africa's existing legal and institutional infrastructure for migration management and refugee protection is not adequate for responding to this challenge and yet the country has not planned or implemented alternative responses. The paper outlines the complex 'mixed' nature of current Zimbabwean migration to South Africa and describes how South Africa's range of legal and institutional responses are ineffective in protecting both South Africa's national interests and the rights of Zimbabwean migrants. After presenting a series of factors against which future responses should be evaluated, it lists various possible forms of response, including legal and humanitarian interventions, and discusses their respective appropriateness in the South African context. Finally, the paper suggests six possible policy scenarios, taking into account institutional and political realities on the ground in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper traces the rise of the HIV pandemic in Zimbabwe and also traces the history of official silence about it. The paper argues that women are a particularly vulnerable group, but are often the most deprived of treatment. The spread of the disease within the Zimbabwean diaspora is also described and it is pointed out how British asylum procedures can discourage bearers of the disease from seeking medical opinion and help. The medical profession within Zimbabwe itself is castigated as not having been ready to take a stand against silence and on behalf of patient choice and empowerment, and the Zimbabwean situation is contrasted with those in Uganda and South Africa. The paper makes a passionate call for engagement nationally, professionally and internationally with the Zimbabwe pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on an interdisciplinary conference organised by the Kent Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities in April 2004. The title of the conference, Connecting Cultures attracted an extraordinarily diverse range of papers covering subjects from Caribbean narratives to translating India, to representing terrorism, and included papers on British Asian cinema and television, narrative and memory in South Africa, post-apartheid prose writing and culture contact in Border Zones. The paper of Terence Ranger, a speaker at the conference, considers a mode of translation as he explores the dynamics of the postcolonial interactions that exist in the system of Zimbabwe asylum appeals. He assesses the usefulness of examining asylum narratives both with the grain and against the grain to debate issues surrounding postcolonial assumptions both in Zimbabwe and in Britain. The papers that follow expand on various themes of the conference, commencing with a group of papers that discuss narrative and memory in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

There is limited capacity in terms of knowledge and experience on how to calculate the environmental water requirements (EWR) in Zimbabwe. In this paper the EWR were assessed using the desktop model developed by [A Desktop Model used to provide an initial estimate of the ecological instream flow requirements of rivers in South Africa. Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 2001] and a spreadsheet model (Waflex) was developed to incorporate a component of EWR in reservoir simulation. The paper assesses whether EWR as established by Hughes method can be incorporated into a reservoir simulation and water allocation model, and if it is possible to derive EWR directly from naturalised flow series. The paper further considers the possibility of using the concept of capacity sharing for allocating water rights to the environment.The results show that at present use levels the EWR in the Odzi river can easily be met. However when in future water abstractions will increase, the effective water releases for the environmental will increase significantly. Also a very simple method is proposed to establish a first approximation of EWR. The paper shows that the capacity sharing model concept is a transparent institutional arrangement, which can be used to allocate water rights to the environment. It can be concluded that the Waflex model can provide practical guidelines to catchment managers and dam operators to implement EWR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Implementation of urban water demand management (UWDM) in Southern Africa has been dismal since the inception of its promotion and advocacy as part of the broad framework of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) after the Rio Earth Summit in the early 1990s. Part of the reason for this failure is the absence of proper information system and technology within urban water utilities. This paper outlines a possible Management Information System (MIS) for effective implementation and monitoring of Water Demand Management (WDM) in urban centres of Southern Africa. The paper exposes why a MIS for WDM is the technology backbone for implementation and monitoring and this is substantiated by observations made on four case studies namely Bulawayo, and Mutare in Zimbabwe, Maputo in Mozambique and Windhoek in Namibia and through a survey of available MIS modules. The four case studies reveal that cities with a comprehensive MIS and WDM strategy have a sustained long term successful WDM programme. This paper is an extract of a report directed and funded by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sexual risk-taking is influenced by individual, interpersonal and social factors. This paper presents findings from a qualitative follow-up study to a clinical trial evaluating biomedical HIV prevention products among African women, explored participants’ perceptions and experiences of heterosexual penile-anal intercourse, as well as the gendered power dynamics and relationship contexts in which this sexual behaviour occurs. In-depth interviews were conducted with 88 women from