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Africans need to be careful with discourses on coloniality that avoid dealing with central aberrations of colonialism. Focusing on coloniality of power, coloniality of being, coloniality of knowledge and coloniality of gender, contemporary discourses on coloniality sidestepped a central aspect of colonialism. Motivated not by quests to merely exercise power, as is assumed in coloniality of power; and motivated not merely by quests to dominate Africans using knowledge, as is assumed in coloniality of knowledge; and motivated not ultimately by the quest for gender domination, as is assumed in the coloniality of gender, colonialists dispossessed colonized people. Reviewing literature and using the Shona (a people of Zimbabwe) proverbs chisi chako masimba mashoma/kunzi pakata sandi kunzi ridza (one should not exercise power over what one does not own/possession is not synonymous with ownership), this paper postulates the notion of coloniality of dispossession. The paper concludes that power is merely a tool to dispossess colonized people, and so decolonial scholarship must focus not only on tools used to colonize other people but on the ultimate goals of using tools, such as power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper challenges the Eurocentric entrepreneurship narrative from postcolonial and pan‐African feminist perspectives. Based on interview research conducted with 24 Zimbabwean women entrepreneurs, we narrate their microstorias in order to expose the legacy of entrepreneurial colonialism and patriarchy in Africa. The microstorias reveal the colonial past as well as the patriarchal norms that disenfranchise women entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe. Yet, they also reveal their struggle, resilience, resistance and their ongoing fight to construct their own identities as entrepreneurs. The paper contributes to enhance and advance further postcolonial, decolonial and critical voices in entrepreneurship and organization studies by challenging the prevailing western discourse of entrepreneurship from the introduction of necroentrepreneurism; giving support to intersectional postcolonial and Pan‐African feminist perspectives that voice global South women entrepreneurship and, by decolonizing and decentring the theoretical debates on entrepreneurship and organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of past civilisations in southern Africa from AD 700 to AD 1450 has engendered unresolved debates on the social complexities and ultimate decline of these powerful states. The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of the Mapungubwe and Great Zimbabwe state systems in southern Africa through an environmental perspective by taking into consideration human responses to persistent droughts and dry spells. The theories underpinning this study are derived from contemporary societal responses to similar environmental hardships in the Bikita and Chivi districts of southern Zimbabwe. Using rainfall data, and interviews with chiefs, villagers, farmers and experts, this study notes that the occurrence of droughts and dry-spell experiences interfere with sociopolitical organisation. The concepts of sustainability, resilience and transformation are used to explain what could have transpired in societies in southern Africa in the second millennium AD in the face of persistent droughts and dry spells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on Love in Africa, a female Chinese migrant charity network in Zimbabwe and examines its geopolitical influence. It makes two vital finding by drawing on the theories of critical geopolitics, feminist geopolitics and public diplomacy, as well as the criticism for the lack of attention to transnational geopolitics and insufficient conceptualization of the links between state and non-state actors in existing studies. First, this study shows that migrant organizations such as Love in Africa have dealt with many neglected details in China's state-led economic development process, which explains that migrant groups do not always challenge the state geopolitical discourse but can also form synergy with it in a form that is different from state practices. Second, this study illustrates how Love in Africa as a feminized subjectivity carves out an alternative space of love, care and transnational solidarity in contrast to the masculinity demonstrated by the state power of China. Even being excluded from state practices, these Chinese females have formed a joint force with the state in shaping geopolitical discourse. These findings reinforce the link between state and non-state actors that is under-explored in existing critical geopolitical studies and prompt an agenda of transnational geopolitics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes weathering modifications to elephant bones in Zimbabwe, southern Africa, and discusses possible implications about conditions of deposition and the time elapsed since death or skeletonization. The observed patterns of proboscidean bone weathering, the times elapsed since death, and burial times may not be same as for bones of smaller terrestrial mammals typically found in fossil assemblages. A system of weathering stages is proposed for proboscidean long bones, flat bones, mandibles, and ribs. Special attention is given to drying cracks that affect breakage patterns when weathered bones are trampled or impacted. Weathering effects on elephant bones vary for several reasons, such as differences between juvenile and adult cortical bone and frequency of wet/dry cycling. Also briefly discussed are the observed or possible effects of burning, dissolution, organic erosion such as root etching, and inorganic carbonate (calcite) encrustation. Comparable weathering effects are also reported on bones of Mammuthus spp., supporting the probability that (1) bone weathering in fossil proboscidean assemblages can be described in corresponding terms, and (2) implications about assemblage origins may be similar, although this inference must be cautiously drawn. The data reported here will allow analysts to describe assemblage materials in consistent terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While debates about its morality continue among states and conservatives, migration is taking place in Africa. In previous decades, migration was dominated by men. Increasingly, in Zimbabwe, women are taking centre stage in this process. Using the case study of Chivi District in Zimbabwe which is now considered an established 'donor' of migrants, we examine how access and control of remittances by migrant men and women determines patrimony. This paper argues that migration and remittances have given birth to new rights and entitlements to daughters who were previously marginalised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ineffectiveness of enterprise policy in some southern Africa's rural areas has led to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) attempting to increase their political influence by engaging in the enterprise policy process. This paper examines the case of one NGO from one of the poorest southern African countries – Zimbabwe – in order to bring insights to its role as policy influencer in the regional approaches of enterprise