Knowledge, Perceptions and Attitudes of Young Adults Towards Electronic-cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are deemed to be safer than tobacco cigarettes because they do not contain a number of toxicants and carcinogens that are present in tobacco cigarettes. However, their long-term health effects are unknown. Despite concerns surrounding this, there has been a rapid market penetration of e-cigarettes worldwide. South Africa has no legislation which specifically controls the marketing, sale and use of e-cigarettes and concerns have been raised over the increasing use of e-cigarettes by youth, who are often attracted to these novel products. This study is one of the first studies to explore the knowledge and perceptions of ecigarettes in South Africa. A qualitative approach was used to explore young adults’ perceptions, attitudes and behaviour related to e-cigarettes and assess the factors that shape those perceptions. The sources from which the participants accessed e-cigarette-related information were also explored. The study was conducted at the University of Cape Town and participants were registered male and female students at the university. Focus group discussions and individual interviews were used to collect data and thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the data. The results show that participants generally perceived e-cigarettes as healthier than tobacco cigarettes despite showing limited knowledge of the chemical constituents of e-cigarette liquid. Rather, the majority of the participants felt e-cigarettes were safer because of the pleasant smell. A pleasant smell from e-cigarettes was associated with health and the unpleasant smell was associated with danger. E-cigarettes were also viewed as a symbol of social status. The study recommends that e-cigarette awareness should be increased, and e-cigarettes should be regulated as tobacco products to alter the perception that they are safe

Factors influencing micro and small enterprises’ access to finance since the adoption of multi-currency system in Zimbabwe.

Access to financial services is key to Micro and Small Enterprises’ (MSEs) operation and growth in Zimbabwe. A survey was done in a small town (Bindura), medium size city (Kadoma) and the city of Harare (large city) to determine major factors influencing MSEs’ access to finance since the adoption of the multi-currency system in Zimbabwe. A pilot study was done in the city of Gweru to 10 MSEs’. Structured questionnaires were administered to MSEs that have been operating for at least one year as well as registered with the respective town councils and a total of 115 responses were obtained in all the 3 urban areas. The model used was the Binary Logistic model. The best model selected was based on the Omnibus Tests of model coefficients, the Chi-Square tests, the Cox and Snell R-Sqaure and the Nagelkerke R-Squared values. The importance of each factor was determined using the Wald statistic value. The results showed that formality, value of assets, business sector, operating period, financial performance and size are all important factors in determining access to finance.MSEs; Finance; Multi-Currency; Logistic Regression

A critical assessment of African communitarianism for environmental well-being

It is an undeniable truism that the world at large and Africa in particular is facing serious environmental problems such as deforestation, water pollution, air pollution, wetlands destruction, poaching as well as global warming. These problems are mainly caused by economic pressure for industrialisation, technological advancement, population growth, poverty and ignorance. Efforts to tone down these environmental problems have been largely influenced by the employment and deployment of Western ethical theories like land ethic, deep ecology, ecofeminism and social ecology as well as scientific approaches. Whilst these strategies are credited for forming the foundation of environmental discourse, they have not been a one-size-fits-all approach. As a result, they have registered modicum results in mitigating environmental challenges especially with particular reference to Africa. This is simply because they have proved to be anthropocentric and they are not flavoured with socio-cultural realities which identify the indigenous folk and shape their relationship with the natural environment. It is against this backdrop that the researcher feels that African communitarianism as a theory embedded on Ubuntu, Indigenous knowledge system such as taboos and totems and African traditional religion and morality, can chip-in to supply a home-grown solution to African environmental problems. Conscious of the pejorative effects of colonial hegemony through Christianity and the ever-present modern world of scientific undertakings, the researcher recommends a formulation of an environmental ethic that integrates traditional African religion, Christian ethics and scientific conservation methods to ensure an environmental policy that informs and directs sustainable socio-economic trajectory in contemporary Africa.Philosophy, Practical and Systematic TheologyM.A. (Philosophy

Ergonomic evaluation of manually-operated peanut butter mills

A JASSA evaluation of manually-operated peanut butter mills in Zimbabwe.Previous studies showed that the manually-operated peanut butter mills available on the market had technical problems related to the design and operation of the machines. One such problem was that the mills were too heavy for women to operate, resulting in limited operational time and ultimately, low total output. An ergonomic study of the original and modified versions of the mills was conducted at the University of Zimbabwe to verify the previously identified problems and develop appropriate and lighter mills for manual operation. A body discomfort assessment and heart rate measurement were used to determine stress endured by 12 women, as a result of operating the mills. Medium to high levels of discomfort were experienced in the lower back, neck, chest, lower arm, upper arm and shoulder. The heart rate readings showed that the mills currently available on the market were highly stressful (138 beats/minute), exceeding guidelines for safe manual operations. The modified mills, incorporating variable feed control devices, can be adjusted to ensure that stress levels are within recommended levels. The ergonomic study also established that for feed rates of 1.1 and . 1.5kg/hour, the mills produce peanut butter of acceptable fineness to the subjects, in one pass without over stressing the operator. In a separate field experiment using the same subjects, extremely high stress levels ( 150 beats/minute) were recorded with the traditional stone-mill