South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Findings reveal that despite its social stigmatisation, women engage in penile-anal intercourse for reasons including male pleasure, relationship security, hiding infidelity, menstruation, vaginal infections, money and beliefs that it will prevent HIV transmission. In addition, participants described experiences of non-consensual penile-anal intercourse. We used sexual scripting theory as an analytical framework with which to describe the sociocultural and relationship contexts and gendered power dynamics in which these practices occur. These data on the distinct individual, dyadic and social contexts of heterosexual penile-anal intercourse, and the specific factors that may contribute to women’s HIV risk, make a unique contribution to our understanding of heterosexual behaviour in these sub-Saharan countries, thereby helping to inform both current and future HIV prevention efforts for women in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There are two interconnected fundamental policy questions that should shape any land reform programme in any African context: what kind of land reform and land tenure is ideal as well as what kind of farming is appropriate? The article argues that South Africa has never addressed these important questions and other associated questions, hence there appears to be policy confusion regarding South Africa's land reform processes. It is taken for granted that the process of land reform in South Africa is necessary in redressing apartheid colonialism – this should be the hallmark of land reform in not just South Africa but Southern Africa as a whole, as Moyo (2013), Murisa (2013), Hendricks et al. (2013), Hebinck et al. (2013) and many others have argued recently. Since 1994, the government relied on the 1996 Constitution and the 1997 White Paper on Land Reform as well as a plethora of legislative pieces to redistribute land, correct land tenure and address land restitution. However, land reform as a whole in South Africa has been a dismal failure. It is no surprise that Hendricks et al. (2013, 1) say ‘there remains a land crisis in South Africa’. Zimbabwe, by contrast, has been peddled as a possible model to follow. The study of the Zimbabwean land reform processes amplifies the fundamental point that this article argues – that policy clarity is critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws on research conducted in Kenya, South Africa, and Zimbabwe that focused on violence in the context of political transition. The paperexaminesthe relation between political transition and sexual and gender-based violence in the three countries. The paper argues that it is critical to recognise sexual and gender-based violence as bound to systemic gendered inequality if such forms of violence are to be addressed and mitigated when periods of violent conflict end. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Since the economic and social breakdown in Zimbabwe, hundreds of thousands of people have fled the country for South Africa, including thousands of unaccompanied refugee minors. An unaccompanied refugee minor, or a "URM," is a person under the age of eighteen who has either crossed the border alone or with another child, or who has found himself or herself living in a foreign country without an adult caregiver. Zimbabwean URMs come to South Africa in search of education, shelter, or jobs to support family back in Zimbabwe. Unaccompanied refugee minors who travel to South Africa face a myriad of challenges, including physical safety, life without a parent or guardian, legal and social discrimination, and a constant struggle to find food, shelter, education, health care, and employment. Although these children have rights under international and domestic law, political and other factors combined have denied children the protection and support to which they are legally entitled. While South Africa has been somewhat responsive to the needs of Zimbabwean adults, it has largely ignored those of unaccompanied refugee minors. This paper shifts that focus and argues that South Africa must immediately turn its attention to the plight of the thousands of unaccompanied minors who have entered the country from Zimbabwe. Specifically, it advocates for the adoption and implementation of comprehensive and carefully tailored legislation to protect unaccompanied minors who enter the country primarily for economic and educational reasons. Enactment and enforcement of such laws would respond to the immediate crisis of Zimbabwean URMs, while providing a sustainable approach for dealing with similar refugee populations in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many who have admired the African National Congress are confused and dismayed by post-apartheid South Africa's foreign policy on human rights and good governance, exemplified by its most important policy test to date, viz. Zimbabwe. It is argued below that understanding this policy in terms of the widely-used explanation that it represents 'a shift from idealism to realism' is unsatisfactory. This state-centric framework, focused on 'national' interests and ideals cannot accommodate the wide range of interests, ideals, and other factors that shape the policy. Instead, this investigation assumes that all foreign policies involve a close interaction between 'realism' (interest-driven analysis) and 'idealism' (beliefs/values-driven analysis). In addition to exploring this interaction, this paper also touches briefly and tentatively on the following questions: how well has South Africa's foreign policy been calculated and implemented, and what have been its effects and consequences for South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the 'progressive' international norms to which both South Africa and many of its critics subscribe. A subsidiary aim is to clarify some misunderstandings between South Africa and the West that frequently lead to