policy-making. The paper argues that an understanding of such role requires the appreciation of how people and organisations are embedded to their contexts. The evidence suggests that in the case study the NGO's role is only modest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This descriptive and exploratory paper looks at how the khomba cultural practice that is ostensibly positioned as transitioning the girl child from adolescence to adulthood and is used to 'construct the female body'. The study focuses on the Shangaan people of the Mahenye community in the south eastern part of Zimbabwe and draws from narratives and experiences of both men and women via semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The paper also contextualises how the practice of khomba culturally creates the 'female body' and how it strengthens masculinity behaviours amongst the Shangaan people. The paper describes and analyses khomba as a rite of passage and considers how it defines what a 'real woman' is, according to the Shangaan belief system. The researchers noted that the cultural practice of khomba is used as a tool or vehicle to create the 'female' or 'cultural body' and strengthens masculinity behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capacity building programmes for African regulators should link education, training and research with career development in an approach that combines an academic base and experiential learning aligned within a competency framework. A regulatory ecosystem that engages with a broad range of stakeholders will mean that expertise in the ever‐expanding field of regulatory science filters into teaching and research in a symbiotic way. In this way capacity development interventions will be a collaborative approach between the learning context (academic and training institutions) and the performance context (regulatory agencies and industry), which will ultimately best serve the patients. Monitoring and evaluation of capacity development interventions will be essential to show value of investments and ultimately guide continued funding and sustainability. This paper reviews the skills and human capacity gaps, reports on regulatory assessment pathways used in Ghana, South Africa and Zimbabwe and outlines a staged tactical approach for Africa that builds on previous efforts to strengthen African regulatory ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The word 'ethics' comes from the Greek word 'ethos' which means character. Ethics are rules or norms of conduct 'pertaining to individual character of a person or persons'. Debates on media ethics in African and, in particular, Zimbabwean academic and media circles have not been theoretically vigorous. In fact, the absence of an established practice of ethical culture has helped the nurturing of media practices where journalists wield enormous power but with minimum responsibility or accountability. This paper examines the various manifestations of ethical transgressions in the Zimbabwean media in the context of political polarization. The paper specifically focuses on the impact of some instances of ethical violations on the democratic role of the media and on the public. Conveniently sampled news articles published between 1998 and 2006 are analysed. The main argument of this paper is that the absence of a strong ethical culture in the Zimbabwean media has seriously compromised the informational role of the media. This is resulting in the erosion of the public's trust in the media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is the impact of access to political party finance – money that parties use to fund their campaign activities – on politics in Africa? While multiparty elections have become more regular in the developing world, many opposition parties are still failing to win elections. This paper argues that poor access to political finance weakens democratic consolidation and negatively impacts the participation of less-resourced candidates who are unable to self-fund. As a result, opposition parties are forced to rely on weak promises of aid from international donors and unreliable state funding. This in-depth analysis of political finance, based on extensive interviews with politicians and government officials in Zimbabwe, political documents, news reports and a review of court cases, reveals that uneven financing has weakened opposition parties and serves as an extra advantage for incumbents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In much of southern Africa, ecotourism has been widely acknowledged as critical for enhancing livelihoods of communities living outside protected areas. Several studies highlight the potential of tourism as a mechanism for driving rural economies in Africa. Using the case of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park shared among Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mozambique, this paper demonstrates how communities are engaging in ecotourism entrepreneurship. A decade after the emergence of transfrontier parks in the region, no studies have explored how new and vibrant assemblages of individuals and community actors tap the potential of ecotourism. This study is based on 57 semi-structured interviews with participants drawn from four wards in southeast Zimbabwe. In addition, a netnography (online ethnography) of a Facebook page administered by a local community trust promoting ecotourism was undertaken. Findings demonstrate that innovative community leaders imagine, embrace, and exploit ecotourism opportunities that arise from their proximity to transfrontier parks. More specifically, this study characterises these entrepreneurs, their local and extra-local connections, how they actively engage in social networking to promote cultural tourism and development of a visible ecotourism product. This paper contributes to the understudied aspect of social entrepreneurship in ecotourism planning within transfrontier conservation areas. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The complexity and magnitude of threats to black (Diceros bicornis) and white (Ceratotherium simum) rhinoceros conservation in Africa have triggered global concerns and actions. In this study, we analyzed (i) threats to rhinoceros conservation including external shocks, (ii) historical rhinoceros conservation strategies in Zimbabwe and Africa, more broadly, and (iii) opportunities for enhanced rhinoceros conservation in Zimbabwe and Africa. A literature search from 1975 to 2020 was carried out using a predefined search protocol, involving a number of filters based on a set of keywords to balance search sensitivity with specificity. A total of 193 articles, which were most relevant to key themes on rhinoceros conservation, were used in this study. The common threats to rhinoceros conservation identified in this paper include poaching, habitat fragmentation and loss, international trade in illegal rhino products, and external shocks such as global financial recessions and pandemics. Cascading effects emanating from these threats include small and isolated populations, which are prone to genetic, demographic, and environmental uncertainties. Rhinoceros conservation strategies being implemented include education and awareness campaigns, better equipped and more antipoaching efforts, use of