Inequality and private health insurance in Zimbabwe: history, politics and performance

Introduction: Zimbabwe has one of the highest rates of private health insurance (PHI) expenditures as a share of total health expenditures in the world. The perfomamce of PHI, known as Medical Aid Societies in Zimbabwe, requires close monitoring since market failures and weaknesses in public policy and regulation can affect overall health system performance. Despite the considerable influence of politics (stakeholder interests) and history (past events) in shaping PHI design and implementation, these factors are frequently sidelined when analyzing PHI in Zimbabwe. This study considers the roles of history and politics in shaping PHI and determining its impact on health system performance in Zimbabwe. Methods: We reviewed 50 sources of information using Arksey & O'Malley's (2005) methodological framework. To frame our analysis, we used a conceptual framework that integrates economic theory with political and historical aspects developed by Thomson et al. (2020) to analyze PHI in diverse contexts. Results: We present a timeline of the history and politics of PHI in Zimbabwe from the 1930s to present. Zimbabwe's current PHI coverage is segmented along socio-economic lines due to a long history of elitist and exclusionary politics in coverage patterns. While PHI was considered to perform relatively well up to the mid-1990s, the economic crisis of the 2000s eroded trust among insurers, providers, and patients. That culminated in agency problems which severely lessened PHI coverage quality with concurrent deterioration in efficiency and equity-related performance dimensions. Conclusion: The present design and performance of PHI in Zimbabwe is primarily a function of history and politics rather than informed choice. Currently, PHI in Zimbabwe does not meet the evaluative criteria of a well-performing health insurance system. Therefore, reform efforts to expand PHI coverage or improve PHI performance must explicitly consider the relevant historical, political and economic aspects for successful reformation

Tillage impact on soil erosion by water: Discrepancies due to climate and soil characteristics

No-tillage (NT) is promoted for soil and water conservation, but research findings on overland flow and soil erosion are inconsistent across different ecosystems, with some studies showing no benefits of NT over conventional tillage (CT). A global literature review was conducted to quantify the impact of NT on water runoff, sediment concentration and soil losses. The objective was to identify the underlying causes of the variability in the performance of NT across different environments. Data from 282 paired NT and CT runoff plots from 41 research studies worldwide were analysed using meta-analysis and principal component analysis (PCA). Sediment concentration and soil losses were 56 and 60% lower under NT than CT, respectively. These tended to be greater under CT than NT on long plots (90% for sediment concentration and 94% for soil losses) and steepest slopes (79 and 77%, respectively). Greater differences in sediment concentration and soil losses between NT and CT were observed in low clay soils and under temperate climates. While on average there were no differences on runoff coefficient, NT decreased runoff coefficient by about 40% compared to CT in mulched soils, under cool climate (5 years. Overall, the results indicated that NT has greater potential to reduce runoff and soil losses in temperate regions where soils of peri-glacial influence are relatively young, moderately weathered and fragile compared to the heavily weathered clayey tropical soils that are well aggregated and less erodible. The results of this study are expected to inform scientists, practitioners and policy makers on the links between land management and soil functioning processes. Policy makers and development implementers will be able to make informed choices of land management techniques for effective NT implementation, for instance by having more mulch input under warm climates

FABRICATION AND TESTING OF A BOX TYPE SOLAR COOKER

A model box solar cooker (BSC) was fabricated using locally available low cost materials. The BSC was compared with a renowned reflector solar cooker (CooKit) for thermal performance in heating water. The BSC and the CooKit constituted the experimental treatments in this study and each solar cooker type was replicated three times in a completely randomized design (CRD). The cookers were placed in a sunny spot away from buildings and trees to avoid shading. Six black plastic water bottles (800 ml) were filled with 700 ml of distilled water and placed in the centre of each cooker for energy generation monitoring. Each bottle had a hole drilled in the lid to accommodate an ordinary thermometer. The experiment was conducted on three selected days in January, February and March, 2014. Each trial run started at 10:00 hours and ended at 17:00 hours, with water temperature recorded every 10 minutes. The BSC recorded significantly (P < 0.05) higher peak water temperatures of 87C in January and 85.67C in February and these corresponded to mean energy gains of 0.17 MJ and 0.12 MJ, respectively, compared to 79.3C and 53.87C peak water temperatures (corresponding to 0.12 and 0.11MJ) recorded in the CooKit in the same months.. However, the mean cumulative energy generated by the CooKit (0.16 MJ) in March was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than 0.11 MJ gained in the BSC. These preliminary results have shown that the locally fabricated BSC has potential to provide adequate energy for pasteurising and possibly cooking various food products. Being a design based on local materials, it offers advantages of empowering local artisans and creating employment. It is recommended that further tests be conducted under varying weather conditions in order to identify points of possible design improvements before wide spread promotion

SMALL- AND MEDIUM-SCALE PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF PROCESSED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN ZIMBABWE.

