Enhancing access to socioeconomic development information using mobile phone applications in rural Zimbabwe: the case of Matabeleland South Province.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Mobile phone access has grown exponentially, transforming access to information and communication in Africa. Mobile phone penetration has increased dramatically across the urban-rural, rich-poor and literate-illiterate divides, which other technologies failed to bridge. The number of mobile phone subscriptions grew astronomically, from less than two million in 1998 to more than 620 million subscribers in Africa (Carmody, 2012). Internet users grew 85-fold from 4.5m users in 2000 to over 388m users in Africa at a rate higher than any other region (Internetworldstas, 2018). Global mobile app downloads have reached 175 billion in 2017, generating more than $85 billion, yet most African countries possess an insignificant share of this, due to low literacy levels, low economic opportunities and an infrastructure that is still developing (The Guardian, 2014; Perez, 2018). The growing presence of mobile phones must be harnessed to enhance access to socioeconomic information, in order to improve standards of life in the global south. Scholars and communication enthusiasts have argued that simply providing access to the internet, without considering the relevance of content, will not change the fortunes of rural communities (Internet.org, 2014; GSMA, 2015). There is the need to provide localised and relevant content – such as local news, market prices and bus timetables – to these communities. This research resonates with Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which seeks to increase access to information and communication technology, and provide universal and affordable access to the internet in least developed countries by 2020 (UN, 2016). In Zimbabwe, radio and television are basic technologies used for disseminating socioeconomic information, yet most of the rural communities have no access to radio and television signals, 37 years after independence. Rural mobile phone ownership is about 80%, and broadband penetration is 46.5% (ITU, 2013). In addition, Zimbabwe’s average rural literacy is about 90%. These two factors – high rural literacy levels and high rural mobile phone ownership – motivated the researcher to develop a mobile phone application prototype that could be utilised by rural communities to enhance their access to socioeconomic development information that could, in turn, anchor sustainable development. The mobile phone application prototype has the potential to provide a new platform for accessing socioeconomic development information in the rural areas of Zimbabwe, including information on agriculture, health, community activities, education and the markets, plus local and national news. These can all promote sustainable development. The study followed a seven-cycle design science research methodology, from problem identification to communicating the utility of the aertefact which guided the development of the mobile phone application (Hevner, 2007). The development of the prototype followed a user-centred design, as well user experience, where high-fidelity prototypes were presented to participants selected through a random sample to be part of the development process. This process is iterative, incorporating user feedback and redesign of the prototype until the users and developers agree on the design. After designing the prototype, participants were randomly selected to evaluate the mobile phone application prototype using an adapted TAM2, whose main constructs relate to perceived usefulness and ease of use (Davis, 1989)

Progressive or regressive rape case law? : Tshabalala v S; Ntuli v S 2020 2 SACR 38 CC

The Constitutional Court’s decision in Tshabalala v S; Ntuli v S 2020 2 SACR 38 CC is undoubtedly a step in the right direction towards rape law reform in South Africa, however, this article challenges the court’s decision to extend the application of the common law doctrine to common law rape. It is argued that the court could have highlighted the power dynamics at play during the commission of rape without denouncing instrumentality as a central element of the crime. This article further argues that the Constitutional Court, in developing common law rape, should have taken into account that rape is a conduct/instrumental crime under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment 32 of 2007. Instead, the judgment now has the effect of creating different elements for common law rape, in cases where there is more than one perpetrator

The Impact of Digital Transformation on Institutional Growth. A Case of Zimbabwean Universities

The pressure for institutions to digitally transform has been building, and COVID-19 accelerated the transition in developing countries. The study evaluated the impact of digital transformation on Zimbabwean universities. The Microsoft digital transformation framework guided the study. Thematic analysis was used to extract meaning and generate themes from qualitative data from university ICT Directors. Results show that digital transformation positively impacted institutional growth and efficiency. Most universities invest in digital technology to increase service reliability and availability. Digital transformation teams were bolstered to support student processes and create personalised learning journeys. The digital transformation led to the adoption of several revenue collection streams, fostering institutional growth. Employees were equipped with skills to support digitisation. Implementation barriers include resistance to change, skills gaps, high costs, infrastructure and legacy systems. The government should upgrade the telecommunications infrastructure to support the digital trajectory and set policies to create a conducive environment for digital transformation

Rethinking Sustainability: A Bibliometric and Visualisation of E-Waste Management in Africa

In bridging the digital divide and enhancing participation in the knowledge economy, most developing countries permit the importation of second-hand electronic equipment. The Global North exports over 80% of e-waste into the Global South; this is perceived as the neo-colonisation and decarbonisation divide. Rising e-waste in developing countries is an environmental and epidemiological crisis due to limited recycling infrastructure and environmental policies. This study performed a bibliometric analysis and visualisation of e-waste management in Africa. The initial Web of Science database search yielded 519,441 articles and refined them to 29 relevant articles. Results show the geographic distribution of articles, citation trends, H-index and keyword analysis. South Africa leads on publications, followed by Ghana, and new themes emerge. E-waste management research is rising, with over 60% of the articles published in the last five years. The publications have an H-index of 14, and the keyword analysis identified three distinct clusters. The study contributes to literature and challenges policymakers to craft policies that support the sustainable management of e-waste

Mentoring and Coaching Executive Secretaries in the Zimbabwe Union: A Strategy for Change