innovative systems and technologies, dehorning, and enhancing safety nets, and livelihoods of local communities. Opportunities for rhinoceros conservation vary across the spatial scale, and these include (a) a well‐coordinated stakeholder and community involvement, (b) strategic meta‐population management, (c) enhancing law enforcement initiatives through incorporating real‐time surveillance technologies and intruder detection sensor networks for crime detection, (d) scaling up demand reduction awareness campaigns, and (e) developing more certified wildlife crime and forensic laboratories, and information repository for international corporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The context of African and Eastern emerging markets often requires research methods to be adapted for culture and less sophisticated levels of human development. Recently there have been calls from scholars to increase African contributions to knowledge creation by being open to an interpretivist approach. This conceptual paper responds to the appeals by describing ways in which researchers may supplement existing knowledge by repositioning their worldviews from an outsider (etic perspective) perspective to that of an insider (emic perspective), taking on a range of culturally-relevant skills and attitudes. Being explicit about the contextual assumptions and boundary conditions of a study facilitates a shift from acontextual generalizable research to rich and detailed explications grounded purely in the gathered data; such an approach enables the emergence of new theories which may later be tested empirically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global risks of zoonotic disease are high on policy agendas. Increasingly, Africa is seen as a ‘hotspot’, with likely disease spillovers from animals to humans. This paper explores the social dynamics of disease exposure, demonstrating how risks are not generalised, but are related to occupation, gender, class and other dimensions of social difference. Through case studies of Lassa Fever in Sierra Leone, Henipah virus in Ghana, Rift Valley Fever in Kenya and Trypanosomiasis in Zimbabwe, the paper proposes a social difference space–time framework to assist the understanding of and response to zoonotic diseases within a ‘One Health’ approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

African radio is seen as a powerful instrument capable of integrating ordinary voices in democratisation debates. Mobile phones and social media applications such as Facebook and WhatsApp are seen as widening access to public debates, and this has recently been celebrated as inculcating 'participatory cultures' in Africa's public spheres. This paper provides new evidence on the dynamics structuring talk radio in Zimbabwe within the context of the ongoing incorporation of digital media technologies in newsrooms aiming to facilitate seamless connectivity with audiences. Interview data and ethnographic studio observations showed that journalists sometimes struggle to cope with high levels of audience interaction on hybrid digital platforms, forcing them to selectively attend to, and conveniently exclude a huge chunk of audiences. Radio in Africa faces challenges integrating the multiple digital voices entering newsrooms. While digital media technologies continue to increase options for integrating more voices in public dialogue, there is no guarantee that inclusivity will be actualised. The central challenge that remains is how to create more egalitarian platforms where diverse groups can mobilise their concerns and, through dialogue, speak up in a bottom-up fashion to power elites on issues of governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this issue of Media Culture and Society is to discuss the possible role of social media in the struggle for democracy, against authoritarianism, and over hidden power structures. The articles included in this volume are meant to offer empirical interventions to beliefs, some of them unproven, on whether the emergence of new media technologies has driven Africa towards democratic change. Papers in this Special Issue cover a wide variety of African countries delving deep into comparative studies of participatory citizens' media on the continent. This introduction is an attempt to offer an explanation on African democratisation and authoritarianism before conceptualising the role of social media in political processes with the backing of current case study dispatches in Africa, demonstrating the dilemmas of digital disparities in promoting or denting democratisation in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of social work in mitigation, recovery and coping with future shocks. Although the paper adopts a general approach to the theme of the study, the focus is more on southern African countries, namely Eswatini, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Southern Africa has since become the epicenter of the pandemic on the continent, following the first positive case recorded in the region in early March 2020. Of grave concern though, is the failure to protect the poor and vulnerable in the event of pandemics such as COVID-19 and yet they should be prioritised in the allocation of resources. Furthermore, the lack of comprehensive social protection measures in many African countries is likely to make both response and recovery from the pandemic difficult. As such, given that social workers are concerned with issues of social justice and human wellbeing, they are critical role players (both directly and indirectly) in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their role should span containment, mitigation of negative impacts, recovery, and building resilience to future shocks. The paper is based on secondarysources of data including the internet, the print and electronic media, journal articles and research reports on COVID-19 in the three countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the second half of the 1890s, south-eastern Africa was hit by a drought-driven ecological crisis. Using records previously unexploited for climate and climate impact research, and which cover the area from modern-day Zimbabwe and Botswana to eastern South Africa, this study explores the complexity of this crisis through an analysis of the spatial extent, duration and severity of the regional drought and its associated socio-economic and environmental repercussions. This interdisciplinary study stands at the nexus of environmental, economic and social history. The records used include (a) British administrative sources, (b) reports and letters by members of various Protestant missionary societies from diverse environments across the study area, together with (c) local newspapers. Analysis of these materials reveals that generally the period was marked by a sequence of considerably delayed rainy seasons, which in turn negatively impacted upon the rain-fed agriculture. Below-average levels of summer rainfall also adversely affected the development of young crops. The drought was more severe and continuous in the interior of the region than towards the Indian Ocean coast. The prolonged dry conditions were accompanied by, and likely exacerbated, locust outbreaks and the spread of cattle plague (Rinderpest). We demonstrate in this paper that