A study was conducted to investigate the constraints and prospects of small-scale production and marketing of processed fruits and vegetables in the eastern districts of Zimbabwe. A sample of 26 small-scale horticultural producers/ processors was randomly selected during the land reform exercise involving in-depth interviews to gain insight of the requirements for small-scale enterprises to effectively produce and market processed fruits and vegetables. The results showed that small-scale food enterprises were mainly engaged in the production of dried fruits, vegetables, and fruit jams. The growers are encountering technical, financial, infrastructural, institutional, social and information gaps as constraints. It was revealed that fruit and vegetable production declined sharply during the land reform transitional period. Food processing was hindered by lack of training, high prices of basic ingredients, lack of appropriate processing equipment and shortages of packaging material. Processors generally lacked marketing information and processing skills. From this study, it may be concluded that availability of appropriate processing equipment, processing skills, packaging material, and marketing information could improve financial returns to small-scale horticultural processors. It may be recommended that small scale fruit and vegetables processors require further training in their business and that banks and allied companies are urged to avail financial services to them

The effectiveness of Solanum panduriforme (Mey) based extracts on the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnacus) on brassicas

PhD (Agric) (Plant Production)Department of Plant ProductionBrassicas are important vegetable crops grown for home consumption and market gardening in eastern and southern Africa. However, productivity is affected by aphids, through both direct feeding and disease transmission. Botanical insecticides have potential to control the aphids, but so far few plants have been evaluated for use on brassicas. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Solanum panduriforme to control aphids on brassicas. Botanical extracts from three parts of S. panduriforme were assessed for their insecticidal effects on the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae. The extracts from leaf powder (LP), ripe berry powder (BP), fresh ripe berries (RB) and fresh unripe berries (UB) were extracted with four solvents; water, ethanol, hexane and diethyl ether, using homogenisation, maceration and solvent-assisted / sequential extraction methods. The effectiveness of the extracts was determined by laboratory bioassays as well as by plant assays in the screen house and under field conditions. The experiments were replicated three or four times depending on the assays and the design used was completely randomized design (CRD). The immature (LP and UB) plant parts were generally more effective than the mature (BP and RB) plant parts, with mortalities ranging from 100 % down to 40 % respectively depending on assays. Ethanol extracts were more effective than aqueous extracts (LP 96% and 63%; BP 96% and 64%; RB 100% and 64%; UB 100% and 90%). The dried crude extracts from hexane were more effective than di-ethyl ether extracts. The group chemical analysis indicated presence of alkaloids in the berries (BP, RB and UB), which were absent in the leaves (LP). Phenolic compounds and flavonoids were present in all the extracts (LP, BP, RB, and UB). Saponins were present in the fresh parts (RB and UB). The results show how the locally available S. panduriforme plants can be used as an aphicide to control aphids on brassicas. Farmers can directly prepare an easy and cheap botanicalNR

Youths Unemployment and Alternative Strategies for Survival

Youth unemployment is a global problem, which has drawn much scholarly attention because of its complex dynamics within different regions and countries. Two common solutions suggested to tackle youth unemployment in African countries are investing in improved quality of tertiary education, and channelling investments to the agricultural sector in order for it to employ youths. This study examines the problem of youth unemployment in Bulawayo, examining the causes, the survival strategies of unemployed youths, and the sustainability of these strategies. It also explores the possibility of absorbing educated youth into agriculture. The study adopted a qualitative case study, focusing on 30 graduate youths in the City of Bulawayo. Young graduates were interviewed utilising a semi structured interview technique. The study found that educated youths in Bulawayo have found it difficult to get jobs in the city and were considering options outside the city. The study also showed that young graduates still consider formal employment as key to livelihoods. The youths also understood what they meant by employment, and did not consider activities in the informal sector or agriculture as employment. In fact, the young graduates had a negative perception of agriculture and preferred informal sector activities to agriculture. As such, the majority of young graduates had found solace in the informal sector, and where involved in a range of activities to survive. The conclusion reached by this dissertation is that young people have used their agency to navigate economic difficulties in a city that cannot provide them with sustainable livelihoods, due to neglect and a failing economy. While there is a gap between their education , training and the prevailing industrial needs, agriculture cannot effectively solve the young people’s problems. Young people require occupations that offer dignity and status, and sustainable livelihoods, and agriculture cannot provide any of these. This has left young people surviving on the underground economy, which although less sustainable than formal employment, can give them the dignity and financial returns.Dissertation (MSocSci)--University of Pretoria, 2019.Anthropology and ArchaeologyMSocSciUnrestricte