Problem The Southern Africa Indian Ocean Division (SID) has never developed or implemented a program for coaching and mentoring newly elected leaders at any administrative level—division, union, or conference. Newly elected officers report personal and professional frustration as a result. It is reasonable to infer this has contributed to new leaders facing difficulty in delivering expected performance on the job, effecting their careers and service to the community of believers. Methodology The study followed the qualitative research paradigm. Qualitative research became a method of choice because it is descriptive in nature and it provides the researcher with the opportunity to see the issue through the eyes of subjects being studied. The project defined its population as incumbent and former local conference executive secretaries in Zimbabwe Union Conference (ZUC). It also sampled former executive secretaries of other unions than ZUC to find out whether or not executive secretaries in other unions in SED are prepared for office differently. Results The data collected revealed that all the respondents had not been coached or mentored and all had not had any properly planned and structured transition when they assumed office. It also showed that the new executive secretaries did not have a clear understanding of their roles in the administration of the conference. Conclusions A program for coaching and mentoring executive secretaries in the ZUC is a reachable goal. The information given by both the current and the former executive secretaries provides a framework to address the problem and also give guidance as to how change can be effected

The User Pays's Principle and the Electricity Sector: A South African Case

This paper discusses the user pays's principle (UPP) within the South African developmental state concept. The essence of the paper is to ascertain whether UPP can be implemented in the electricity sector without necessarily harming the developmental state agenda taking into account the challenges of inequality, unemployment and poverty in South Africa. In this paper, we present the arguments in support of the UPP in the electricity supply industry (ESI) and its building blocks. The paper analyses the role of regulatory authority in the implementation and adoption of the UPP. Finally, the paper analyses the role of UPP in the developmental state concept and the challenges of implementing it. The analysis shows that adoption of inclining block tariff (IBTs) was based on the individual's perceived ability to pay and not on UPP while the free basic electricity (FBE) policy is a government-funded initiative meant to provide electricity to poor households. The paper also found that the ESI currently has high levels of inefficiencies in production and use, procurement and operation of utilities, cross-subsidisation, infrastructure and maintenance backlogs which may hinder the full implementation of UPP. Lastly, although the full implementation of UPP could incentivise efficient operation of the ESI and attract the much-needed investment in the sector, the UPP system will pose serious challenges considering the country’s three main problems: inequality, unemployment and poverty.&nbsp

Political Activism of the Zimbabwean Diaspora: Opportunities For, and Challenges To, Transnational Mobilisation

This paper reports on a study of human rights and political activism of Zimbabweans in Britain. It aims at analysing the opportunities for, and challenges to, transnational mobilisation and diaspora politics oriented towards the country of origin, Zimbabwe -- a country that has experienced a deterioration of its domestic political and socio-economic situation during the past decade - from the migrants' perspective

USING GROUP WORK INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS THE PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON ADOLESCENTS

Given the high prevalence rate of domestic violence (DV) in South Africa, one in four adolescents reportedly comes from a home where they are exposed to DV. The effects of exposure to domestic violence on adolescents are adverse and lifelong; therefore, providing effective treatment is crucial. Group work has proven to be effective in some international studies, but South Africa has limited research on this question, particularly on the psychosocial impact of DV exposure and the necessary effective interventions. Through an ethnography qualitative approach, this study aims to expand the limited knowledge base. Participants were observed during a group work process for a period of 8 weeks, the objective being to determine their psychosocial functioning after exposure to domestic violence. Drawing from social learning theory, the findings of the study suggest that adolescents can benefit from group work interventions. The results showed that the group participants’ psychosocial functioning improved significantly after the intervention. Based on the findings, policy and practice recommendations for adolescents exposed to domestic violence are made

Progressive or regressive rape case law? Tshabalala v S; Ntuli v S 2020 2 SACR 38 CC

The Constitutional Court’s decision in Tshabalala v S; Ntuli v S 2020 2 SACR 38 CC is undoubtedly a step in the right direction towards rape law reform in South Africa, however, this article challenges the court’s decision to extend the application of the common law doctrine to common law rape. It is argued that the court could have highlighted the power dynamics at play during the commission of rape without denouncing instrumentality as a central element of the crime. This article further argues that the Constitutional Court, in developing common law rape, should have taken into account that rape is a conduct/instrumental crime under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment 32 of 2007. Instead, the judgment now has the effect of creating different elements for common law rape, in cases where there is more than one perpetrator.

Chasing organohalide respirers: ecogenomics approaches to assess the bioremediation capacity of soils

Het opsporen van organohalogeen-reducerende bacteriën: ecogenomics benaderingen om de bioremediatie-capaciteit van de bodem te beoordelen. Organohalogeen-reducerende bacteriën (OHRB) zijn efficiënte afbrekers van organische chloorverbindingen, zoals gechloreerde ethenen, chloorfenolen en andere gehalogeneerde alifatische en aromatische koolwaterstoffen. Desondanks, lijken deze organische chloorverbindingen te volharden op verschillende locaties. De reden voor dit gebrek aan afbraak kan worden toegeschreven aan het ontbreken van OHRB in voldoende aantallen of aan verkeerde fysisch-chemische omstandigheden voor hun groei en activiteit. Derhalve is er een dringende behoefte aan snelle, robuuste en gevoelige methoden die het voorspellen van en het toezicht houden op het bioremediatie potentieel en de activiteit van OHRB mogelijk maken. Moleculaire monitoring en modelsimulaties werden toegepast om de in-situ afbraak prestaties van een on-site dechlorerende bioreactor te bepalen en zijn invloed op de vervuilingsspluim. De toepasbaarheid van dit systeem werd getest in verschillende verontreinigde bodems