drought, as the original driver of the crisis, triggered a cascade of responses from harvest failure to famine and ultimately led to profound socio-economic change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We used a Programme Science platform, to generate evidence to support the implementation of programmes for sex workers in Africa. Female sex workers are estimated to make up 1.6% (1.3%–1.8%) of the population of women aged 15−49 years in Zimbabwe. We highlight how programme science can be used to help distinguish between when, where and with whom programmes need to be implemented and discuss two case studies that exemplify implementing better (Case study 1 (1 June 2019−30 June 2021) Optimizing implementation of a risk differentiated microplanning intervention) and implementing differently (Case study 2 (1 October 2016−30 September 2022) Reorientating implementation of DREAMS for young women selling sex). Methods: Zimbabwe's nationally scaled programme for sex workers was established in 2009 in partnership with sex workers to provide comprehensive services for sex workers and generate evidence for programme design, implementation and scale up. Since inception, comprehensive data have been collected from all sex workers seeking services. As the scope of service provision has expanded so has the scope of data collection and analysis. At enrolment, sex workers are assigned an alphanumeric unique identifier which links consultations within and across programme sites. We conduct descriptive analyses of the Key Population (KP) programme data to guide programme implementation and redesign, embedding programmatic qualitative enquiry as required. Results: Two case studies describing different approaches to programme optimization are presented. In the first, an optimization exercise was used to strengthen programme implementation ensuring that the KP programme got back on track after SARS‐COV‐2. In the second, an in‐depth review of research and programme data led to a re‐orientation of the DREAMS programme to ensure that young women at the highest risk of HIV acquisition were enrolled and had access to DREAMS social support interventions in turn strengthening their uptake of HIV prevention. Conclusions: Optimizing and sustaining HIV care and treatment programmes requires effective delivery with sufficient scale and intensity for population impact. Our programme science approach guided the scale up of the KP programme in Zimbabwe, providing evidence to support strategy, implementation and ongoing management, and importantly helping us distinguish between when we needed to just implement, implement better or implement differently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local communities' perceptions of protected areas are important determinants of the success of conservation efforts in Southern Africa, as these perceptions affect people's attitudes and behaviour with respect to conservation. As a result, the involvement of local communities in transboundary wildlife conservation is now viewed as an integral part of regional development initiatives. Building on unique survey data and applying regression analysis, this paper investigates the determinants of the perceptions of local communities around the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Conservation Area in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Our results illustrate that people perceiving the park as well-managed tend to have more positive perceptions regarding the benefits from the park, rules governing the park, and wildlife conservation in general. Household expertise on resource extraction, in turn, tends to make people more likely to perceive environmental crime as morally acceptable. Furthermore, the results indicate that if people perceive the rules of the park in a negative way, then they are less likely to conserve wildlife. Receiving benefits from the park has a positive impact on people's perceptions of the rules governing the park, as well as on their perception of wildlife conservation in general, but not on perceptions about environmental crime. Surprisingly, perceived high levels of corruption is positively associated with people's perception of wildlife benefits and with perceptions of that environmental crime is morally justified. There is also evidence of the role of socioeconomic variables on people's perceptions towards wildlife. However, unobservable contextual factors could be responsible for explaining part of the variation in people's perceptions. Our results speak to the literature on large-scale collective action since perceptions of wildlife benefits, corruption, environmental crime, park management and rules governing the parks, all affect local communities' ability and willingness to self organize. These variables are interesting because they can be influenced by policy through training and awareness campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a long-standing debate about the roles of San in the militaries of southern Africa and the prevalence of violence among the Ju/'hoansi and other San people. The evolutionary anthropology and social anthropological debates over the contexts in which violence and warfare occurs among hunters and gatherers are considered, as is the "tribal zone theory" of warfare between states and indigenous people. This paper assesses the issues that arise from these discussions, drawing on data from San in Angola, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Utilizing cases of how San have been affected by military forces and wildlife conservation agencies in what became protected areas in southern Africa, this article shows that indigenous peoples have been treated differentially by state and nongovernmental organizations involved in anti-poaching, shoot-to-kill, and forced resettlement policies. Particular emphasis is placed on the !Xun and Khwe San of southern Angola and northern Namibia and the Tshwa San of western Zimbabwe and northern Botswana, who have been impacted by militarization and coercive conservation efforts since the late nineteenth century. Principal conclusions are that conservation and militarization efforts have led to a reduction in land and resources available to indigenous people, higher levels of poverty, increased socioeconomic stratification, and lower levels of physical well-being. San have responded to these trends by engaging in social activism, forming community-based institutions, and pursuing legal actions aimed at obtaining human rights and equitable treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recovery of energy from municipal solid waste (MSW) has gained popularity in many industrialized countries, but its adoption in economically developing countries, especially in Africa, has been slow. While capital investments and technical requirements for waste-to-energy (WtE) systems are among the most important causes for this slow adoption, the unavailability of data on the thermochemical quality of MSW as a potential feedstock for energy recovery is also a limiting factor. In this paper, Harare, a typical African city, was selected as a case study. The evaluation was based on the analysis of the MSW's composition, moisture as-discarded, thermochemical properties and energy content. The results show that the quality of the MSW