their 'talking past each other' on this, and other, issues of human rights and good governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: The identification of new HIV prevention methods that women can initiate themselves are urgently needed, particularly in high prevalence settings. HIV prevention trials must be designed with large sample sizes and/or substantial follow-up periods to ensure enough statistical power to measure product effectiveness. This paper describes the attendance rates of the Methods for Improving Reproductive Health in Africa (MIRA) trial, reasons for missed visits, and strategies used to retain participants; and examines demographic and behavioural predictors of retaining women. Methods: HIV negative, sexually active females were enrolled into the MIRA trial in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Once enrolled, women were expected to visit the clinic at 2 weeks and quarterly thereafter for 12 to 24 months. Tabulations of visit-specific retention rates are presented, along with a descriptive summary of retention strategies established prior to and in response to challenges incurred during implementation. Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were created in STATA to examine predictors of being retained vs. lost-to-follow-up. Results: At the three sites, the final retention rates were 94%, 93% and 89% for Zimbabwe, Durban and Johannesburg, respectively. This was achievable through intensive outreach efforts toward the latter part of the trial and a commitment from all staff. Each site implemented several retention strategies. Conclusion: The high retention rates were achievable in this trial through added staff efforts and resources. Community involvement was also crucial to achieve these rates. Retention of trial participants should be considered during trial design and implemented from the onset. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article examines the extent to which South Africa's policy towards Zimbabwe under the Mbeki administration was shaped by economic and commercial considerations. Given the extensive involvement and growing influence of the South African business sector in Zimbabwe, the potential link between the South African government's policy stance towards Zimbabwe and South Africa's commercial interests in Zimbabwe is intuitively appealing. This paper argues, however, that although South African firms have exploited the commercial opportunities that have emerged from the political and economic crises in Zimbabwe, it is not clear from the available evidence if commercial interests have been a primary consideration in South Africa's policy towards Zimbabwe. It concludes that the Mbeki government's policy of 'quiet diplomacy' towards Zimbabwe was not principally shaped by economic objectives, but was instead driven predominantly by political and ideological concerns, which related closely to perceptions about South Africa's role on the African continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of military co-operation between the USSR and the liberation movements in Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa has still to be written. The same applies to co-operation with Moscow in the post-independence period. So far the attempts to do so have been unsuccessful, not only due to the lack of accessible documents, but also due to an uncritical attitude to the available materials. This paper attempts to present a 'factual version of history'. It addresses in particular the issues of training the African combatants in the USSR, and the activities of the Soviet teams attached to the ANC, SWAPO and ZAPU as well as to the armed forces of the independent African countries. While most of the Russian archives are still 'sealed off', the author has used oral history sources and memoirs as an invaluable means of painting a picture of the Soviet involvement from the early 1960s to 1991. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuing crisis over Zimbabwe raises a variety of issues of considerable interest to both the theorist and the practitioner of foreign policy: the merits or otherwise of contemporary attempts at state classification; the utility and morality of intervention in a state's internal affairs by economic or military means; the notion of hegemony; the assumptions underpinning African diplomacy; the incentives and constraints attendant on South Africa's foreign policy. In attempting to explain South Africa's role in the Zimbabwean crisis this paper will—where appropriate—make reference to these theoretical concerns on the assumption that the interaction between South Africa and Zimbabwe provides some revealing insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After attaining political independence from their erstwhile colonial masters, a major preoccupation for all ex-colonial African countries has been the formulation of national policies (economic, educational, political, social, etc.) considered appropriate to their mode of national development. None of these has proved more difficult to achieve than the formulation of language policies that reflect the complex multilingual contexts of these countries. The present paper is an attempt to identify the causal factors that have led to this state of affairs. Part One deals with the historical background, and attempts to trace some sources of the problems that continue to complicate the process of language policy formulation. Part Two deals with present realities, and Zimbabwe and South Africa are used to illustrate ex-colonial African countries trying to formulate a comprehensive language policy. The two parts are linked by the observation that past and lingering societal perceptions, and consequently attitudinal orientations, can be said to play a part in rendering language policy formulation in highly complex multilingual countries an extremely intricate task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]