is comparable to that in regions outside Africa where WtE has been a success. The combustible fraction exceeded 75 wt% making it ideal for thermal treatment without requiring supplementary fuel. With an MSW throughput of 421,757 tonnes year−1 (11.1% of which is recycled), and a lower heating value of 10.1 MJ kg−1, the energetic potential was estimated at 3.8 × 106 GJ. MSW thermal treatment via conventional technologies can reduce the waste throughput to landfills by up to 40%, provide up to 112 GWh year−1 of electrical energy, and increase the annual share of electrical energy produced from bio-fuels and wastes from 1.3% to at least 2.2%. These benefits make thermal MSW treatment a suitable option for waste disposal in African cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there is an abundance of published literature on the diffusion of planning modes and garden city notions in the western world, the corresponding literature on colonial (sub-Saharan) Africa is rather sparse. This brief paper, dealing with major historiographic trends in urban space and segregation in light of garden city literature proposes new directions for critical research on garden cities in colonial Africa. Both thematically and methodologically, the paper will highlight the importance of studying the influences of garden city ideas beyond the global North–West, and understanding the channels through which they were passed on to various colonial contexts in Africa, the circumstances of their application and the political interests they were meant to serve. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The roll-out of accessible and affordable antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for people living with HIV in low-income countries is drastically changing the nature of HIV-related healthcare. The Zimbabwean Ministry of Health has renewed efforts to make antiretroviral treatment (ART) for HIV free and publically available across the country. This paper describes the findings from a multi-method qualitative study including interviews and a focus group with healthcare workers (mostly nurses), totalling 25 participants, and field notes from over 100 hours of ethnographic observation in three rural Zimbabwean health centres. These health centres began providing free ARV drugs to HIV-positive people over one year prior to the research period. We examined sources of motivation and frustration among nurses administering ART in these resource-poor health centres. The findings suggest that healthcare workers administering ART in challenging circumstances are adept at drawing strength from the dramatic physical and emotional recoveries made possible by ART and from their personal memories of the suffering caused by HIV/AIDS among close friends or family. However, healthcare staff grappled with extreme resource shortages, which led to exhaustion and frustration. Surprisingly, only one year into ART provision, healthcare workers did not reference the professional challenges of their HIV work before ART became available, suggesting that medical breakthroughs such as ART rapidly come to be seen as a standard element of nursing. Our findings provide a basis for optimism that medical breakthroughs such as ART can reinvigorate healthcare workers in the short term. However, we caution that the daily challenges of nursing in poor environments, especially administering an ongoing and resource-intensive regime such as ART, must be addressed to enable nurses to continue delivering high-quality ART in sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sungura and kanindo are currently very popular forms of music in Zimbabwe, such that Zimbabweans sometimes cannot differentiate between the two genres. Very few people are aware that both forms are related to Kenyan benga music. This paper argues that sungura and kanindo are two different types of genres, in spite of their many similarities, with sungura being a Zimbabwean offshoot of benga that has taken its own sonic trajectory. On the other hand, kanindo remains pure benga, and has been given a new lease of life by Zimbabwean disc jockeys. The benga music of the 1970s has seen a great revival when artistes such as the late Daniel Owino Misiani, the late George Ramogi and Daniel Kamau took it to greater heights. Both genres are assured of a future with younger musicians such as Suluman and Tryson Chimbetu mix with experienced artistes such as Tongai Moyo, Alick Macheso and Nicholas 'Madzibaba' Zacharia to produce more sungura music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the tabloid press in Africa has often been criticized for undermining the normative functions of journalism and depoliticizing readers, there has been little attempt to theorize the reasons for its rapid growth in popularity. Drawing on qualitative research methods, principally qualitative content analysis and indepth interviews, with Bulawayo readers of the Zimbabwean vernacular (isiNdebele) tabloid newspaper uMthunywa, this article argues that such media can serve an important journalistic and cultural role. In particular, as this article will demonstrate, they can provide politically and economically marginalized readers with an alternative public space or sphere in which to articulate issues pertinent to their lived social, political, and economic realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Zimbabwe's recent harmonised elections as an example, this paper argues that instead of being the necessary or ideal democratic tools for non-violent positive political transition in most young democracies of Africa, elections can be manipulated to prevent changes to an undesirable status quo. This is most likely if some strategic state institutions perceive their deeply entrenched positions and interests to be threatened by such necessary changes. It also argues that the harmonised elections have divided the Zimbabwean society, SADC, the African Union and the United Nations. Lastly, it also argues that flawed elections undermine prospects for democratic transition and consolidation in SADC and Africa. The SADC Principles and Guidelines are regarded as the key criteria for evaluating the harmonised elections. The paper recommends that credible democratic elections are the only viable solution to Zimbabwe's current crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My paper looks at how Côte d'Ivoirean Véronique Tadjo, in The Shadow of Imana and Zimbabwean Yvonne Vera, in The Stone Virgins, use the histories of two nations (Tadjo on the Genocide in Rwanda and Vera on the war for independence in Rhodesia followed by the terrorism and killings in Zimbabwe's Matabeleland) to critique patriarchy and the process of nationalism. When Vera writes that ‘A new nation needs to restore its past,’ this holds true not only for ‘Zimbabwe’ emerging from ‘Rhodesia,’ but all nations of sub-Saharan Africa. Within the contexts of both South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and ongoing ‘genocide trials’ in Rwanda, my paper looks at history and healing in Tadjo and Vera to discuss how African women writers confronting some of the most horrific events of the last century are pulling the humanities in an important direction. This direction is toward the material: the material of the body (especially the female body), the material land and the physical spaces we call ‘nation,’ the circulation of goods, and the signifiers we use to represent and understand events called ‘genocide’ and ‘war.’ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the arrival of Christianity in Africa during the pre-colonial era, one of the main characteristics of its spread has been Christian Education (CE). The achievements made thus far by missionaries and African Christian communities were based on the Church-based Christian Education programs that were put into place by churches created by missionaries. Education, let alone Christian Education, has a key role to play in the transformation of every society. The problem is that the type of Christianity and Christian Education introduced sought to uproot Africans from their identity, culture, and language. Christian Education has a crucial role in changing the perspective of citizens to one that is Euro-centric and in promoting effective discipleship and strong doctrinal allegiance among members of mainline churches. Even though Christianity has undergone meaningful change over time, its many manifestations still survive in diverse 21st-century societies. Christianity, just like African Traditional Religion, has permeated every sphere and life of the Zimbabweans. The prospects of Christian Education to foster a positive society's transformation in Zimbabwe are great and accepted. Two types of Christianity were introduced to Africa: Afro-centric Christianity and Euro-centric Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The growing involvement of the Chinese state and business in Africa has generated significant debate about China’s Africa strategy and the benefits for Africa’s development. What is the nature of Chinese state capitalism in Africa? This study examines Chinese state–business relations and argues that China’s involvement in Africa is more complex than often portrayed. It aims to build a closer understanding of the diverse factors that influence the Chinese state–business relations as it is implemented in Africa. This paper focuses on how state–business interactions influence agricultural development outcomes, using six case-studies from Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It explores the question of how far the state can control business and direct development by identifying the key relationships that influence the decision-making processes of state and business actors within China and its African engagement. The paper challenges the conventional wisdom of homogenized, unitary relations. It argues that these relations are, in practice, heterogeneous, as a result of the state being disaggregated into a multiplicity of provincial relations and central state agencies, and tensions arising between commercial market and political interests. The active role of African governments in agricultural schemes is also affecting outcomes. China’s engagement is multivariate, involving a multiplicity of agencies, operating at different levels, structures, and processes with sometimes contrary interests and goals. The findings of an analysis of six state–business projects in the agricultural sectors of Zimbabwe and Mozambique suggest that where agriculture is concerned, a wide range of Chinese agencies are involved, with businesses being driven by either market forces or national state interests, which together make outcomes less open to generalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article sets discourse by demonstrating the utility of indigenous climate knowledge (ICK) in understanding the science of climate change in Muzarabani, a rural community north of Zimbabwe. It argues that the notion of sacredness, enshrined in customary arrangements and belief systems, offers opportunities for exploitation in climate science. Through customary law, communities understand the sanctity and inviolability of the environment because of the varied cultural, political and ecological benefits derived from it. This perspective, although facing perpetuity challenges in Africa, can be exploited both to enhance understanding of climate change and to promote sustainable intervention strategies. By drawing from the experiences of indigenous people through in-depth conservations with a selected elderly local group, the paper proves that ICK offers capabilities in informing climate science. The local people have a range of sacred sites and environmental assets that can be used to understand past, current, and future climate systems from their many years of interactions with the same. Sacred forests and trees are also vital in climate change mitigation. It is concluded that, albeit limitations in scale, opportunities exist for tapping from the sacredness notions, to enhance the praxis of mitigation strategies such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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An emerging orthodoxy supports the proposition that the rural economy – built around agriculture but encompassing much more – will serve as sweet spot of employment opportunities for many millions of young people into the foreseeable future. However, our understanding of how rural young people in Africa take advantage of processes of rural transformation or engage with the rural economy is limited. Drawing on qualitative research conducted with 117 rural young people in three country contexts (Ghana, Zimbabwe and Tanzania), this paper reports the findings on the steps and pathways through which young people construct livelihoods in hotspots of agricultural commercialisation. Overall what emerges from a diversity of backgrounds, experiences and pathways is that the commercialised rural economy within which they operate offer them a variety of income earning opportunities. Family and broader social relations are key in enabling young people to access the needed resources in the form of land, capital, and inputs to begin their ventures. Between family and rental markets, there is little evidence that young people's engagement with crop production is limited by their inability to access land. We also find evidence of asset accumulation by young people in the form of housing, furniture and savings among others, which reflects the combination of relatively dynamic rural economies, enabling social relations, and hard work. However, for many it is a struggle to stay afloat, requiring effort, persistence, and an ability to navigate setbacks and hazards. Our findings challenge a number of assumptions underlying policy and public discourse around rural young people and employment in Africa. We highlight some key implications for policy seeking to promote youth employment in rural Africa. • It is widely accepted that rural areas will provide employment for Africa's young people for decades to come. • There is little evidence about how young people actually engage with the rural economy in hotspots of agricultural commercialisation. • Data from Ghana, Tanzania and Zimbabwe challenge some key elements of public and policy discourse around rural youth in SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic resources of tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray) germplasm collections are not well characterized due to a lack of dedicated genomic resources. There is a need to assemble genomic resources specific to tepary bean for germplasm characterization, heterotic grouping, and breeding. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to deduce the genetic groups in tepary bean germplasm collection using high-density Diversity Array Technology (DArT) based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and select contrasting genotypes for breeding. Seventy-eight tepary bean accessions were genotyped using 10527 SNPs markers, and genetic parameters were estimated. Population structure was delineated using principal component and admixture analyses. A mean polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.27 was recorded, indicating a relatively low genetic resolution of the developed SNPs markers. Low genetic variation (with a genetic distance [GD] = 0.32) existed in the assessed tepary bean germplasm collection. Population structure analysis identified five sub-populations through sparse non-negative matrix factorization (snmf) with high admixtures. Analysis of molecular variance indicated high genetic differentiation within populations (61.88%) and low between populations (38.12%), indicating high gene exchange. The five sub-populations exhibited variable fixation index (FST). The following genetically distant accessions were selected: Cluster 1:Tars-Tep 112, Tars-Tep 10, Tars-Tep 23, Tars-Tep-86, Tars-Tep-83, and Tars-Tep 85; Cluster 3: G40022, Tars-Tep-93, and Tars-Tep-100; Cluster 5: Zimbabwe landrace, G40017, G40143, and G40150. The distantly related and contrasting accessions are useful to initiate crosses to enhance genetic variation and for the selection of economic traits in tepary bean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Achieving sustained HIV viral suppression is a key strategy to optimize the health and wellbeing of those living with HIV. Sub‐optimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in adolescents and young people living with HIV (AYPLHIV) in Southern Africa, due to a range of social and contextual factors, including poor mental health, has presented a substantial challenge to meeting targets aimed towards improving treatment outcomes and reducing transmission. With the increasing availability of viral load (VL) testing in Southern Africa, there is an opportunity to better understand the relationship between VL literacy, wellbeing and adherence among adolescents. Methods: We conducted qualitative interviews with 45 AYPLHIV aged 10–24 years in three districts (urban, peri‐urban and rural) in Zimbabwe between March and August 2021. The sample was purposively selected to represent a range of experiences related to HIV status disclosure, gender, marital status and treatment experience. Separate workshops were conducted with 18 healthcare workers (HCWs) and 20 caregivers to better understand existing support mechanisms to AYPLHIV accessing ART. We used thematic analysis to examine adolescent VL literacy, treatment support networks, experiences of clinic interactions, VL testing procedures and barriers to adherence. Results: VL literacy was consistently under‐developed among participants. Comprehension of phrases commonly heard during clinic visits, such as TND (target not detected) and "high" and "low" VL, were better understood by older participants. VL testing was predominantly understood as a clinical procedure that enables HCWs to monitor treatment adherence. Absent throughout the interviews were descriptions of how viral suppression improves health and quality of life, likely fosters wellbeing and enhances self‐esteem, enables participation in education and social activities, and eliminates the risk of onward transmission. Conclusions: It is imperative that we reconsider how routine VL monitoring is communicated to and understood by AYPLHIV. Reframing ART, including VL test results, in terms of the psychosocial benefits that viral suppression can generate is likely to be crucial to motivating AYPLHIV to maintain optimal treatment engagement and develop self‐management approaches as they move into adulthood. Access to accurate information tailored to individual concerns and circumstances can support AYPLHIV to achieve wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In April/May 1979, following an “internal settlement” in Rhodesia, elections were held for a Parliament with an African majority. On June 1st, Bishop Abel Muzorewa took office as Prime Minister of ‘Zimbabwe-Rhodesia.’ Having conceded power to an African majority government, white Rhodesians expected Britain to recognize the Muzorewa regime and end crippling sanctions. However, contrary to her election promises, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher withheld recognition and maneuvered the Muzorewa government into accepting new elections inclusive of Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe, who led the ‘Patriotic Front,’ against which Rhodesian security forces had been fighting for years. Thatcher's refusal to recognize the Muzorewa government ultimately allowed Mugabe to take power, an outcome highly unsatisfactory to most whites. My paper will examine primary source evidence, especially newspapers and Parliamentary records, to gauge white Rhodesian opinion from April to August 1979, when the question of British recognition hung in the balance. In particular, I will ask: How did white Rhodesians perceive their circumstances in this intriguing period? How likely did they believe recognition and an end to sanctions really were? And, lastly, how did they react when the deliverance they had hoped for, courtesy of Mrs. Thatcher, failed to arrive? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper seeks to analyse Zimbabwe's economic empowerment policy. It argues that while there is a felt need for Zimbabwe to redress colonially induced injustices and racial imbalances in the ownership of the means of production, a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to the indigenisation of the economy is fundamentally flawed as it deters investors and may further damage the country's already extremely fragile economy. The implementation of the land reform programme contributed to the decline of Zimbabwe's economy: lessons learnt from the programme and related economic policies of the past 15 years highlight the problems of empowerment policies that are intertwined with patronage politics. The government's negation of basic economic principles and failure to open spaces for critical engagement with all relevant stakeholders epitomises an ill-advised indigenisation and economic empowerment strategy. The policy will not promote and retain foreign investment;nor are there sustainable prospects of internally oriented accumulation strategies on the horizon. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

What determines people's willingness to consider punishment for human rights abusers? This article investigates this question in the context of Zimbabwe in the aftermath of the country's violent presidential election campaign of June 2008. Based on a national probability sample survey, the paper shows that exposure to violence was reportedly widespread and that attitudes to transitional justice are mixed. In considering how to handle abuses, Zimbabweans weigh the pros and cons carefully and, recognising that peace and justice are difficult to obtain simultaneously, generally prefer the former. The article analyses the various factors that together predict a citizen's proclivity to claim transitional justice in its most demanding retributive form. Reflecting power relations, the results indicate that political partisanship is almost as important as individuals’ personal experience of actual and threatened acts of violence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Generally, the history of electoral politics in Africa has not been encouraging. It has always been a source of unrestrained resentments, irrational action and political instability. The violence which has erupted from the towns of Nairobi and Harare to the rural areas has exposed tribal sentiments that have long festered in Kenya and Zimbabwe. Just as these societies were beginning to enjoy the imege of true democracy in their midst, thousands of their countrymen and women were killed and displaced from their villages as gang of militia conducted "Operation How Did you vote?" The rest of the paper is a discussion of this post-election violence in these two countries. But first, the paper shall trace the background to the crisis of "Operation How Did you vote?" and thereafter examine the form and pattern of violence that actually attended it. The paper will equally examine the theoretical views and perspectives of violence, and the causes and consequences of violent behaviour in Zimbabwe and Kenya. The paper will equally operationalize the concept of Operation How Did you vote?" and possibla ways of correcting these violent behaviour in African politics. The paper concludes by positing that the only antidote against electoral violence in politically voletile polities like Zimbabwe and Kenya is a free and fair election. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Music is the main diet of the most popular radio programmes in Africa and yet there are hardly any studies that examine either the ways in which it is programmed on radio, or circumstances under which it is consumed by Africans. This paper critically discusses this nexus by closely examining how a leading Zimbabwean radio station organises its music output to coincide with the daily life of members of its Zimbabwean listening public. Radio Zimbabwe's music policy (including quotas), music programming options and playlists are discussed to illustrate that music can only be relevant if it is scheduled in terms of rhythm with daily life and according to agreed professional judgements, which are supported by policy stipulations and playlists. Firstly, I discuss some general background, theoretical issues on music radio. Secondly, I explore scheduling particularities of some music programmes in relation to Zimbabwean daily life routines. I base my evaluations of Radio Zimbabwe music programmes on fieldwork findings from my research conducted with national broadcasters and listeners in Zimbabwe from 2000 to 2005. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet has fundamentally transformed the practice of journalism in Africa. It has spawned enormous opportunities and challenges for the African media, and Zimbabwe is no exception. Not only has the concept of news changed but also the manner in which it is gathered and disseminated. Journalists no longer feel compelled to adhere to the ethical cannons of their profession owing to certain qualities of the Internet. This paper investigates ethical challenges faced by the Zimbabwean media as a result of the Internet. In particular the paper discusses ethical challenges in the Zimbabwean media that are either directly or indirectly linked to the Internet. The main argument advanced in this paper is that while the Internet has brought about a number of opportunities for the Zimbabwean media, the same technology has been the root of unethical reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dominant climatic mode responsible for seasonal rainfall variability across central southern Africa has been well-established as ENSO. Hence, the El Niño signal of the equatorial Pacific has been used extensively to predict droughts in this sub-region. Although this paper acknowledges that El Niño influences rainfall deficits over eastern southern Africa, an earlier signal of extreme positive sea level pressure (SLP) anomalies at Darwin for the averaged March to June period (MAMJ Darwin) has proved to have a superior remote connection to droughts in the sub-region. Simple linear statistical tools including composite techniques and correlation methods have been employed on century long data sets (1901–2000) to identify the emerging paramount connection between MAMJ Darwin SLP anomalies and southern African rainfall. Both MAMJ Darwin SLP anomalies and the Zimbabwe seasonal rainfall time series are significantly correlated (above the 95% significant level) with sea surface temperature anomalies. These represent the Indian Ocean Dipole mode in the tropical Indian Ocean and ENSO in the tropical Pacific for the averaged September to December period. ‘Pure’ MAMJ Darwin (that occur in the absence of El Niño in the Pacific) coincide with droughts more significantly (83% hit rate) than ‘pure’ El Niño events (not preceded by a high MAMJ Darwin) (38% hit rate). Co-occurrences (MAMJ Darwin preceded by El Niño) do not only have the highest hit rate of 93% but subsequent droughts are noticeably more severe. The ‘pure’ El Niños however, are not only poorly related to Zimbabwe seasonal rainfall deficits, but are apparently not connected to extreme droughts of the 20th century. Thus, MAMJ Darwin is a good simple predictor of droughts associated with or without ENSO in the Pacific. The high prediction skill of these results, especially the inherent longer lead-time than ENSO, makes MAMJ Darwin SLP anomalies an ideal additional input candidate for sub-regional drought monitoring and forecasting schemes. In this way, drought early warning and disaster preparedness activities can be enhanced over the sub-region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hopes attached to social entrepreneurship for improving disadvantaged environments have spread throughout Africa, but due to the complexities characterising the continent, additional support is needed. This article analyses the promotion of social entrepreneurship led by a non-governmental development organisations (NGDOs) through an action research project in Zimbabwe, southern Africa. The results suggest the need to consider the particularities of the context prior to carrying out any support measures for social entrepreneurship in disadvantaged rural areas, and the design of measures in the framework of a flexible support system which involves people from the local context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980, the government started a massive expansion of the education system. Two decades later, the country's literacy rate had risen to one of the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the same cannot be said for special education. This paper examines the development of the education system in Zimbabwe with special attention given to the history of special education. This paper examines why special education has lagged behind in terms of its development in a country where the education system has developed so rapidly. (Contains 4 figures.)